Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-07-16

started that will sweep everything be-


start and sniff the air, so did the lady
throw up her hands Mt scenting a trag-
edy.
Great heavensw she exclaimed. "II
hope he hasn't murdered his wifewI
But, having met Mrs. Hackstaff the.
day before at the bargain counter of
the Beehive store, she concluded not
to be in hurry in announcing her
suspicious. She determined to keep
her own counsel and await develop
ments. which meant conflding the sto-
ry to several intimate friends, caution
Ing each to say nothing about 1t, for
If Mrs. Hackstaff was still alive she
would appear In the flesh.
But Mrs. Hackstaff did not appear
because she had sailed for China. Mrs.
Ward, thinking that she might have
gone on one Of her trips, cautioned
those she had told OF the buried gar
ment to keep quiet till a proper time
had elapsed for her return. Mean
while she took a number Of other per-
sons into her confidence and by the
time Mrs IIackstaff should have re-
turned from an ordinary trip all Ather-
ton was ag0g. When month more
had passed Mrs. Ward was sure Mrs.
Hackstaif had been murdered; many
of those she had told of her boys dis
covery felt that 1t was highly prob
able. while few poohpoOhed the whole
matter.
Many believed that the authorities
should be given the evidence of the
buried dress, but they all considered
that 1t was the duty of some one else
than themselves to bring forth the In
formation. There was no certainty
that Mrs. Hackstaff had been murder
ed, and no one cared to be the finder
OF mares nest" Meanwhile Hack
staff began to show worriment When
asked about what was troubling him
he said that his wife was absent and
he had not heard from her since her
departure. Then he was asked where
she had gone, and at this he baked.
Turning, he walked away without re-
plying to the question.
One day he went to the bank with
check for $500 payable to himself. It
had been written IN his own handwrit-
ing and bore his wlfe's signature. The
paying teller had heard the whisper
tngs about Mrs. Hackstaff's suspicious
disappearance and, asking Hackstaff
to walt n moment took the check to
the cashier, who carried 1t to the pres
idcnt. After conference 1t was de-
cided to pay 1t, but this had no sooner
been done than a message was sent to
an expert, who came, examined the
check and pronounced 1t a forgery.
match had been touched to these
various items Of kindling, and brisk
blaze started. A suspicion OF forgery
other experts disagreed with the first
brought out the story Of the buried
dress, which brought out the fact that
no one could be found who had seen
Mrs. Hackstaff leave Anterior. that
Hackstaff had looked quite as uneasy
as If he had committed murder and
various other incidents, all Of which
combined warranted grand jury In
finding an indictment against him,
though the prcponderance Of evidence
of the experts being that the signature
IN tho cbock wos oonuIro corsod ,bo
charge of forgery to be dropped
uoc,,o,oV ,oId hto o,o.v oa 4. ho.
boen toId horo with n roy oddI,,ona
not bearing on the case. This was
that his wife was cotton Spectator
and usad with bts occoeionaI o.o,o,
onca IN oxouino TIA cro,, Il, Tho oo,tb
whore thev were Orown copdition
OF the cotton market had occasIoned
n visit to Bombay, and she Ind gone
there. expecting to buy largely. What
had worried him was that the steamer
on which she had sailed had not been
reported since Issuing from the Red
sea into the gulf Of Alden.
There were several missing links In
his explanations. His wife's dress,
which had been exhumed had become
dcOdorized; the ticket agent at Ather-
ton, who knew Mrs. Hackstaff well, Ind
no remembrance OF having sold her n
ticket on the date claimed, and owing
TO her catching the steamer at the last
moment her name did not appear on
the passenger list
Opinion which had long been grow
ing against the accused and the fact
that the prosecuting attorney was
showing great energy In convlctlng
criminals previous to campaign he
was about to make for nm important
judgeship prevailed over this nlmsy
evidence, and Hackstnfr was given
death sentence.