The Case Of The Missing Bride - Robert F. Clifton (red novels .txt) 📗

harms way at Gettysburg. How much of this is true I do not know.

“I will close now. May God keep you, Yours in devoted friendship,

Harriet

“Interesting. Two voices from the past. One telling us that Partheana White at age sixteen was in love and looking forward to her marriage. At the same time giving evidence that Partheana was not in an arranged marriage and did not run away. Mrs. Bome also wrote that William Baker sadden at the loss of his love might have committed suicide in battle. By writing that, she might have insinuated two things. First, as she mentioned, William was thought to have been despondent and rather than face life without Partheana gave up his life. Nonetheless, at the same time she presents another thought. Did William Baker choose to die because he was guilty of Partheana's disappearance?

If so this becomes another missing piece of the puzzle. Phineas Baker's telegram to Benjamin White if one analyzes it is professional and right to the point. He notifies Benjamin White of the death of his son-in-law. There is no mention of William being despondent only that his body would be shipped to Philadelphia for burial. This was common for the elite families in the Civil War. They could afford the embalming, preparation of the body, cost of the coffin and the shipping. Where the average family could not. At the same time Phineas sent a telegram, not a letter. We'll never know the exact reason for William's death, only that he died in battle”, said Wallace.

“Then, what I've brought you is worthless?”, asked Kaplan.

“Not at all. If this was a murder case being tried in a court of law, your information could be considered hearsay and not admissible as evidence. However, this mystery will only be tried in a court of opinion. Right now what you have discovered and again, in my opinion, is that Partheana did not run away on the night of her wedding and William Baker is not a murder suspect.”, Wallace stated, assuring Boo.

Mary carried the coffee pot from the stove to the kitchen table poured and filled three cups. “Do you want cream?”, she asked Boo.

“No. Black is fine, he answered.

“Well, where do you go from here Robert?”, she asked.

“I'd like to look inside the mansion, if that's possible”, Robert replied.

“That's no problem. The place is run down as I've mentioned. There's a hole in the roof so large that you could pass a Volkswagen through it. That's allowed rain and snow to enter. In the winter freezing rain expands the wood. In the summer mildew and mold grows on the walls. However, just let me know when you want to go in and I'll unlock the front door. I'll bring a crowbar, hammer and nails.

“How about Saturday? I intend to do this investigation on my days off. That way Reds Morton can't accuse me of charging the city overtime pay”, Wallace added.

“No problem Saturday it is. Nine A.M. alright with you?”, asked Boo.

“Make it ten. I'll bring the coffee and doughnuts”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Five

The Mansion

 

On a Saturday morning, June 7, 1975, Robert Wallace stood on the decaying front porch of the White Estate. In one hand he held a white paper bag containing `a Styrofoam cup of black coffee and two doughnuts, one lemon, the other plain. In the other hand he held a cup of coffee from which time to time he took sips. He watched Sidney (Boo) Kaplan work the crowbar and listened as the eight by four foot sheet of plywood groaned in protest as it was pried away from the front door of the building. Once removed, Boo inserted a key and unlocked the entryway. Wallace followed the curator into the structure.

He was met with the odor of decay. Dead and dying mildew and new mold grew on the plaster walls. The only light was that that came through the open doorway and the cracks in the plywood covering the windows. Wallace reached into his pocket and removed a flashlight. As he did he heard the sound of flapping wings as pigeons and sparrows flew about trying to escape the intruders. Turning on the flashlight he took his time looking around. Then turning to Boo said, “If you're going to try to refurbish this place, it's going to take you a month just to remove the bird shit”.

“They come in through the hole in the roof. We've been lucky so far, no bats”, Boo replied.

“This is quite a place. How many rooms are there?”, asked Wallace.

“Twenty or twenty two. Some people count the large walk in closets as small rooms,” Boo answered.

“And this was built in what year?” Wallace inquired.

“It was started in 1855. Some say it took awhile to build because the stone floor tiles we're standing on came from Italy. The windows had glass that came from Salem County. Unfortunately, the kids broke most of the glass out by tossing rocks,”Said Kaplan.

“I wish we had the blueprints”,

Wallace replied.

“So do I. However, at that time there was no building codes or building inspectors. Hell, we don't even know who the architect was that designed the mansion”, Boo answered.

“Well, one thing is certain. They don't build them like that today”, Wallace mentioned.

“That's right. For instance, the mansion sits on fifty cedar pilings that were driven into the sand in order to prevent the building settling. The story is that when the railroad began construction of the bridges that crossed the bays, Benjamin was able to have the barge along with the steam operated pile driver floated to his property.

Also, the beams and frame work are all cedar. That prevented termite destruction. That wood is just as good today as it was then”, said Boo.

Wallace walked slowly from the entrance way. He stood looking, thinking, wondering what it must have been like back then, back in 1862. his eyes peered at the winding staircase that went to the rooms upstairs. Changing his gaze he looked beyond the stairwell to the rooms behind and he walked towards them. Boo followed.

