The evening times., 1901-04-29
A GIRL ROBBED BY GYPSIES.
\" Exciting HOTd-Up just South of
the Chnin RridEe.

AHe tnH5D hFEUEe
Seven gypsies- believed to be members
of the band suspected of having been i'm
plicated in the kidnapping Of Willie Nc
Cormfck from his home at High Bridge,
n Y. March q this morning held up
Blanche Ferguson. sfxteen-year-oId
school girl, whose home is at Langley,
Fairfax County, Va. and robbed her Of
her pOCketbook containing s. in money
and six car tickets.
Miss Ferguson was on her way to
Georgetown, where she attends the Curtis
School. when the robbery took place. She
left home about 80 o'clock for George
town and when she reached the top of
the hill overlooking thA river, about three
quarters of a mfEe from the Virginia end
4 the Chain Bridge, she was approached
by Il EypSy woman who wanted to tell her
fortune Miss Ferguson declined to have
her fortune told and attempted to walk
on The woman tried TO detain her The
girl succeeded in breaking away from the
woman and was hurTyfng down the road
when she was surrounded by six other
gyOsies. who took her pocketbook from
her, and after searching her for valuabIes
permitted her to depart
Miss Ferguson almost ran to the city
ard when she arrived at the school build
ing was in a highly nervous and excited
state After resting a few moments she
told her teacher -of her experience
B T Janney, the Superintendent of
Public Schools for the Fifth Division. was
notified and Immediately informed the po-
lice Of the occurrence, but as the affair
had not taken place within the jurisdic-
ton Of the District. the authorities
We're unable to take any action, other
than to notify the Sheriff of Fairfax
county. Va
1t was late in the day when the girl re-
turned home and communicated to her
people the news OF the huId-uD. The re-
port of the robbery spread rapidly, how
ever, and the whole neigbborhood was
soon in a state of excitement. and fears
were entertained for the safety Of the
gy9sfes.
Miss Ferguson fears that she may be
unable to identify her assIiiaEtS. as she
says she Was very badly frightened, and
the costumes worn by the women in the
parry dazZIed her.
They were all very dirty ard greasy
she added and l was only too glad to
get away without being injured
The gypSleS who were formerly en-
cauped near Brick Haven, about a mile
south Of tn. Long Bridge. in Alexandra
county. broke camp yesterday afternoon
with the aTOWed intention Of moving
nearer Alexandria Instead of doing as
LAtS Nau informed the detectives they
would DO, they took q westerly direction
and Camped for the night q short distance
from the Chain Bridge
This move was something Of a surprise
TO the detectives, who are working on the
kidnapping case, and futerfered with their
plans to some extent II had been their
purpose to bring the gypsy girls who were
arrested on suspicion in the kidnapping
case into the city this morning to see If
they could be identified by any person in
the vicinity Of the horse bazaar on Louis
! lana Avenue, where the gypsy girls claim
I they found the scrap Of paper that has
furnished the clue upon which the detec-
tiyeS are now working
II is believed by the detectives that this
move on the part Of the gypsies was made
Tor the purpose of avading further public
notice and il possible to throw the detec-
tives of their track.
The police are now engaged in an effort
to locate the father Of the Michel girls.
who disappeared Immediately after the
I arrest Of his girls. 1t is believed that he
knows more about the whereabouts OF the
Mccormick boy than any other member of
the gypsy band. and, until he is found the
police VIII not relax their vigilance