The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1919-12-05


The Hartford Day Spring of last
week states that Muskrats are abun-
dant along the river and inland lakes
in that vicinity, and that hundreds
of them have already yielded their
pelts to be sold at record prices.
Muskrats are also abundant in the
vicinity of Paw Paw, and several
trappers have already been attracted
by the record prices of the pelts,
but they have come to grief. Deputy
Game Warden, Fred Slovenian
within the past week has confiscated
thirty-five Muskrat pelts the value of
which is $4,000, and collected the
sum of 5000 in fine and costs from
two premature Trappers." The
Estate law protects the muskrats of
Michigan until December 18th.
What may prove to be one Of the
most uncanny and sensational TRACE
dies ever enacted in the state Of
Michigan was uncovered in the will
age of Lawton last Sunday, when
the shrivelled remains of what was
supposed to have been Maude Tabor
were discovered in an old trunk
buried in the basement Of the Tabor
home in that village. The inquest
occupied the first three days of this
week, when it was adjourned until
Wednesday, December 10th, to per-
nit DR.. Warthin, the celebrated
pathologist from the U. Of M. who
dissected the body to complete his
examination and make report. A
small army Of reporters have been
in attendance and the shocking de-
tails of the discovery and the many
angles of the mystery have been re-
viewed in detail on the front page Of
all the metropolitan dailies and are
already familiar to every reader.
Briefly, the facts so far established
are as follows:-- Maude Tabor was
the daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Lester
A Tabor of Lawton. The father
died some six or seven years ago,
leaving a widow and three children,
Maude, Florence and Walter. An
estate approximating $4,000 was left
the family. This property evidently
was a bone of contention in the
family after the fathers death, and
at one time the records show, the
daughter Florence made application
to have the mother adjudged insane,
and committed to the asylum. These
proceedings were eventually dropped,
but through it all Maude, it is said
was loyal to her mother. This
accounts for the fact that at that
time, the property which was all in
the mothers name was transferred
to Maude The property now how
ever is all again in Mrs. Sarah Ia
boris name, and therein possibly lies
the crime of forgery. The records of
the Register of Deeds Office shows
that there was an assignment of
mortgage from Maude Tabor to
Sarah Tabor executed October 18th,
1916. This assignment is alleged to
be forgery, for the reason that the
,vi,icrcc tc-( = '',ot.- .. -@ula
Tabor met her death in May or June
of that year. Then again a deed of
real estate recorded shows that the
property was decided from Sarah Ia
Dor to Maude Tabor on September s,
1911, probably at the time of insan-
lity proceedings in Probate Court.
The property was reconveyed from
Maude Tabor to Sarah on June 18th,
1915, but was not recorded until
June End, 1916. This deed is also
alleged by the officials to have been
a forgery Maude Tabor was a
graduate of the U. of M. and
teacher of prominence during the
latter years of her life. She dis
appeared from Lawton in May of
1916, and was reported by the family
at that time to have died on a ranch
lin Colorado. An examination of the
body found in the Tabor cellar show
ed that the victim was about to be-
come mother, or possibly had be-
come a mother just prior to her
death. In this connection, the officers
located on Monday former sweet
heart, one Joseph Virgo residing at
one time in Matawan and Kalama-
zoo. Virgo admitted from the start
his friendship for he girl, but denied
Iany intimacy with her at the time.
On Wednesday however, he confess
ed under persistent questioning, in
timacy with her in the month Of
August 1915: that he knew of her
condition and that the mother of the
girl had implored him to help her
out of the trouble. He denied how
ever, most emphatically that he had