Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-26
Detectives on the Track of Willie
McCormick's Kidnapers.
GYPSY MAIDS PLACED UNDER ARREST
Developments Expected Upon
Arrival of New York Officers.
SLIP OF PAPER IMPORTANT


Mccormick, eleven years old, who is sup
posed to have been kidnapped from High
| Bridge, n. Y, the 9th of last month. Two
gypsy maidens Hannah and Lizzie Michel,
| sixteen and fourteen years old, respective
| ly, are under arrest and are held at the
house of detention. The girls are half
| sisters of Annie and Lizzie Lazette, the
| gypsy girls who were fined $40 each in the
| Police Court yesterday for Vagrancy.
1t is alleged that the slip of paper on
which William McCormicks name was
| written and which was supposed to have
| been in his pocket at the time of his dis
appearance, was traced to the possession
| of of the gypsy girls now in custody.
| This slip of paper was sent to New York,
where, it is alleged, it was fully identified
and when the detectives received this in
| formation last night they arranged to ar
rest the girls this morning.
Just one week ago today Hannah and
| Lizzie Michel it is said, called at the pho
| tograp phic establishment of NJ. kets KEN
| ethy. No. 1909 Pennsylvania avenue, TO
| have their photographs taken. When they
| had completed their business and departed
| the slip Of paper referred to was found on
| lieved to have left it. Mr.. kemethy at
tached some Importance to the incident and
| the slip of paper was forwarded to New
York as stated.
An Early Morning Visit.
The police knew the gypsy girls belonged
| in the camp across the river near Brick
| Haven, short distance below Jackson
City.
1t was known that they had been in the
habit of spending their time in the city
during the day telling fortunes, and the
detectives arranged for early morning
visit to the gypsy camp.
The photographer was on hand this morn
| ing and with him Detectives Wpetlpn.
Parham, Muller, Baur, Miller, Peck and
Trumbo. 1t was about q o clock when they
| reached the gypsy camp and made known
the object of their visit. In d few minutes
| the detectives and photographer were sur
rounded by a group of excited men and
women The members of the gypsy band
had not recovered from the action of Judge
kImbali yesterday in lining the LaZette
girls $50 for Vasrancy; but what was said
about the party of detectives the latter
could only imagine For a short time some
Of the officers feared violence would be at
tempted, but gypsy named Michel, an
uncle of the girls, who understands Eng
lsh fairly well explained TO the women
the object of the officers visit, and they
were then satisfied.
Four of the gypsy men accompanied the
officers and prisoners and remained at po-
lice headquarters until the girls We're driv-
| Ell to the house of detention. to be held
until the arrival Of the New York detect
i've, who is expected late this afternoon.
While at headquarters the male members
of the tribe who had come across the
river did most of the talking, although
one of the girls did her share. She was
not the least bit disturbed over the action
of the detectives; but her sister, who feared
she would be placed in a cell, spent most
Gf her tune Meepng t tt he latter Latter apparens
made but little effort to converse, even
with her friends.
All Gaily Dressed.
The prisoners were dressed in gay colors
and silver medals dangled from their hair
and garments. Each wore bracelets and
presented the appearance Of typical for
tune-tellers. Mrs. Mcleod and Mrs. Pen
nifll. matrons of the house Of detention,
escorted the pair to the house of
detention, where they breakfasted, and
were afterward made comfortable for the
day They deny that they know anything
about the alleged kidnapping ef the High
Bridge boy.
There are seventy-three men, women and
children in the camp across the river. All
Star reporter called at the camp the wo-
men were SO anxious to tell his fortune
that they wanted to talk about nothing
else. But when the mother Of the girls
got an idea of the object of the visit it was
different She anXiously inquired about her
daughters and wanted to know if she
would have again to pay $50 She finally
understood why the arrests were made,
and she then declared she had never been
in New York Her daughters, she also
stated, had never been there, and it was
therefore. out of the question for them to
have stolen the boy. She also remained
the reporter that she had plenty of chill
dren of her own, and pointed to number
Of little ones of all sizes and ages.
Mrs Michel was seated in a tent almost
on the bare ground, and was sewing, when
visited by the reporter. In front Of her
was a pile of ashes, indicating there had
been a fire in the tent earlier in the day.
90 ,I1 ~ol;,
about the place and the woman was par
ticular to give the information that her
girls lived under better conditions Their
tent was comfortably fitted and she said
their honor should not be questioned. If a
man wronged them, she stated, she would
cut his throat. She was satisfied her
daughters would return to camp tonight,
she said when she fully understood the
character OF the complaint against them.
A Strange Group.
All the other gipsies in the camp became
interested as the conversation progressed,
and many Of them, forming strange-look-
Ing lot Of men, gathered in the tent.
The mother seemed exceedingly grateful
for the information she had received
Just before the arrival of the detectives
at the camp this morning a mule belonging
to the gypsies was injured on the railroad
road, and upon their return to camp they
seated themselves beside puddles of water
and the women promptly appeared and
washed their boots.
Mr.. Michael G. Mccormick, uncle of the
kidnapped boy who has taken such a deep
interest In the case, was an early caller at
police headquarters this morning. He
conferred with Inspector Boardman, got a
look at the prisoners, and will probably be
present tonight when the New York detec-
tive interviews the gypsy girls. AS hereto
fore published in The Star, the Mccormick
boy, whose uncle is a well-known resident
of this city, is the only son Of William Nc
Cormick, a retired florist of High Bridge
The night Of his disappearance he dressed
himself and got ready to attend the Church
of the Sacred Heart, where his two sisters
were to sing in the choir. Since his dis
appearance many theories have been ad-
vanced by the police. but relatives believe
he was kidnapped. The police searched a
cave, expecting to find him held as hostage,
but they were disappointed. Chew after
clew has been obtained and followed and
big rewards offered for his return but thus
far nothing of his whereabouts has been
learned.
Recently the family recovered letter In