Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-19
DORA STEPHEN HOME
She Returns After Seeing the
World for a Year, and
is SEEN AT HER MOTHERS.
all Reports About Her Supposed
Abduction Denied.
SHE WON'T TELL WHERE she WAS

Dora Steplein is home. This statemen
has often been made before, but whel
traced down it was found to be only
rumor. The story-or series of stories
circulated after her disappearance
legged causes, and the dire vengeance threat
ened by her mother caused the police o
both cities to be on the alert. Agent Dean
of the Anti-Cruelty Society, has chase
clews without end, but failed to discove
her whereabouts, although be often though
he had seen her.
She is at last found. Last night DIS
PATCH reporter not only saw Dora, but haC
long talk with her at the home of he
mother, in the Twenty-seYenth ward, ol
Birmingham avenue.
THE DISPATCH man called at the hous,
and asked 10 see Dora. Mrs. Steplein came
into the room and, recognizing the reporter,
commenced gesticulating wildly, and saying
she knew nothing about Dora. She disap
peared into another room, and the reporter
was left alone. Just as be was about t.
step outside and consider what to do next
be heard footsteps behind, and on turning
a rosy-cheeked girl, with a cheerful smile
was seen advancing toward him. 1t wa:
Dora. She had answered the call for her.
MISS sTEPLEIN AMUSED.
For a moment the reporter was discon'
certed, and Dora was not little amused al
the fact Then, with toss of her head, she
said, in reply to a question: well, yes
supposing am home; what, do you want
to tell some more stories like those that nave
appeared in the papers?"
At this point Dora's mother re-entered
the room, and when she saw that the ''cat
was out Of the bag" tried to get Dora to
leave. but she would not Dora then at
tempted to talk and her mother tried to stop
her. But the young lady would not be
stopped. She said: ''There is no reason
why you should say anything about me in
the paper, l want you to just leave the
whole thing out. You can't fool me. There
has been enough stories in the papers"
She said she would not talk, but at last
consented to do so, on the reporter assuring
her that, as the fact Of her return would be
announced anyway, she should vindicate
herself by an explanation, and if the reports
we're not true, give her own side of the
story.
Dora's ewes snapped fire as she partly
arose and said: "It's no ones business why
left, and all those stories have been lies.
NV character shall not be aSsailed, tell
YOU right here, and you'd better not print
anything about me, or / will attend to the
matter. When L lett home my character
was spotless, and when 1 returned it was
spotless.
WASN'T Gagged Up.
''I have not been Gagged up or locked up.
/ went and came of my own free will.
was not kept away from home, as was re-
ported. No one made me go. 1t was of my
own free will"
"Well, then, will you explain why you
vent?" asked the reporter.
''Why do others go? just took notion
to travel about little, as many others have
done"
Where have you been all this time?''
was asked.
"Well, now, you can't pump me that
way. It's no ones business where l went.
have seen a plenty OF the country. No,
Mickey Dean didn't bother me. He got
into trouble enough about another girl, and
couldn't scare me. No, l shan't tell you
whether was in Pittsburg all the time or
not, or whether have been home before or
not. You can just say that all that talk
was lies, from beginning to end"
"Well, will you explain then what led to
the allegations and charges made by your
mother when you leit?'
81 suppose the newspapers made 1t up,
and the girls told that stuff because-well,
don't know why they did"
Just at tnat point the name of a person
said to have been mixed up in the affair
was mentioned, when Dora once more arose
and said:
DORA GETS EXCITED.
81 sha'n't have that name mentioned.
He had nothing to do with my going awav.
I never saw him or spoke to him, and / will
stand as his witness to defend him. No one
had anything to dc with my going or
coming, or any other actions of mine, tell
you"
Miss Steplein was looking very healthy
and rosy-cheeked, and as plump as could
be. She wore her hair short, and was
dressed very plainly. She would not state
whether she intended staying home or not,
or anything further than that given.
Dora Steplein disappeared from her home
June 25, 1889. The circumstances sur
rounding her disappearance led to the sup
position that she had been abducted. Sew
eral weeks previous she went to an employ
ment Office on Grant street to apply for
position, and while she was in the place
gentleman stood on the opposite side of the
street. When she came out he accosted her
and offered her position as a domestic in
the country. She only remained a week
with him and then went back home.
After she disappeared it was thought her
country employer had something to do with
her leaving home.
Alderman Hartman, of the Southside
Father Bernard, of st. MIchael's Church,
Agent Dean, of the Anti-Cruelty Society,
the Southside police and the girls friends
spent months trying to find the missing
young woman, but all their efforts were
fruitless.
SCORES OF WARRANTS ISSUED.
The mother, Btrs. Barbara Steplein, made
an information before Alderman Hartman,
charging the girl with incorrigiblity, and
the magistrate had no less than 43 warrants
out in as many officers hands. During the
search il was discovered the girl had been
at the house OF an attorney who was known
as James" for two weeks. The Misses
Minnie and Mary Soaker. former compan-
panions Of Dora, thought they had located
the girl, but when they were tested could
not produce her.
Months passed before any word was re-
ceived from Dora. Early in the fall her sis
ter Lizzie received a letter from her, writ
ten IRON town in Iowa. During the win
ter u report gained circulation that Dora
was seen BY friend at the st. Charles Hotel,
to whom she related the story of her depar-
ture, and then said she was going TO Wheel
ing, to be married to bank clerk named
King. This story was denied bv Lizzie
Steplein, who subsequently received letters
from Dora, in which she said she had never
told rurh a suorv while in pittshurr