Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-04-26

completely out Of sight Sunday morni
She was 43 years old at the time.
A searching investigation covering
more than two years failed 10 disclose
single clew TO her wherea bouts.
Joseph W. Selvage. insurance and real
estate man, and Edward L. Selvage sec
retary and treasurer OF the American
Leather Products Company, brothers Of
Miss selvage, positively identified her
bones short time after they were found.
They believe she was slain.
The skeleton was found in a dirty,
darkened side room of a double attic
in the old building.
TATTERED CLOTHING
BESIDE FoDY.
Beside the bones were scattered the
fragments Of her clothing.
Tho lGIding formerly was me nd
Union States hospital. at which Miss
Selvace was a patient.
She had been school teacher for
many years. and in 1909 suffered a
nervous breakdown.
She engaged quarters in the Union hos
pital after remaining at the Fletcher
Sanitar!um several months. and was re-
gaining her vigor when she disappeared.
For two days the fact that she was
missing. was kept secret by the brothers
in the hope they might find her.
The brothers shuddered as they
climbed the frail stairs leading to the
room which contained the skeleton.
Joseph Selvage was first informed of
the finding of the bones by a Times re-
porter.
RECOGNIZES SISTERS
SLIPPER AND BUCKLE.
Yes, It's Carrie" said Joseph selvaGe
slowly, as his eye caught sight of the
remnant Of a small slipper.
At this he tugged gently with what
was left OF her dress, which Obscured
the bones.
There was nothing left to further iden-
tlfy her
"She disappeared at 10 O'Clock on
Sunday morning. said Joseph Selvage,
and was no. notified that she was miss
ing until that afternoon when I went
to visit her.
"They permitted patients to have Wis
itors but once a week"
MY investigation showed that she
had last been seen 10 the~front ROOM"
and he led a Times reporter TO that big
room. MY brothers and myself had
this room refnished that she might find
it more pleasant"
"rhe nurse told me she left her to set
a glass OF milk and went through that
door which Is now plastered up" said
Selvage, pointing to the wall at the top
of the main stairway.
THE nurse returned and found my
sister missing.
''She had not left the building by way
of the rear stairs, and DR.. John Kole-
mer, in charge of the sanitarium, and
the matron said they were in the lower
hallway and did not see her leave"
II never could understand why l was
not at once notified. l offered rewards
for information that would lead to fnd-
ing her.
THE canal was dragged, as was Fall
creek, and White river, and then the
water works company let the water out
of the canal, but without result"
1t was soon after the disappearance
that Rufus Cantrell and his notorious
gang of grave robbers were arrested,
and Cantrel cleimed that he could
guide the detectives to the burial place
Of Miss Sclvage.
He told them of a room In a cellar
on North street. near Indiana avenue,
where they would hnd a hole and in 1t
her clothes and the club with which
she was murdered
MYSTERY DEEPENED
BY MANS STORY.
club and clothing were found, as
described, but Joseph Selvage declared 1t
was not his sisters clothing.
Chauncey Manning and Adolph Asch
were the detectives assigned to the case,
and Manning now inspector Of detectives,
was among the first TO reach the scene
today.
Detective Asch lied some years ago
selvage ran down every clew for years,
and after Cantrell's arrest the grave rob
Der guided the brother of the missing
woman and the detectives to various
graves near Nora, Flackville and Nc
Cordsville, saying the woman was buried
there.
When these graves we're opened each
time it was found Cantrell had not told
the truth.
So famous did the case become that |
clairvoyants discussed it and said that
the woman had wandered away to a
farm in the northern part of the county. !
HYPNOTIST PUTS
BOY ON TRAIL"
f. t. Davis, a hypnotist, put boy
under his power" and took him to the |
room in the sanitarium from which Miss
Selvage disappeared.
The boy walked out the back way and |
from there to Flackyille, where the trail
was lost.
The Selvage brothers and Detectives
Asch and Manning searched the sanitar-
ium building. even tearing of the cell
ing in places, but they never found that |
the building had a double attic.
The old building is a huge red brick |
said to have been erected seveuty-1ye