Entering a large room to his left he stood and looked at the row after row of empty book shelves. “I take it that this was once the library”, said Robert.

“Yes, as a matter of fact we are in possession of nearly three hundred volumes. I have volunteers cataloging them as we speak. I haven't had time to look at them myself”, said Kaplan.

Wallace continued on out of the library. “What's back here?”, he asked.

“What they called the parlor. Today we call it the living room,” Boo explained.

Robert walked into the large dining room. “Quite a place”, he said.

“Keep in mind that when the mansion was finished it also served as City Hall. I imagine a lot of politics was discussed at the dinners Benjamin held here,' said Boo.

“Is this where the wedding reception was held?”, asked Wallace.

Boo laughed. “This place has twenty two rooms. Keep walking to your left. When you pass through those open sliding doors you'll be in the ballroom. That's where the wedding reception was held”, he said.

Wallace walked slowly into the ballroom, using the flashlight to guide his way in the dark interior. He shined his light from wall to wall, seeing the mahogany paneling, the once polished oak floor where couples danced and the constructed stage, built for the orchestra's that played for the White's amusement and that of their guests. He stopped and analyzed, imagining fifty or more guests seated at tables all honoring the newly weds. He pictured one large table that held nothing but gifts. In his mind he visioned a hundred or more candles or oil lamps that illuminated the room. The orchestra would play soft, soothing tunes as those seated ate their meal. Relatives and guests would approach the table where the wedding party sat and offer their congratulations.

When the dining was almost over the orchestra would begin playing. In the eighteen sixties waltzes were popular and the guests stood and watched as William Baker and Partheana walked out on to the dance floor and began to waltz. After the first dance other couples would have proceeded to the floor and the newly weds returned to their table. Then, sometime that late afternoon or evening Partheana disappeared.

Boo Kaplan looked at Wallace and said, “Hey, are you alright. You look like you were in a trance”.

Wallace smiled, “I was just trying to imagine what it was like that day over a hundred years ago. Where were the privies located?”, he asked.

“Out back naturally, behind the kitchens”, Boo answered.

“Kitchens? There was more than one?”

“Oh yeah. Benjamin had one built out back. It was used in the summer. He found that the kitchen in the main house heated the place to the point that it became uncomfortable.”.

“So, if the bride, seated at the reception table had to use the privie she would have got up and walked where?”, asked Wallace.

“If you look at the situation logically, she would have got up from the table and walked into the kitchen. From there she would have walked outside to where the outhouses stood”, said Kaplan.

“And, one of the theories has been that she fell into the bay and drowned, was abducted or simply ran away. As far as I'm concerned we can forget the idea that she got lost in the dark, fell into the water and drowned. The light from the candles or oil lamps would have been visible as it shined through the window glass. At the same time the orchestra would have been playing. If Partheana was disoriented in the dark, she would have heard the sound of the orchestra and walked towards it. That leaves abduction and run away as two choices. If Partheana was abducted no one produced a ransom note. Think about it. Benjamin White and the White family were the riches people on the island. Doctor Phineas Baker was wealthy in his own right, yet no one demanded money for the girls' safe return.

Why would the bride run away? We have written evidence that Partheana in a conversation with Mrs. Boem looked forward not only to the marriage but also to motherhood. As you know we have been over the run away factor before, so let's just ignore it all together”, said Wallace

“That's O.K. with me. Do you want to go upstairs?”, asked Boo.

“Yes, I want to see the bedrooms. Do you happen to know which one was Partheana's”, asked Robert.

“No, sorry I don't”, Boo replied as the two men walked up the staircase. When they reached the top of the landing Boo said, “The master bedroom is right there”, he said pointing to his left. The other bedrooms are entered off of this hall as you can see”, he continued.

Wallace walked to the nearest door, opened it and walked in. He stood in the empty room, turned on his flashlight and looked around. “I see they had the rooms wall papered”, he said.

“Not only wall papered, but the best paper at the time. In those days the lowest grade of wallpaper was made from straw ground into pulp. The best quality was made from cotton or linen rags. This is the best quality”, said Kaplan.

“How do you know?”, asked Robert.

“I took samples years ago and had them analyzed”, Boo answered.

Wallace walked over to the closet then reached in and tapped the back wall of wardrobe.

“If you're looking for secret passages probably fifty people looked for them before you. Benjamin hired Pinkerton Detectives to investigate the disappearance of his daughter. According to what I've read that was one of the things they looked for. They found nothing,” Kaplan offered.

Wallace stepped back out of the closet. Looking at Boo he said, “And just what were you reading?”, he asked.

“Sally White's Day Planner, or diary”, Kaplan replied.

“I'd like to see it”, said Wallace.

“Sure, but I'm afraid it won't be too much help. She only wrote down what we already know. I think she was too despondent to write about