The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-13
Circumstances Seem to lndi-
cate That the Little Girl
Was kidnapped.
DISAPPEARED LAST FRIDAY.
Left Her Foster Mother at the
Station, Saying She Was
Going to Get a Drink.
NOT A TRACE OF HER FOUND
Diiiaent Search Fails to Reveal
the Slightest Clew to Her
Whereabouts.

Absolutely no trace has been discovered
OF Gladys thinner. the i0-year-old girl VINO
disappeared from Union Station last Fri
day evening. Her continued absence seems
TO Indicate that she has been KIDNAPPED and
is being concealed somewhere II Is De-
lIeyed that IL some accident had happened
to the child the police would have learned
OF It.
II Is not considered likely that Gladys
went to the home OF any acquaintance
after leaving the station. as enc kne" out
few persons in this city and the homes Oh
all have been visited by Mrs thinner with-
out the discovery Of the slightest trace OF
the child 1t is more probable that she iei'
the station In a spirit Of chiiish ooSliiaoS
to escape going to Petersburg, H. "heie
her foster mother lives. and. once on 'he
streets. was ! ked up by some one VINO IL
holding her In confinement
The appearance of the girl and the man
mar I'm which she was dressed when she ois-
anpeared might easily lead some kidnaper
IN supposs that she was the daughter OIL
uell-to-do parents, who would be Wiling TO
or,er a large reward for the return OF the
child. Mrs. thinner has offered reward
but has not specified the amount, SO 'n's
does not upset the kidnapping theory.
That the girl left the station on her own
account seems certain. as she waited unui
a short time before the departure OF the
train TO 60 for a drink. although MIS- Ziin-
mer had urged her to get drink some h'-
tie time before, when they were passing a
water cooler. The fact that the chiid was
obstinate at times and that she had seeiiei
unwilling to go to a strange town. bears ou'
the idea that she left her foster mother IN
order to annoy her. thinking that thefepS
she might escape leaving the city-
lust before the child left her Mrs thinner
was seated on a bench In the main waiting
room near the entrance 10 the marion
room When Gladys announced that sho
was going to get drink, Mrs. Aiihiii..
paid little attention TO the directioh II,
which the child went. but II is thought that
she walked up the main steps and. turning
TO the right walked TO the waiting-room on
the second floor. thence intending to go 10
the ladies' waiting-room. The only means
OF exit from this floor Is by walking our
onto the porch of the station ara thencs
descending the flight Of steps INTO Ma'he'
street.
II the child were free at this time she
certainly would have strayed around TO the
home Of some friend, II Is thought, OF
would have wandered back TO Union sta
ton. Even IL she had become lost she
would have been heard OF eeIofe ,r, tnli
who would conceal her, SO far as Is known.
and there would be no motive IN Such itn
action. II was thought at nrst that she
might have eluded the gatekeeper by some
means and boarded the wrong tram, Dut
she would have been heard OF before this
had such a thing happened.
A dispatch last night from Petersburg,
where Mrs. thinner Is at present. states
that no tidings have been received OF the
child from any one in ST. Louis. The dis
patch adds that at the time of her dts8p-
peaTance the girl had her hair brushed
back from her forehead and braided in the
back.
Gladys was large for her age: She was
dressed. when last seen, in black skirt
trimmed with velvet. brown linen shirt;
waist trimmed with white braid and had
black shoes and stockings She wore a
black ieghorn hat. trimmed with pink null
and roses. She has rather a vivacious eL,
preston when talking, and is said by all
who knew her TO be bright for her age:
She has rather long face. black hair and
eyes, which are almost black.