THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 16, 1939
TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE
THE DOROTHY ARNOLD
CASE
(By VINCENT TOWNE) CHRISTMAS night, 1910, the news-
papers received their first details of the most baffling disappearance mystery that has vexed the world since the kidnapping of Charley Ross. Thir- teen days before, on Dec. 12, Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold, daughter of Francis R. Arnold, a wealthy per- fumery importer, at 11.30 A.M., left her mother at the family residence, 108- E. 79th St., Manhattan, announcing that she was about to visit the Fifth Ave. shops in search of a dress. Pro- mising to call her mother on the tele- phone as soon as she found something to her taste, she walked from her home to Park & Tilford's store. at Fifth Ave. and 59th St., where she purchased a pound of candy. Although she had from $20 to $30 in her poe- ketbook. she had the confection charg-
ed,
It was just about noon when she left the candy shop. Two hours later she entered Brentan's, on 26th St., where she bought a volume of hum- orous epigrams, entitled "An Engaged Girl's Sketches."
After emerging from the book store at 2.45 P.M., she met a young woman friend, who congratulated her upon her healthful appearance. "I am feel- ing fine," said Miss Arnold, turning north. "I am going to walk home through Central Park.” That was the last trace of Miss Arnold known to her friends or family. She vanish- ed "like breath into the wind."
She was of a wealthy family, proud of its pedigree. Her father traced his ancestry direct to the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock. She was 26 years old, about five feet four inches tall and weighed 140 pounds, with fair complexion, dark brown hair and gray- ish-blue eyes. All told, she was a girl of striking appearance, the pink of delicacy, dignity and refinement.
She wore a tailor-made blue serge suit, black velvet hat trimmed with two silk roses and black fox muff. She was strong and athletic, exten- sively traveled and accustomed to go- ing about alone. She had a very cul- tured voice, whose accent was des- cribed as somewhat like that of a French woman. She was a Bryn Mawr graduate with literary tastes. Lately she had completed a love story entitled "Poinsettia Flames," also some verses, "Lotus Leaves," which she was endeavouring to have published.
She had very conventional tastes- was the last woman in New York who would ever elect to go "slumming." She was not interested in the stage, settlement work or any fads that would take her out of the paths fre- quented by conventional people. At the time of her disappearance she had out invitations for a tea in honour of 60 Bryn Mawr schoolmates. This function was to have been given five days after she became a memory,
A search of her room showed that she had left behind all of her jewellery of value and a large batch of per- sonal letters. Everything indicated that her disappearance had not been premeditated. Had she planned to leave home without taking her parents into her confidence, she would pro- bably have carried off her jewels in order to realise upon them. Had she planned suicide, she would not have purchased sweetments and hum- orous epigrams in the moments dir- ectly following a last farewell to her mother.
Her clothing being of the finest quality and bearing the labels of the most exclusive modistes, it is incon- ceivable that her body could have been found without exciting notoriety lest the discoveries of her remains wished to conceal her fate. Among her friends she was known to bo popular among many men but senti- mentally inclined toward none, yet the private letters found in her room disclosed one romance. She was ap- parently about to become engaged to George S.. Griscom, Jr. of Pittsburgh, a bachelor of 42.
At first the Arnold family conceal- ed their daughter's disappearance from the press, but realising the value of newspaper ald in such emergency,
"I'M Going To Walk Home Through Central Park".
days
marry her as soon as she appeared. This interview provoked from the Ar- nolds criticism that sent Griscom to his apartment, whither he did not emerge for 34 days. His family en- gaged for his protection, Roger O'Mara, the former chief of police of Pittsburgh who had been the guardian of Harry Thaw during his troubles. No more statements were thereafter uttered by Griscom and the mystery deepened.
re-
In spite of the general belief that Miss Arnold was still alive, her family went into deep mourning for her. Evidence of their absolute ignorance of her whereabouts is the fact that their personal attorney travelled ag far as the Pacific and Gulf coasts to the reporters. Thereafter, a series of European correspondents described a ities and visit sanitariums and their attorneys gave out a bulletin to bachelor, but within 0 few
interview police and detective author- conflicting statements and retractions sensational interview between the Ar- treats of all kinds wherein the young served only to deepen the mystery. At nolds and Griscom in a Florence hotel, woman might be hidden. first they issued the statement that where the missing girl's brother was Virtually every newspaper in Mrs. Arnold was ensconced in a Win- said to have knocked Griscom down world published her picture and des- the
ter, but investigation showed that she ter resort awaiting news of her daugh- and to have beaten him soundly. cription. Both the Old World and the and her son were in Europe. It was back
Early in February, Griscom came new were scoured for evidences of stated that Miss Arnold had no love his return had been hastened by
from Europe, announcing that her fate. Hundreds of thousands of affairs, but the reporters confronted promise to the Arnolds, whereupon police officials everywhere, and
a circulars were sent to postmasters and the family's attorney with alleged evi- the latter declared that they did not picture flashed upon the screens dence that she had been carrying on want his aid and had never solicited hundreds of photoplay houses.. a clandestine
Her correspondence with it. Griscom hastened to Atlantic parents made several trips to Europe Griscom.
City, where he intimated that he fully in search of her and hundreds of thou- When Mrs. Arnold and her son re- expected Miss Arnold's return the sands of dollars were spent in trying turned from Italy, they declared that forthcoming week and definitely to answer the riddle of her fate. It they knew nothing of the Pittsburgh announced that he was preparing to baffled the world's greatest detectives.
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