The Indianapolis journal., 1891-09-12
Recognized on the Street BY Another Gotham
Woman Before She so Myteriously Dis
appeared from Public View.
Her Wallet Filled with Gold and Dia-
monds Before She Entered the Church.
Mrs. Bolton Confident She Was Decoyed Away
and Robbed-Arrest of a Woman at Gin
cinnati Who Tells o Marvellous Tale.
is 1T THE DIss DE BARE
Chicago's Missing Vera Ava Thought 10 i
the willy Miss Ann Odelis.

found of Miss Vera Ava. the alleged-to-be-
wealthy English woman who came here
some weeks ago to work for the reclama-
tion of fallen women. and who suddenly
disappeared on Wednesday evening. Con-
cerning her identity an afternoon paper
says: Vera Ava is, it is now asserted.
none other than Ann Odella Diss De Bar.
the spook- -priestess of New York. She was
seen on the street and recognized by
New York newspaper woman, who called
upon Polloe-lieutenant Shea this morning
and told him of her discovery. Her de-
scription of Ann Odelia tallies exactly
with that of Miss Ava. According TO the
New York lady the notorious spIritualist
carries o stock of wigs and other make-ups.
and has of late been travelling across the
country swindling gullible church people.
Dougherty, the carriage-driver. who has
been driving the alleged philanthropist
around town. was at police headquarters
this morning. and his description of her is
identical with that furnished by the woman
from New York. who declared In positive
terms that the missing party was Diss De
Bar and no one else. Il have nodoubt, judC-
ing from the statements furnished me. but
that the woman from New York, Miss Ava,
Is Diss De Bar said Lieutenant Shea, and
this opinion is strengthened from informa-
ton CLEANED from other sources"
1t has been discovered that a woman who
answers Miss Ava's description called at
one of the medical colleges yesterday. If
this were she, it proves that she was not
made away with on Wednesday night It
appears that she also called on Archbishop
her there to-day identified Miss Avas pict-
ure as that of the woman In question. He
said that after she entered the cab he saw
her take of blonde wig and arrange her
hair: About q week ago she visited Mr..
Sadler, the British CONSUL here, and under
the seal OF secrecy told him a remarkable
and mystifying story, as Mr.. Sadler con-
fssses, but he declines TO give the tenor of
it. She was very captivating. with full
told MIR. Sadler she had lived in Chicago
ten years, whereas she had not been here as
many weeks. Mr.. Sadler says he does not
believe her to be an English woman. She
spoke with French accent, and spoke French
like native.
THOUGHT TO BE HIDING.
The police have become convinced that
the woman is merely in hiding. and. the de-
tectives who were detailed on the case
have been withdrawn. When Miss Ava
called upon Archbishop Feehan she told
Mrs. Bolton, with whom she drove to the
archepiscopal residence. that she was GO
ing to see about getting some property
which was in the possession of the Catho-
lie Church In England. She was formerly
o member of that church and, it is said,
was once nun. She evidently deceived
Mrs. Bolton. as the Archbishop says his
talk with her was exclusively in regard to
her work among the vicious classes in this
city and was not OF personal character at
all. She did not mention to the Arch bishop
the fact that she was an apostate from the
church or make any overtures looking TO
her return.
MIS-. Bolton, wife of the Rev. DR.. Bolton,
of the Centenary Methodist Church, with
which Miss Ava became connected q short
time ago, said in an interview to-day: BE
fore you can fully enter into my reasons for
believing that Miss Ava has met with foul
play you should understand what manner
of person she was. MISS Ava was a highly
educated woman from the English upper
middle class. She spoke four languages
fiuently. She has been an extensive tray-
eler. She has record for distinguished
bravery during the Franco-Prussian war.
and has seen active service with the ambu-
lances on the field of battle. She was un-
mistakably lady. Her charities have
been already spoken about. They were un-
questionably genuine, and her interest In
her mission work undoubtedly sincere. On
Wednesday evening. when / accompanied
her in her carriage TO the Church of the
Holy Family. she showed me her wallet Just
before she alighted 1t was literally
crammed with twenty dollar gold pieces.
In addition she showed me about
monds. Swear she said. raising her
right hand in somewhat dramatic
manner. that If ever disappear you will
not rest until you have found me. even if
the search did not swear. of course. but
promised her most earnestly that would.
"A few days after we came to be ac-
qrainted she told me something of her
family affairs. She said that she had ene-
mics; and that her mother had been MUIR
dered. She seemed apprehensive that some
such fate would overtake herself. She
never said word against the Catholic re-
ligion, from which she was convert She
said she had spent many happy days as q
religieuse, but desired broader scope for
charitable work than the seclusion of the
cloister afforded her. During her connec-
ton with that church she was sent twice TO
England on ecclesiastical business. She
was an excellent writer upon theological
and economic subjects. and said that she
had worked in the cause of Catholicism for
many years with the pen.
May HAVE BEEN ROBBED.
Il honestly believe that on Wednesday
evening Vera Ava left the carriage with all
those valuables for some unknown but
perfectly proper purpose. She may have
wished to raise money on her dia-
monds, In furtherance of her charitable de-
signs, and may have adopted the plan of
simply passing through the church. intend
ing to return and rejoin me when she had
got through with her business. My pres
ent honest belief is that she has been de-
coyed by some unscrupulous villain into q
secret place and that she has been foully
robbed or murdered.
The strangest thing about this case
said Lieutenant shea tonight, lis that
Miss Ava, who 10 written mp as fakir has
| refused money from those she interested in
her charitable work. A caller at the sta
| ton to-day. a minister. whose name 1
promised not to divulge, told me that a
| charitably-inclined church member offered
the woman so. 900, but she refused il. saw
ing she had plenty of money. The woman
| had often stated that goods she shipped
from England had been lost and
that she had applied for duplicate
freight certificates. Officers visited
the custom-house to-day. and were told by
| Deputy Collector Jewell that no such
woman had been at the Office or applied for
"a duplicate receipt A curious feature of
the mystery is that Miss Ava is reported 60
have said she feared she would meet fate
similar To that of DR.. Cronin. Father
Kelly. upon whom she called, at the HOLY
Family Church, Just prior TO her disappear =.