The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1914-01-09
serve In case the suit went against

| III cOuft she was much III Ieeu u
ready money for legal expenses and
sent nothing TO the Longmans for her
grandchild's use. The case was decided
against her several times. but she al
| ways appealed from the decisions. At
last. worn out by disappointment and
she was about TO die, informed her
lawyers Of her grandson's existence.
She died soon after making the con-
fession.
The question of the ownership now
turned upon Frank Longman, or, to
give him his real name, Frank Reyn
Olds.
AS the adopted son of the Long
mans he was Of no especial impor-
lance. but as the heir to valuable es-
tate he was of great deal Of impor-
lance, for he was keeping his uncle.
| Thomas Fletcher, out of the property.
The latter saw at once that his best
chance to secure it was to prove his
nephew dead. He put detectives to
work on the case. who found stains of
blood on clothing that Frank had left
behind when he went away. This was
really of no Importance. because the
boy had been constantly cutting him
self with the sharp instruments he
used in the articles he made, but it
was quite enough to bring charge Of
murder against the Longmans, espe-
cially since an analysis of the stains
showed them to be human blood.
Longman and his wife were brought
to trial for murder. The detectives
employed. paid literally by Thomas
Fletcher. brought testimony from
neighbors that about the time Frank
disappeared they had heard cries, In
the voice of boy. emanate from the
Longmans' abode. This. together with
the blood stains and other corrobora-
tive manufactured testimony, made
strong case against the accused. Thorn
as Fletcher sent messenger to them
to say that If they would give him evil
delce that the boy was dead he would
see that the charge of murder was
withdrawn. This meant that they
should make affidavit that Frank had
been drowned and his body never. re-
covered.
The Longmans, although they saw
the gallows staring them In the face,
declined to testify falsely to save them
selves. Besides. they had no reason
to suppose that Frank was dead, and If
he could be found they wished him to
come to his own. When the trial was
over and the case submitted to the
jury there was disagreement. The
accused had been in jail for long
while and had the prospect Of remain
ing there for an indefinite time. But
attorneys who were interested in pro-
ducing the heir to the estate had been
advertising largely for Frank. and
when after the trial the prisoners were
being led out Of the courtroom to the
jail they We're astonished to meet their
foster child coming in.
All three were at once locked in an
embrace.
This ended the murder trial, but did
not restore Frank Reynolds to his own.
The attorneys of Thomas Fletcher en-
tered a denial that he was the son Of
Phoebe Fletcher, and he was required
to produce proof that he was. His
foster mother had years before put
away the garment in which the baby
had been brought to her house and
the description Of him. including the
marks on his body. During her i'm
prisonment she had been much broken
down. She had remembered where she
had placed these articles of identified
ton for number of years. but since
no one came to claim the founding
and she had come to regard him as her
son she gradually let the place of
safe keeping pass away from her. In
her enfeebled condition she found 1t
impossible to recall where she had
put them.
However. she remembered what arti-
cles she had put away. and she was
sure she had never destroyed them.
All depended upon their being some
where In the house. That she had hid
den them she also remembered, for she
had feared that If she put them with
other articles in ordinary use they
might be destroyed or given away
without its being known what they
were. The house was searched from
top to bottom, but the proofs were not
found. 1t seemed that, after all, the
boy must lose an estate that was his
by right for the want Of child's shift.
At times memory requires starter.
Daniel Longman was in the garnet
looking for the lost articles when in q
corner he stepped on board that
creaked. That creak brought to life
the germ, so to speak. Of memory. 1t
came slowly. but 1t came surely. 1t
was so vague that at first he considered
1t as nothing. But that creak contin-
ued to work in his brain. The same
evening while at supper he told his
wife that he had faint remembrance
OF his hiding the articles for her. Later
he said he believed he had taken up a
board In floor. she had put the things
in and he had nailed the board down.
Suddenly he arose from his half fin
ished supper, seized screwdriver and
and, taking a lamp, went up
into the garnet. His wife and Frank