Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-08-29

thru the ravines, looking
for Katherine Troyer,
aged IS, who was found
missing at midnight last night, when
the home Of her widowed mother,
Mrs. Margaret Troyer, 1923 La Sale
street was discovered in flames,
which were started by mysterious
origin.
Ai.ar an all mornings search.
Katherine was found at 1890 this af-
ternoon by c. J. Niesen prominent
Utica Sand man. who holds a special
deputy's commission and Policeman
Fitzgerald OF Utica. She was clad in
mems clothing and presented an un-
kempt and wild appearance. She claim
ed to have no memory of her past,
ana to be suffering from state of
complete mental collapse. To Mr..
Niesen soon after she was taken in
carge, she coniided that she remem-
Dered nothing but flames, and in
CURED II there had been a fire last
night or the night before.
She was seen by Mr. Niesen as she
passed his grain Office window. He
was suspicious and summoned of
ticer Fitzgerald. The two of them
followed her to the Utica depot
where they took here IN custody.
She said she did not know where
she came from, did not know whose
clothing she was wearing. and did
not have a home. She said she was
going to De Kalb, where she knew
teacher When asked how she ex-
pected to reach there she stated she
was going to walk Katherine had
but 30 cents IN her pockets.
She claimed that all she could re-
member was flames. That she walk
ed to Utica along the canal. slept dur
ing the night at Twin Bluffs. and
stopped at a farm house for water to,
day
The clothing she wore belonged to
her brother She was brought to
Ottawa at 2 O'Clock and turned over
to Sheriff Ayers by the Utica Of
ficers.
Katherine was taken to the County
Farm this afternoon to be held pend
ing hearing
The lives of Mrs. Troyer, her four
teen year old daughter Margaret.
and seven year old Mary Jane Lowe,
Of Streator who was visiting at the
Troyer home, were all endangered
by the blaze which caused heavy
damage to the house aud furnishings.
Mrs. Troyer was awakened by the
odor of smoke and carried the two
children to safety, clad only in their
n 8 Ii clothing Her pathetic
screams, when she feared her daugh-
ter Katherine was being burned to
death, awakened neighbors for blocks
around
Brother Rushes To Scene.
Fighting his way thru the fire.
Robert Troyer, risked his life in an
effort to affect his sister, rescue be-
Heying she was in her room, where
the fire apparently started A few
after he made his heroric
effort to save Katheryn the police
found the screen from her bedroom
window on the ground out side. which
told Of the girls fight A check of
her clothing leads the officers to be,
lieye, that she disappeared, clad only
in her night garments.
The general theory is that the
fire to her room, aud then made her
escape thru the window.
\ search of the Mexican quarters
was made by the officers this morn
ing to ascertain that she was neither
in riding or was being involuntarily
detained there
Fire Loss OF 1900.
The fire caused damage of ap-
, 4s,,,.. "A,
worth of insurance was carried on
the household furniture katherine's
bed room, the kitchen and dining
room We're gutted, while furniture in
the remaining rooms was damaged
by smoke and water.
The fire was discovered at 1910
o'clock by w. b. Duckworth, neigh
bor About this time Mrs. Troyer
was awakened by the smoke. she
carried the two children, who were
in the room sleeping with her to
safety, and then ran back to kath-
crimes room, to rescue her She
found the bed in flames. and believed
hat her daughter was lying in it.
possibly burning to death
Mother Cries For Dasghter.
Her screams brought about by her
discovery were horrible. A
taxi was sent for her son Robert.
who was working at the National
Plate Glass Co. AS soon as he reach
ed home. Robert insisted on fighting
his way thru the flames TO the sis
.er's room After he returned from
the room. and reported that she was
not there, the tiremen. who had been
by Mr. Ouckworth. made
, more thorough search of the inter
or of the premises to make sure that
he girl did not meet a tragic fate in