Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-26

Is BELLE BROWN IN NoRFoLKe
She Went to That City on the Steamer
Lady OF the Lake.
SINCE gKH LANDRD THERE no fnAcR OF HKR
Has yRKx youxp, But ZEE NORFOLK POLICE
THINK THEY RAVE a GOOD cLuI 10 TIE MISS
mo onL'p vuxnxAsours.
THURSDAY Monk.
Dear Papa: When this reaches You win be
cold and ssiN in the Potomac, dead Farewell
forever. BELLE"
This 10 the startling note that Belle Brown
sent 10 her father before she mysteriously dis
appeared She did not, however, carry ont the
threat which has 80 distressed her family and
excited the community; a. she was seen alive
the next morning in Norfolk, Va. At the very
time her father received this note--about
O'Clock Thursday afternoon, October 1o-Bere
was, no doubt, making her way toward the
steamboat wharf, for there does not now seem
to be any doubt that she wss among the pas
sengers on the steamer Lady Of the Lake which
left her moortngs that afternoon at S o'clock.
A number OF Knights Templar we're on board
sne steamer that trip and probably for that
reason she did not attract the attention Of
many persons. The sta.erooms would not ac-
commodate all the passengers and Belle was
among those Who passed the night in the saloon
parlor.
Tho stswardess of the steamer, q colored
woman named Rachael Sparks, who paid more
than ordinary notice TO the girl, says that when
abe got on the boat she was alone. There was
. lively party on the boat and she thought il
strange that the girl did not make friends with
Of the girl leaves no doubt but that
It was Belle Brown she saw. She
described her clothing and hair perfectly;
noticed the gold trimming on her hat and
also noticed that she carried herself erect when
walking, also remembered seeing the mole on
her face. The description was SO perfect that
Mr.. Brown was sure Rachael had seen his miss
ing daughter.
STORY OF THE srKwARpEss.
The stewardess Of the boat, when questioned
this morning, gave STAR reporter the descrip-
ton of the girl as above. Il noticed that she
appeared strange" said Rachael. 'She sat
most OF the time with her head resting On her
hand Every now and then she appeared rest
less and would walk to and fro. After the boat
had gotten well under way l saw the
girl standing at the head of the steps.
She called me and asked me to purchase her
ticket for her. asked her what her name
was and she replied, Belle Brooks pur-
chased the ticket for her and returned her the
change OF Is bill, which she gave me-"
herr" asked the reporter
"She had long pocket book in her hand"
or $780,"
Ibid she ask for state room?"
"She did not She sat on one of the sofas
all night, except at such times as she paced the
hoor. She conversed with no one except NV
sell, and about daylight when the boat got in
sight OF Old Point she questioned me about
the various places along the river. She got off
the boat at Norfolk, but did not see where she
went
LAST SEEN ON MAIN STREET, NORFOLK
Sandy Tolson, young colored man en-
ployed on the boat, corroborated the woman's
statement. When the boat stopped at Norfolk
he got of and saw the girl walking up Main
street Tolson went as far as the Atlantic hotel
and he saw the girl pass the St. James hotel.
She carried in her hand q small bundle that
looked as though she had an apron or a lunch
tied in the paper
The next question to solve is where she got
her gold money changed, if she had the gold
money, for the stewardess noticed nothing
but paper money in her pocket book
When Mr.. Brown received the information
concerning this girl he visited the steamboat
wharf and there saw the colored woman. 1t
was on her positive statement that he came TO
the conclusion that it was his daughter and
then he went to Norfolk on the boat. There
he consulted the chief Of police and search was
instituted, but without success thus far.
Neither the district police nor the private de-
tectlves learned anything additional concern
ing the case today. Private Detective Flinders
said this afternoon that he was now of the
opinion that the girl had committed suicide.
He did not think much Of the Norfolk clue
This morning MIR. Brown said he had no
yet heard anything from Norfolk, although he
was still hopeful. The following Norfolk
special was received at The STAR Office today.
The Norfolk Police Think They Are on
the Right Track.
Special Dispatch to TIE EVENING SrAR
NoRFoLK,VA Oct 26.-The police here think
they have good clue of the missing girl Belle
Brown, and Chief Of Police Pettis told THE
STAR correspondent that he was confident she
is in Norfolk. He has several detectives look
ing for her and is 80 much interested in the
case himself that he has also been at work on
it. He refused to give any details, however,
and declined to say just when Miss Brown ar
rived here. He seems to think the girl is ac-
companied by friends who are watching every
move Of her father to find her and thwarting
him. He expects to put hands on the girl at
any minute and objected strongly to any pub
licity being given the matter, fearing the girl
would hear that they were on her track and
travel
]. B. Brown, the father Of the missing girl.
arrived in Norfolk Thursday and spent the day
in active work searching for his daughter Mr..
Brown was accompanied by young man whose
name he refused TO divulge even TO the police
with whom he was in communication All of
his moyements were very mysterious and he
successfully evaded publicity and all attempts
OF newspaper men to run up with him.
Belle Brown Was Refused Admittance
to Two Boarding Houses.
Second Special to THE EVENING STAR.
NORFOLK, Va, Oct. 26.--The police are con-
fdent that Belle Brown arrived in Norfolk on
the morning of October IL. She reached here
on q Washington steamer and the chamber
maid Of the boat gives q description of the
young woman which tallies exactly with that
left here by Mr.. Brown Wednesday. On the
boat the chamber maid says the girl gave her
name as Belle Brooks. From the boat which
arrived here at O'Clock, the girl was traced to
boarding house on East Main street. kept
by Mrs. Fletcher, where she applied for board.
Here she ate breakfast, but left Immediately
afterward on account Of the landlady's un-
willingness to have q single woman in
the house who could not give a satisfactory
account of herself. From Mrs Fletchers
boarding house she went to one three doors
further up the street, kept by Mrs. Dyson
Here she claimed that she was an actress and
was refused board on that account. From that
time all clue to the girl has been lost, although