Year: 1879

postmaster was questioned; he SAID ne
remembered frequently mailing letters
addressed to Frank Colby, and letters
came to the Office addressed to Harry
Colby, and they had always been receiv-
ed by young lady he remembered her,
because she always hesltated when
calling for a letter. In small place
like that many things and people are
noticed that would be passed in larger
place he did not know who mailed the
letters to Frank Colby, as they were gen.
orally found in the letter-box.


"The detective then related to the
postmaster as much of Harry's history
as he thought necessary, and asked his
aid in helping him find the woman
who called for the letters. The post
master replied that she would likely
come in for the afternoon mail, and he
could come inside and watch for her.


"That afternoon he was on hand,and,
sure enough, she came, and called for
letter for Harry Colby. Receiving
negative answer she walked out, and
the officer followed to small but very
neat-looking cottage and boldly knocked
on the door, and as she opened 1t walked
in, without waiting to be invited. He
found her to be really pretty, young
looking lady, with child about eigh-
teen months old playing on the floor
She seemed surprised at the intrusion,
but he hastened to tell her he was try
ing to find a young man by the name
of Colby. Could she tell him of his
whereabouts She seemed a little startled
at first, but soon regained her composure
and replied that she knew of no such
person.


"'T Then replied the officer, why do
you receive letters addressed to him =


"' How did you know that?' she
asked. quietly, forgetting herself in her
surprise.


&c 1 know that you do and that is suf-
ficient. See here displaying a badge,
{ i am detective, and unless you desire
to board while in the county Jail, you
had better tell all you know concerning
this matter. The young man is missing
and il is believed that he has been foully
dealt WITH


"The woman was frightened, and
name was Johnson; her husband was
carpenter, and had a friend named
Williams, who lived in Illinois; that he
had given her ten dollars to watch the
mail and receive all letters addressed to
Harry Colby, which she enclosed in
/ NJ oil fn
liams; that he would then send letter
all roady to be put in the post-ofice
there, to go back to Illinois. The letter
to be re-mailed was always addressed to
Frank Colby, and in cramped hand.


"Her husband, she said, had often
speculated about these letters, and was
afraid there was something wrong
but she said they had every confidence
in Williams, and he told them it was
joke they were playing on young man.
But they were suspicious, and thought
he paid rather dear for little fun !; they
were poor, and the money received did
them great deal of good, so they made
NO fuss about the letters.


"This was all she knew about it; the
detective had hoped, for Mrs. Colby's
sake, that Harry would be found
around there somewhere; bat this ex-
change of letters was proof positive
that he had never been there. He re-
turned to P as quickly as possible
and related all that he had discovered
Mrs. Colby was almost frantic with
grief she knew he was dead-had felt
all the time that something was wrong
---and, attended by the detective, visited
the jail, and begged John to tell
her where her boy was, If he was living
or dead.


"'Oh, John y she said, where is my
boy Think what mother ] have
been to you and tell me, If you have
spark of human feeling in your heart
tell me where my boy is


/" But the fiend in human form only
turned up his nose and told her she
had detective employed to go and find
him he had nothing to tell; that her
| husband had imprisoned him on a false
charge; now she had better go and look
for her boy till she found him.


"The detective started the next day
and traced them as far as st. Louis, and
from there on through Missouri, and
clear on into Texas about one hundred
miles. The route they had taken was