The Portland daily press., 1890-10-30
GIRLS WHO DISAPPEAR.
a Detective tells his Experience
with such Cases.
NEW York Press.l

NEW 1OIh IEco5'l
Men or our calling who make a spe-
ialty of criminal cases run across
some very romantic stories," said De-
tective j. M. Fuller to a reporter. THE
thought has occurred to me that should
| ever desire to change my profession
and become newspaper man would
have good stock of yarns to spring on
an unsuspecting public, and could earn
good space for several weeks without
having to hustle around very much after
material.
''TeH you some of the stories?" he
queried in reply to the reporters init
nation to that effect. "Well, as there
is no likelihood of my changing pro-
fessions in the near future l will give
you one of the stories / had thought of
writing. 1t is about the disappearance
of young girls. 1t is the most interest
ing of all the topics have got, and as a
matter of fact it is in that line that
private detectives in New York find the
most and more profitable of their work.
In my own experience, which extends
over period of about twenty years,
have been called upon to investigate the
disappearance, either voluntary or other
wise, of at least 100 girls of all ages
from all parts of the country.
WHY MANY GIRLS LEAVE HOME.
81 only do a small share of the work
that is done in that line, however. TAX
ing into consideration the number of de-
tectlves who do as much in that line as
myself, it is fair to assume that at least
5000 girls disappear from their homes
every year. Some of them are recov-
cred and some are not.
''Some of my cases have been very TO-
mantle, and others just the reverse;
mostly the reverse. The causes leading
up to the disappearance are as numer-
GUS as the cases themselves. Disap-
polntment in love, a fancied wrong, Sc
verify of treatment by parents, desire
to see the world, the evil influences of
improper association, the oily tongued
roue and temporary insanity are some
of the excuses made. Then there is an
other class of disappearance which
properly come under the head of kid
naping, and still another, where the
parents are at loggerheads or have sepa-
rated, and one side or the other steals
the child, and in nearly every case, as
strange as it may seem, the child is a
girl
Il recall case had few years ago
where mutual separation took place
between the editor of well known
southern paper and his wife. The terms
of the separation were satisfactory to-
both parties, and they went their ways
The couple had a lovely little girl, 10,
years of age, who by provision of the
agreement was to be sent to convent to-
be educated, and access to her granted I
to each side. Shortly after the drawing
of the papers the wife came to New
York, and stopped on her way at the !
convent. By cunningly disappearing
the circumstances she induced the lady
superior to give her possession of the
child for one day.
RECOVERING A GIRL
"The child was smuggled aboard a
train and by the next morning was be-
yond reach. Then the wife wrote to the
husband, saying that until certain I'M
reasonable money demands We're COM
piled with she should retain the sole Gus
tody of the child. The little one had
been brought up to be truthful and up
right, and before she was permitted to
write to her father, whom she idolized,
a promise not to reveal her hiding place
was extracted from her. Her letters{
were sent to New York and remailed by
an aunt This was the state of affairs
when the father reported the matter to
me.
ga watch was placed ON the aunt,
which was kept up day and night for
week. At the end of that time we had
the pleasure of locating the mother and
little girl in small place near Bridge
port, Conn. Then we telegraphed the
father, who came to New York as fast as
steam would bring him. The day fol-,
lowing his arrival he secured his lost,
one. They at once left for the south, and
that ended the matter.
Another case was that of beautifult
young girl about 10 years of age, who
was to come into the possessioaF
large fortune when Of legal age. J.
appointed member of the famil.
aged to get her to New York,
young lover of the girl suspec,
play, and prevailed upon his
furnish the means with which
cute search for her.
"She was known to have cor
York, but here all trace of he
We started in, and as there ,
of means at the back of the
made hot chase, and succee
ing her three days later. Sh
to convent, and in time ca
session Of her property, ands
ward was married to the
who had instituted the scar
now living happily, surrou
little curly headed boy and
little girl.