The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-12
Is AVA DISS DEBAR?
Some Evidence Tending to Els
tablish That Fact.
SHE is FOUND IN CINCINNATI
Much Mystery Surrounds the Case-She is Inter
viewed-Her Story of Her Abduction From
the Oh rch in Chicago.

CHICAGO, Sept. 11.-No trace has been
found of Miss Vera Ava, alleged to be a
wealthy English woman who came here
some weeks ago to work for the reclama-
ton of fallen women, and who suddenly
disappeared Wednesday evening Con-
corning her identity, an afternoon paper
says: 'Vera Ava is, it is now asserted,
none other than Ann Odelia Diss Debar,
the spook priestess, of New York She
was seen on the street and recognized by a
New York newspaper woman who called
upon the chief of the detectives this morn
ing and told him Of her discovery Her
description of Ann Odelia TALES exactly
with that Of Miss Ava. According to the
New DIRK lady the notorious spIritualist
carries stock of wigs and other make-ups
and Of late has been travelling across the
country sWlndllng gulli0le church people. 1"
The police have no doubt from tie state
ments furnished by the New York lady
that Miss Ava is Diss Debar. This opinion
IS strengthened by information CLEANED
from other sources
1t is discovered that woman who ans
Wers Miss Ava's description called at one
OF the medical colleges yesterday. If this
Is she, 1t proves she had not made away
with herself Wednesday night.
On the day of her disappearance it is al
legged Miss Ava had an interview with Arch
bishop Feehan. She gave Mrs. Bolton,
with whom she drove to the archepiscopal
residence, to understand she was going to
see about getting some property which is in
the possession of the Catholic church in
England. She was formerly member of
that church and it is said was once a nun.
She evidently deceived Mrs. Bolton as the
archbishop says his talk with her was ex-
clusively with regard to her work among
the vicious classes in this city and was not
OF personal character. 1t appears she also
called on Archbishop Feehan yesterday
The cabman who drove her there today
identified Miss Aya's picture as that of the
woman IN question. He said after she
entered the cab he saw her take
off blonde wig and arrange her
hair. About week ago she visited Sad
Ter, the British consul here, and under the
seal OF secrecy told him remarkable and
mystifying story, as Sadler confesses, but
he declines to give the tenor of it. She
was very captivating with full blonde
wig, frlzzed and banged, and she told Mr..
Sadler she had lived in Chicago for ten
years, whereas she has not been here as
many weeks. Sadler says he does not be-
lieve her to be an English woman. She
spoke with a French accent and spoke
French like native.
The police have become convinced the
woman is merely in hiding and detectives
detailed on the case have been with
drawn.
The wife of Rev. Dr. Bolton still holds
to her belief that Miss Ava has met with
foul play. She is firmly convinced Miss
Ava is highly educated woman from the
English upper class. She says just before
they went out together Wednesday even
ing the missing woman showed her wal
let filled with $50 pieces, and in addition
about $4,000 worth of diamonds. Raising
her right hand in dramatic manner she
said to Mrs. Bolton: Swear that if ever
disappear you will not rest until you
have found me, even if you have to ask all
Chicago to join in the SEARCH Mrs. Boil
ton says Miss Ava had before told her that
she had enemies, that her mother han been
murdered and she seemed apprehensive
that some such fate would overtake her
She never said word against the Catholic
religion, from which she was a convert.
She had spent many happy days as a re-
ligieuse, but desiring a broader scope for
charitable work, left the cloister.
1.-The strangest thing about the case -
said Detective Lieutenant Shea tonight,
lis that the Miss Ava who is written up as
fake has refused money from those she
interested in her charitable work A caller
at the station to-day, minister, whose
name 1 can't divulge, told me that a
charitably inclined church member offered
the woman $1,000, but she refused it, say
ing she had plenty of money. The woman
had often stated goods had been shipped 10
her from England but The officials of the
customs house say no such woman has
ever been near there. A curious feature
of the mystery is that Miss Ava is re-
ported to have said she feared she would
get fate similar to that of DR.. Cronin.
Father Kelly, upon whom she called just
prior to her disappearance, is brother of
the man whose arrest in st. Louis, as a
Cronin suspect, caus ed a sensation at the
time. He was speedily released, there
being no proof against him."