The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-14
WHERE Is DAISY GREGORYs
Fathers Pathetic Search for a
Daughter Who Was Stolen for Ram


som.
From the st. Paul Daily Globe.
Remarkable persistency and fatherly af-
lection are displayed in the search of
Allan R. Gregory for his daughter, who
disappeared mysteriously from her home
near Vallejo. Cal, about ten years ago.
Mr.. Gregory is now in St. Paul at the
home of friends on University avenue.
His daughter was IA years old when she
disappeared. and 1t has always been sup
posed that she was carried off by bandits
or stage robbers who infested the neigh
borhood of Vallejo at that time. Presum-
ably she was kidnapped for ransom, as
Gregory was a wealthy cattleman and
abundantly able to pay a large sum for
her return.
A week after her disappearance Gregory
received a communication saying the girl
would be returned to him on payment of
5000. The letter appointed place of meet
ing, and expressly stipulated that he was
to appear at the rendezvous at dusk and
alone. Thinking to circumvent the outlaws
and secure the girl without payment Of
the heavy ransom demanded Gregory APP
preached the meeting point attended by
score of cowboys and cattlemen of the
neighborhood They waited in the deep
anyone could be found. From that time
forth Mr.. GregOry's search has been con-
slant and likewise fruiuess. Once, two
years ago, he secured trace OF her In Bos-
ton, but lost the trail eventually, and was
as much at sea as ever. He has spent
thousands of dollars in his wanderings
about the country. but Is now no nearer
a solution of the mystery than he was
the night his child was stolen away. The
girl was IA years of age when kidnapped,
and If alive is now a woman grown. Her
name was Daisy Maria Gregory, and her
father fondly recalls her as the prettiest
young girl in all California.
Il have often thought, said he last
night, that 1 made bad mistake in not
going to the place of meeting alone, but
l was beside myself with anguish, and
scarcely knew what l was doing. Those
fellows no doubt became angry to see
that their instructions were disregarded,
and after that night l never received
word from them except a brief and
anonymous note saying that she was alive.
/ fancy this came from a member of the
band whose heart was more tender than
those of his companions, but he stopped
there, and l vainly waited for more in
formation concerning my girl.
Eventually ! concluded that they had
done away with Ler-no, not murdered
her, but shifted her to the care of some
one unacouainted with the circumstances.
The girl was old enough, it seems to me,
TO be able to communicate with me, and
the fact that she has not has convinced
me more than once that she is dead. But
hope springs eternal, you know, and l
have gone on hoping against hope l
have about given up that. even, and am
ready now to admit that l will never see
her again.
day. She was stolen. l had been called
away the night before to a meeting of
cattlemen held some twenty-five miles
away, and was obliged to leave early
in the morning in order to be there on
time 1 remember stopping over her
couch and kissing her good-by as she
slept, then mounted my horse and rode
away. The girls mother had died some
years before, and she was the one bright
spot in my life. had seldom been sep
arated from her for more than a few
days at a time, and always found her at
the gate of the big wall which surrounds
my home whenever | came home.
Evidently these sharks saw me leave
and took advantage of the opportunity,
for the house was looted and upset from
top to bottom and many articles of value
stolen. / cared nothing for these, and was
frantic when / missed Daisy. / felt in
my bones that she had been carried away
and still it was long time before | could
believe my own convictions. l sWore that
if ever / laid eyes on a member Of that
gang he'd not live long enough to make
his peace with heaven, but / never saw
one 10 nv knowledge though / and nv
men searched every foot of the country
within 300 miles of my ranch.
1.-THE search was taken UP by all the men
in that part of the country and the gang
would have Jared badly had they ever
been caught. / imagine they knew of the
intense feeling and fed the country, tax
ing the girl with them, and save for the
brief note mentioned 1 never heard of
my child again. have a strange present.
ment that she is dead and cannot shake
it off somehow, although II Is the only
reasonable theory to explain why the girl
has never written me. If alive, she GER
tainly has had countless opportunities to
write in all these years.
when she left she wore a heavy gold
chain about her neck and a bracelet made
from the small claws of a cub bear and
Joined by gold bands. / have advertised
these facts high and low, but without
avail. l am on my way back to Califor-
MIA now after an absence of sixteen
months"
Gregory. though but So years Of age.
has the appearance of a man of 80. He
looks careworn and haggard, and his
hair is almost snowy white, all caused
by the agony he has suffered during the
ten years of his loneliness.