The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-19
Life in q COal-H0le.


Vonnie Parks, New York school
miss of fifteen, had a novel four-days'
experience lately. She was a pupil in
a grammar school, and took piano mu-
sic lessons of her mother at home. She
was beloved by her schoolmates and
the pet of wealthy parents. One even
ing after she had returned from school
her mother was giving her the usual
music lesson, and scolded her for care
lessness and inattention. In an hour
after Vonnie was missing. She had
taken her hat and cloak and other out
er street garments, but her jewelry, of
which she had plenty, and other
clothing remained in the room. Von-
ME did not return that night, and the
family alarm spread to all the police
stations. The next day the father of
Vonnie scattered round hundreds of
photographs of his lost daughter, and
they were very pretty pictures, too.
In two days detective obtained a
clew, and that was all. Vonnie had
been seen riding through Yorkville in
street-car, with a negro woman.
Now, Vonnie had never known but one
negro woman, Della Tobias, who was
formerly in Parks employ as SER
want. Della was hunted up. and found
in the kitchen of Mrs. Cove Della
said she knew nothing of Vonnie Parks,
so that clew of the detective failed.
Four days after her disappearance Won
ME returned to her home of her own
accord, looking crumpled and rumpled,
and draggled generally. She told her
little story. and it is quite interesting.
She said that Della Tobias, who had
visited Parks house couple of weeks
before, had put it into her head that
her mother was treating her too much
as child. Della advised her to run
away, and come to her if she was again
insulted by her mother.
The scolding was her cue, and she
went. She found Della in Mrs. Cowe's
kitchen, and was welcomed. Della put
Vonnie in a kitchen closet during the
day, and found opportunities to feed
her. She suffered only for light and
air. After 9 O'Clock at night Della and
Vonnie stole to their bed in the attic,
to talk over their plans and sleep. In
the morning early they would steal
down to the kitchen, and Vonnie re-
turned to the closet. Della seemed to
be much Vexed that Vonnie had not
brought some of her jewelry with her,
upon which they could raise money
and live in better style. Vonnie now
began to realize that Della was a bad
woman, and that she was her prisoner;
then she became very unhappy and
wanted to 60 home. Della proposed to
kill Mr.. and Mrs. Parks and rob their
jewelry store; after their butchery and
robbery they would go to some quiet
place and live on the proceeds. Won
ME could not sympathize with this
scheme to murder her own father and
mother and began to revolt at her sit
uation in the kitchen closet and COM
partnership with savage woman.
After two days and nights of such
life, Vonnie began to pine for liberty,
and expressed a desire to go home.
Della threatened to do something ter
rlble to her if she attempted to escape,
and told her if she would be a good
girl she would take her out riding for
air. Accordingly, at Q o'clock that
night, instead of going to bed as usual,
they stole out and took ride in the
street-cars. They returned late and
went to bed unobserved. ~ The next
day Vonnie returned to the closet, but
made stern and desperate resolution
there. That evening she put on her
wrappings and boldly walked out.
Della stormed behind her, threatening
violence, but doing none and 80 Won
ME Parks found herself . free girl in