Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-11-20

case of j. H. Swain, the Falmouth,
Mass, school teacher, who has been
missing since Saturday, when he bade
goodbye To his wife md 3-year-old.
son, Jack. Mr. and Mrs. Swain occupied
bungalow here. last summer Mrs.
Swain and her son passing a season
here, while Mr.. Swain was frequent
Nisitor.
One Story.
According to the Boston Post.
Search is being made in hospitals
about Boston and Providence, r. l., for
Mrs Florence Il. Souther OF Milton
whose discovery Sheriff Herbert Law
renee of Falmouth believes will dis
close the whereabouts of Mr. SSwain
Sher!ff Lawrence. who, for two days,
led 4 posse of 800 men and boys
through =. woods, swamps and dunes
about F.. mouth, believing that Swain,
who said ne was going on hunting
Trip was lost or injured, abandoned
the search upon receipt of evidence
alleged to show that Swain, school su-
perintcndent and respected toWnsman,
having a wife and baby, led Il douole
life.
The deserted wife, accepting condi-
tEns. heart broken, but philosophl-
callv teartully and and frankly told to
sheriff Lawrence and d reporter the
story of ner husbands disappearance
eeve-,l times during the recita! the,
woman cried.
We were married when we were
vo,ln.z." said Mrs. swain. I'VE bou'
taugh: school in New Jersey, New
Hampshire and Maine. We were very
hai,pv. I assisted my husband in nj
work. Then baby came along ana 1
auit teaching.
"Ahalt a year ago my husband wa'
ofeoraa q position as superintendent o
schools at Falmouth. We came her'
and were very, very happy. He bough
IN automobile. and we went on rae
nIlite frequently. Then this womai
came.
II found letters from her to my nus
hand in which she addressed him a.
MY bear Husband and signed You
Loving Wife My maid saw pie.ur'
If Mrs. Souther in my husbands pai
which he invariably carried with nm
"I still love him, but for his oW1
sake. hope that he has commltte''
suicide. for then / will feel that he wa
trn1v remorsefal and did not leave m.
excea: under great pressure
Sheriff Lawrence, last night. learn
ed that Swain telephoned to ProVi
Ience. last Thursday night, he has
sister there, Miss Sarah Swain, wh'
s a stenographer. 1t is believed tha
he may have gone there. The sherh
concludes that Mrs. Souther IS IN meet
of medical attendance, hence TN
search of hospitals.
Mrs. Swain's first story Of the al
fair was like a bombshen to Cape Coz
folks.
There is great sympathy for tn
deserted woman, who is universally re-
spected, and throughout Faimouu
there is talk of Offering her the su'
perintendency made vacant by tht
disappearance of her husband. Swan
left his wife with scant funds, sh'
aid, only last week, paying Sloe
garage bill. which almost depleted
heir account.
Last summer my husband took m
down To Southport, Me, where W
have bungalow. He left me Their
and came back Since then | haV
earned that during the summer m:
husband spent many nights at he
house, one time remaining four days
was under a terrible nervous stran
md finally told him that | was coming
ttshn
would return.
Il arrived in Falmouth on Satur
lay. My husband did not return un'
i'll 10 o'clock, Sunday morning. l ac-
,used him OF inhdelity. He said tha
.e was up against it and would shoo'
himself before Christmas
Then | found a letter written by
Mrs. Souther TO my husband in which
she begs him to come to her and be
with her all the time. She tells of the
expected advent of our baby boy il
hat letter. II vas signed, Your Low
ing Wife. You can imagine how ]
elt.
Il told my husband that even then
would forgive him if he would only
be true to me. But he couldn't. Last
Saturday morning, he said that he was
going hunting He had on his best
suit but carried an old one on his arm.
He kissed the baby and then he kissed
me, something he had not done for
very long time. Goodby, he said
And somehow or other | felt that he
was not coming back.
Another Story.
According to the Boston Journal:
Swain and Mrs. Souther, who was
Miss Florence Ethel Burt and widely
known as the daughter of George f,
Burt, a wealthy Milton contractor and
superintendent Of buildings of that
town, are believed to have planned
their clopement with great care, and
only the chance meeting of Mrs. South
er with a cirlhood friend and conf
dante in the South station precipitat-
cd q revelation of the true state of af-
fairs.
Mrs. Souther evidenced great un-
ease and sought to escape her friends
eve Seeing, however. that it was inn
possible, she greeted her, and then,
after a few moments conservation, al
most broke down. She was in great
grief she said and must eoniide in