El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-18
EXPECT TRIlL OF
WOMAN To CLEAR
UP 4 MYSTERY
Daughter Of Retired Farmer
Is Charged With Writing
Venom Barbed Letters

Philadelphia, Pa, Sept 1s.-When
Miss HARRIET De Witt. the spfnster
daughter Of a retired truck farmer OF
EasuOn, Pa was placed on trial in the
I federal court here today on the rath-
er INDEFINITE charge It misusfng the
mails, postal authorities expected to
clear up the mystery surrounding q
system OF anonymous letter v-rfTfne.
that has terrOriZed the ohurCh-ROine
folk Of EastOn for the past six wears.
In Inar period homes have been
wrecked friends have become enemies.
and lovers have been separated-aII as
result OF a series OF slanderous eDfs-
ties written in the same treacherous
nand and couched in the same venom
Gus language.
Whether the examination Of Miss De
Witt reveals her as the writer Of the
pen printed, venom barbed letters that
nave disturbed the peace and quiet OF
E-aSlOn Tor the past six years. or vim
dlcare the assertions OF herself and her
friends that she is innocent they VIII
UNFOLD to her eager tOWnsfOIk the his
tory OF ner llfe-a history that, by
some TICK OF rate, seems to be curl
ousIy IN harmony with the rise and
elimination Of the letter writing
Miss De Witt is a single woman Iiv-
ing with her parents Her father is
reIlred truck farmer Of EastOn. Her
movements ever since the series Of let
ters began to make their appearance
IN Easton society, have been yelled
2 %
ooLS pellg unaware IFher existence.
Berore the letter writing began she
IS said to have been a member Of the
christ Evangelical Lutheran church, OF
when the Rev. Elmer E. Snyder, then
a young bachelor divine. is pastor.
1t was while the Rev Mr.. Snyder
was attending the social pleasures Of
ms church that the first letters made
dressed to members OF the young d.
vines flock and contained charges so
unspeakable that the resulting furore
almost resulted in his expulsion. Later
when ne was engaged to marry a young
lady from the west another batch Of
letters disturbed the peace Of the
churcn over which he had held sway
From this time on, It Is said, little was
seen OF Miss De Witt.
From time to time. other letters have
made their appearance, gradually
widening their scope till their cfrcula-9
ton included the members OF families
IN every part OF the town. In fact so
prOfuse did the letter writing become
that IL IS thought that at least four
or more authors have fallen victims 20
the disease.
work on this strange epidemic for sew
eral years. their only clues being let
ters placed In their hands by the Rev.
Mr.. Snyder Time and again they have
set out upon a promising trail, only to
be confronted with failure They have.
at different times, had under suspt-
ciOn several members Of the Rev Mr.
Snyder's flock, but in each case the
suspected persons were able to prove
beyond doubt their innocence-in one
case acknowledg an inability to
read or write; IN another proving an
alibL and in still another responding
TO the suspicion with a removal from
town But still the letters found their
ways into Easton homes-sometinnes
after a lapse OF months and sometimes
appearing a score at a time.
Gradually suspicion, through frequent I
references to Intimate portions Of pas
tor Snyder's house and back yard, be-
came restricted to the region imme- [