Culver - Effie - kidnapped - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Dr. D. M. Culver, of Waynetown, and a present member of this county’s pension board, is in deep distress. A short time ago he removed to Indianapolis to practice but still retained his office at Crawfordsville, meeting with the pension board every Wednesday. The daughter of Dr. Culver is well known here, having attended school at the central building. During her residence here she lived with the family of J. W. Stroh. The following from the Indianapolis News will be sad news to the friends of Dr. Culver here:

On Tuesday evening between 9 and 10 o’clock, fifteen year old Effie Culver, the only daughter of Dr. D. M. Culver, of 49 Fletcher Avenue, went away, presumably with Collon J. Campbell, solicitor for the Metropolitan Insurance Company. Campbell once told one of his associates that he had been a convict, but had been pardoned by the President. He is an Englishman by birth. His employer says Campbell has not fully settled up his accounts. Campbell and Miss Culver are members of the Rev. D. R. Lucas’ congregation. She was an only daughter, circumspect in all her life. From circumstances connected with the affair, her father say he fears a tragedy may result similar to that which overtook Pearl Bryan, of Greencastle. The father has learned that Campbell had Effie Culver’s life insured for $500, compelled her to destroy her photograph, and that the only thing he took away from his own home in West Indianapolis was an umbrella and a razor.

Dr. Culver says: “I was in hopes that this might be kept out of the newspapers, but if that is impossible, I might as well tell this thing just as it happened. Campbell came to this city three months ago. He came alone. He joined the Sixth Christian Church, of which my daughter played the organ. He was immersed and taken into the congregation, and, having a fine voice, he became a member of the choir. He had not been here long before he began to court a young woman who lives on Fletcher Avenue. It was reported in the congregation that he had become engaged to her, and arrangements were making for their marriage, when suddenly everything was thrown into confusion by the arrival of Campbell’s wife and children. Charges were preferred against Campbell, but he told a story of having been divorced from his wife, and many people refused to believe that he was as bad as his conduct would make him out. He still continued to sing in the choir, and was its leader for a time. My daughter’s disappearance came upon us like a thunderbolt. Campbell had never paid her any attentions, and besides that, she believed he was married and had children. It seems that he had communicated with our daughter through Laura Myers, of Virginia Avenue. He told Laura Myers and my daughter that he had been an actor, and knew where he could get them good positions on the stage. He said he had a good voice and that my daughter could play a piano splendidly, and so they could give concerts and make lots of money. I am firmly convinced that this inducement was all that led my daughter to go off with him.”

Mrs. Campbell said: “My husband left home Tuesday evening, just after supper. He did not say any where he was going; he took a razor with him; that was the only thing he had. He also took all the money, amounting to about $60, leaving not a penny behind for me and the children. He did not come home Tuesday night, and so next morning I went to the insurance company to see about him. There I met Dr. Culver, who had also come to the office to see about him. We compared notes, and I found out that he had gone with the Doctor’s daughter. I have been married to him six years. Before he left, he destroyed all of his own photographs. I heard about his trying to marry a young woman in the Sixth Christian Church during my absence, and since that time, I have watched him pretty closely. He must have been very sly about this. I think he has gone to Canada.

R. D. Hughes, superintendent of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, said Campbell entered the employ of the Metropolitan Company in this city on the 15th of April. When Campbell came to the office last Tuesday morning, Mr. Hughes, without suspecting anything, asked him for a settlement. Campbell at that time had about $35 of the company’s money. The United States Guarantee Company, of New York, was on Campbell’s bond for $200. Mr. Hughes says that Campbell’s shortage after his salary is deducted will be about $50. He did a large business last week, and Mr. Hughes thinks if this is all delivered the company may lose nothing. His contract with the company was on the basis of commission, and he made on an average of $20 a week.

“Is it true that Campbell turned in policies of insurance on the life of Effie Culver and Laura Myers, and if so, for how much?”

“Campbell submitted an application for insurance from Miss Culver a few days ago for $500. I stopped it because the girl was not of age. The policy requested was a straight life. I also understand that he put in an application for Laura Myers. I am not certain about this, as it might go through without my having seen it.”

Laura Myers lives at 365 Virginia Avenue with her parents. They say that she had fore-knowledge of the affair, but that the only part she had in it was to help them get away.

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 7 August 1896

Indianapolis News: Dr. Culver, the father of Effie Culver, with whom Colin J. Campbell ran away, has received the following letter:

“I am so glad that Effie is at home. She was such a baby that I did not think he was her husband the first time she sat at my table. I can not tell too much. The second day he gave her orders not to let anyone come into her room. The second night he drew his razor across her throat and slammed her up against the piano. She was scared of her life of him. He would not let her sit out on the front porch with the rest of the boarders of evening after shutting her up in a little room all day. I pleaded with him to let her go out, but all in vain. The Fourth of July morning he locked her in her room, and I never saw anyone have such a look as he had. Effie begged him not to look at her that way, but all to no purpose. She was afraid to go in where he was, and I went in with her. I told him he was unreasonably jealous of her, but it did no good. I stayed in the room until I thought he had cooled down, and then I went to my work. She said he drew the razor across her throat after I had left. She begged me to take her away and hide her until she could communicate with you. I took her to my private house, but someone told him where I lived and he followed us. She ran upstairs when he came, but he followed her, threw her on a bed, where he jumped across her and choked her into insensibility. I told him he should not use force, and he desisted. She fainted and when she came to she threw her arms around my neck and begged me not to let him take her away, and if she had told me he was nothing to her I would have done so. She knew I was her friend and I blame her for not telling me all. I tried to see her that same evening to get your address so I could write to you, but he refused to let me see Effie and threatened her with all kinds of punishment if she tried to see me. I hope that what I have told you will help punish him. Give my love to Effie. --             Mrs. W. K. Kelly

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 10 July 1896

In police court this morning Campbell was charged with kidnapping. Because of the physical condition of Miss Culver and Miss Myers, who were fatigued from travel, the case was continued.

Indianapolis Journal: The police department has possession of letters which Effie Culver wrote to Colin J. Campbell corroborative of the statements made by Campbell to the effect that Miss Culver was as guilty as himself. In the letters Miss Culver says she was anxious to leave the city and urged Campbell to hasten the preparations for their departure. Miss Culver, however, has an explanation of the letters. She says that when she would meet Campbell he would tell her almost exactly what to say to him when she wrote to him the next time. The letters were written practically from dictation. Miss Culver has none of the letters written to her by Campbell. She says he instructed her to destroy them as soon as received and that she had obeyed. Campbell was careful, however, to preserve all Miss Culver’s letters. Campbell still refused to talk yesterday except to complain of the action of the police in refusing to surrender the letters to him. He claims that they are his best defense and fears they will be destroyed.