New Britain herald., 1926-01-20
RECLUSE'S DEATH
 EXPLAINS GHOST
Park Ridge, III, Mystery
 Woman Also Left Fortune

Chicago. Jan, 20 U) -- For il score of years, Mary E. Sterling French, aged recluse, lived in the attic Of her boarded-up and tum- hIe down house in Park Ridge. a suburb, where residents told stories of seeing a ghost, clad as a bride, moving about with n lighted can dlc, She left and entered by lad der, drawing 1t up after her,
 She died January 6, leaving three wills of clashing provisions, safety oposit boxes in which $50,000 in securities have been found, tax re- colpts for property in Massachu- sctts and papers indicating she may have possessed a fortune.
 Wcirdest of her legacies were two grave like mounds, each mark cd with stick with teacup over the end, in the back yard.
 The police will dig into these, hoping to find something 10 shed light on the disappearance of her husband 19 years ago.
 It was after he left that she had the house, in whine she lived 20 years, boarded up. The rooms down stairs were left exactly as they had been 20 years ago. Fur niture was undustcd and in bed chamber q mans coat and vest and Il straw hat, seemingly thrown aside as if they had just been dis carded, were found covered with mould.
 The story Of Mrs. French. long the mystery of Park Ridge. was told, as far as he knew it, by Ed ward Ostronski, an attorney. ana printed in a copyrighted story in the Herald and Examiner today.
 Ostronski appeared the day Mrs. French died al the home of John Dahlman, neighbor and an nounced that he was the executor of the estate. The body was whiskod away to an undcrtaker's in Chicago.
 A petition and inventory fixed the potential value of the estate at s1,Soo, but inheritance tax off cers, with Ostronski. found liberty bonds and stocks valued at sS0,- 900 in a Chicago bank. Another safety deposit box in a Park Ridge bank has not been opened.
 Ostronsli said he met Mrs. French through the Dahlmans about year ago. She asked him to draw up will for her last De- cember 22. But when the safety deposit box was opened, two others were found, one drawn in 1887. They willed the estate 10 Mary l.. French, who, the police said, was Mrs. French's foster mother who died 1f years ago, and beside whom Mrs. French wished 10 be buried.
 The Park Ridge police said Ostronski went through the house and caused the removal of the old furniture and devoted Q week to thorough search from attic 10 cellar. He sold the furniture for junk, Ostronski said.
 An explanation of the ghost which frightened people away from the house Ostronski said he found in dfessmaker's form on the second floor. A dress was draped about it and a bunch of white cloth formed a head. Mrs. French would set it on a chair near a window and place q light beside it, he explained.
 There were 33-year old newspa- pers, some of them indicating the mysterious woman might have been resident of Watertown, Massac chusetts, about thirty-f five years ago, Bits of valuable Irish point lace were found in the dust and piano was in a front room.
 Groceries were left on the front porch and were taken into the house only by Mrs. French via the ladder. She came first 10 the Dahl man house to heat some coffee, paid ten cents for the privilege and later returned when she grew i'll. She paid for everything given her at standard prices, 1t was said.
 A physician who attended her sought to question her regarding relatives. She said she would not discuss the subject and only re. DlinJ tbat eho 1,ae 1o,,.;ru n r.;II