New-York tribune., 1921-04-09
Woman Found in Brook
lyn Plot Thursday Is
Positively Identified as
Missing Society Leader
Bareheaded i'm Rain.
She Brushed Hair
Man, Attracted by Queer
Actions, Follows Her to
B. r. L. Subway Station

EVlueHCe lNdJ MIS-. AnnCLte ~, Kan
kline, the wealthy widow and society
woman who has been mystcriously
missing for more than a week, is not
dead is believed to have been obtained
yesterday afternoon. Information that
Mrs. Rankine was seen in the Ever
green Cemetery in Brooklyn, between
and o'clock Thursday afternoon, was
received yesterday by William Nye, for
mer Secret Service operative, who is
conducting the search for the missing
woman.
Edwin Palmer, thirty~cight years
old, metal lather who lives at 1877
Covert Street, Brooklyn, furnished Mr.
Nye with the new clew. Palmer, while
walking in the cemetery, few mo-
ments before o'clock Thursday after
noon, noticed woman dressed entire
ly in black brushing her hair near the
Bushwick Avenue entrance to the Gem
etery. A light rain was falling at the
time and Palmer's curiosity was
aroused
For several moments he watched the
woman, and at last stepped up to her
and said: "You should put your hat
on, lady; it is raining" The woman
made no answer. and, after placing her
hat OH her head, started brushing her
shoes with a handkerchief Palmer
walked away, but turned to watch her
further.
Woman Boards 3. II. 4. Train
In doing so he took careful note of
her clothing and features and then
turned and walked away. few mo-
Eastern Parkway station of the B. r. T
elevated tracks at Broadway and East
ern Parkway. She walked hurrledly up
the stairs and took an uptown train, he
declared.
Palmer, thinking nothing of the in
cldent, went to the home of a cousin
who lives at 39l Sumpter Street,
Brooklyn, Thursday night, and during
the evening related the story. Mrs.
Wexford, another woman who lives in
knowing of the disappearance of Mrs.
Rankine, questioned Palmer as to the
woman's general features and dress.
After the description had been given
Mrs. Wexford was positive that the de-
scription fitted Mrs. Rankine and i'm
mediately called Mr.. Nye.
Palmer, in company with Mrs. Wei
ford, arrived at Mr.. Nye's Office shortly
after noon yesterday and again de-
scrbed the woman he had seen in the
cemetery. The description was so de-
If,1rr, n lat olxy
moned Miss Sphinx. Mrs, Rankine's
nurse, and William I. Mullaly, brother
ln-law Of the missing woman
In the presence of Miss Sphinx and
Mr.. Mullaly, Palmer again gave de-
scription of the woman he had seen in
the cemetery. He said she was dressed
entirely in black, wore a mannish hat,
weighed about 1870 pounds, had fur
neckpiece about her neck and decribed
Mrs. Rankine was known to have been
wearing at the time of her disap-
pearance
At the conclusion of his description
Miss Sphinx, who has been with Mrs
Rankine for a considerable time, asked
many questions and then gave addi-
tional details of Mrs. Rankine's cos
time which she knew to be wrong
These were corrected by Palmer.
Fail to Alter Mans Story
picture of Mrs. Rankine and an
other woman then was shown to
Palmer, and he was asked to identify
the one he had seen in the cemetery
Without hesitation he selected the
woman on the left, and Miss Sphinx
hurriedly corrected him by saying that
he had made a mistake Palmer re-
fused to change his selection and the
picture was handed to Mr.. Mullaly
who agreed that the selection made by
Palmer was correct.
At that point Palmer told Detective
Nye that he had not read a single word
in the newspapers of Mrs. Rankines
disappearance, and would never have
given the case any thought had it not
been for Mrs. Weiford's urging. Mr.
Nye and both Miss Sphinx and Mr. Null
laly were convinced that Palmer had
made no mistake
1t was learned yesterday by Mr.
Nye that single ticket to Littleton,
n. H., had been purchased late Satur-
day afternoon at the Grand Central
Station. Littleton is the nearest rail
way point to Franconia, where Mrs
Rankine's husband is buried. An oper-
atlve from Mr.. Nye's office started for
tranconia last night