The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-05
lIGS9'

LHCGHSGI Sucn an unusual JudJ
it attracted universal atten
ton. The man who disappeared was
a prominent lawyer and was at one
time district attorney of Monroe
county. His disappearance was so
complete that it baffled the skill of
the local Sherlock Holmes amateur
detectives in this part of the United
States Probably the saddest part of
the affair is that in trying to solve
the mystery it became necessary to
make disclosures about the absent
lawyers personal habits and moral
character that it served no good pur-
pose for the public outside of his own
community to know.
The many theories advanced as
probable solutions of the mystery
were as ingenious as they were prob
able or ridiculous. His presence was
reported in various sections of the
State, but when those who sought
him reached those localities he could
not be located. And thus the mys-
terry deepened for one full month,
when his dead body was found in
small brook only few hundred feet
from his home.
1t has been a great many years
since Hawley had such a mystery.
The Marcella Simmons mystery was
so long ago that there are but few
left in town who will recollect it,
1t occurred at the close of the Civil
war, and, as recollected by the writ
er, the details are about as follows:
Right near the corner of Main
and River streets lived the Simmons
family Mr.. Simmons was the will
age shoemaker, and in that family
was a daughter who had just bios
somed into womanhood. The name
of the young lady was Marcella.
Miss Simmons was employed at the
dress-making shop of Mrs. James
Dunlop, which was part of the Dun
.lop residence, and was situated right
near the north end of the Middle
Creek bridge on Main street. On the
day of which / am writing she re-
manned quite late, as there was a
rush of work in the shop, and she
did not leave for home until the
candles had been lighted The time
of season was late in the fall.
AS the evening wore on and Mar
celia did not return to her home her
people became alarmed, and in the
winds and darkness of a cloudy,
drizzly fall night, she was sought by
the aid of lantern. They went di-
rectly to the Dunlop shop, but only
to be told that long ere that she
had started for home alone. They
thought they had passed her in the
darkness, and returned to her home
expecting to find her there; but she
was not there, and in great alarm
the neighbors were aroused, and
searching parties were organized. On
the hillsides, along the banks of the
river, around the coal chutes, around
the canal basin, in the odd and dark
corners of the town lanterns flicker
ed and danced like will-o -the-wisps.
All night the search went on, but
the only tidings that could be carried
back to the stricken home was that
of continued absence and deepening
mystery. Surely, when daylight
breaks she will be found" was the
sentiment in everybody's mind; but
daylight came, the search proceeded,
and there was not even a rift in the
cloud of mystery.
'They sought her that night
And they sought her next day,
And they sought her in vain
While the weeks slipped away"
For several days the search con-
tinued in possible and impossible
places A publicity fund was raised
and advertisements were placed in
certain metropolitan papers. The
writer recollects seeing one of those
advertisements, part of which was
a snlall wood cut of the missing girl,
which was published in either Harp
er's Weekly or Frank Leslie's. The
The clairvoyants tried their skill at
unraveling the mystery. They were
not as honest as the magicians, as
trologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans
of the prophet Daniels time, for they
owned right up that they couldn't
tell the secret he required. Wonder
full, indeed, were their answers as
to what had become of Marcella Sim
mons. That she was alive all OF
them, to the best of my recollection
agreed. Various answers were given
as to her whereabouts, and how she
got there OF course the family suf'
fered greatly. If they only KNEW
the truth, then they could bear the
sorrow better; but the torture o.
suspense is what kills. And thus day
after day passed. Christmas anC
New Years came and passed by, bu
no tidings were brought to, the sor
rowing family. Winter waxed; thu
ice grew thick and thicker; the SUI
rode higher in the heavens; then thu
season waned and the gentle wind
and soft rain drops began to fall
Spring drew on apace, the ice brok
up and went out of the creeks AM
rivers, and RATS of logs, boards AM
sawed timbers began passing iron
the upper Dyberry through Hawley
One day, when the willows Wer
beginning to turn green and ther
was every indication that Summe
was surely coming, some wanderer
along the Lackawaxen, away dow
the river below the Narrows sudden
ly came across the dead body of poo
Marcella Simmons. 1t was entangle
in some brush and half buried in tn
sand. And thus the mystery wa
La. hn mind tha cold an