The times., 1901-04-27
MAY FIND THE KIDNAPPERS
An Alleged Clue to the Where
abouts of Willie Mccormick.
Two Gypsies Under Arrest-New
York Detectives Participate in the
Investigations - The Police silent
as to the Result of the Enquiry.

to the Result of the Enquiry.
a slip of paper is the slender clue by
which detectives hope to trace Willie Nc
Cormicl, eleven years of age, who was
kidnapped while near his home at High
Bridge, n. Y, on the night OF March y
last Detectives OConnell and Armstrong,
of New York City, came here last night,
and together with Detectives Parham and
Weldon, of the local force, had a talk
with Hannah and Lizzie Michel, aged
sixteen and fourteen years, gypsy maid
ems, who were arrested on suspicion of
being concerned in the kidnapping, early
yesterday morning, at the camp, near
jackson City, Va. The girls are still held
in custody, and efforts by the New York
detectives are tending toward having
them removed to that city, where investi-
cation of the kidnapping has heretofore
fbeen conducted. They deny all knowledge
of the Mccormick youth or his where
abouts.
The detectives think the Michel girls
know something about the missing boy,
and NJ. Kets Kemethy a photographer,
at 11G9 Pennsylvania Avenue northwest,
has started this phase of the search. He
sent to New York City just one week ago
a slip of paper bearing the name, Ger
trude,' who, according to a statement of
Kemethy. and the belief of the police.
is no other than a fourteen-ye year-old sis
ter Of the missing boy. This paper was
written in the handwriting of the Nc
Cormick girl, members of the family say,
and after being positively identified by
the girl herself. was sent back to Wash
| ington and turned over to Inspector
| Boardman, at headquarters.
On receipt of the paper local detectives
| visited frpu
him that he had received it from two
gypsy girls, whose description was OBJ
tanned. The camp of the gypsies was Wis
! tied yesterday morning by Detectives Par
| ham, Weldon, Muller, Baur, Peck, and
Trumbo, and the Michel girls were ar
rested and brought to this city The pris-
oners at first denied knowledge of the
paper or that they had visited the Ke-
methy establishment at all Word was
sent to New York for detectives from that
city. At the House of Detention, Hannah
Michel admitted during the afternoon
she had seen Mr.. kemethy, and had left
the slip of paper at his establishment. !
! She said, moreover, that she had found
! the paper in some rubbish at the horse
| bazaar, on Louisiana Avenue near Tenth
| Street northwest
according TO the story told by Mr. Ke-
methy, Hannah Michel visited his photo
graph gallery Friday of last week. She
wanted her photograph taken. and Of
fered to tell the fortune of Kemethy
in payment. Kemethy refused to do
this, but the girl talked for some time
in the establishment and the paper was
IN the possession of Kemethy when she
departed. 1t is said that Kemethy told
the detectives that he was given the slip
of paper by the girl; while, on the other
"a 70
night that he found the paper lying on
table in his gallery after the girl had
departed. However this may be- ii is
known that Kemethy saw the name !
Gertrude written in pencil across the |
paper, and in some manner surmised that |
the name was that of the young sister of !
the missing Willie Mccormick Ke-
methy explains this by saying that he |
had gust read in a New York paper of |
the disappearance of young Mccormick. |
and the name Gertrude, a sister of the |
youth, was so impressed on his memory
that he almost ipvoluntarily connected |
the name with that written on the paper |
ieft by the gypsy girl at his gallery. He |
then sent the paper by mail TO the father |
OF the missing boy.
After the arrival of the New York de- |
tectives last night they were taken up to |
the House of Detention where Hannah |
and Lizzie Michel are held. Detective |
met lne1n at the depot and PO- |
lceman j. c. Berman. of the First pre- |
cinct station, accompanied the party to |
act as interpreter. The party found John |
Michel and Thomas Michel father and |
uncle Of the prisoners, already at the |
House of Detention. Through Policeman |
German the detectives made known the |
object of their visit. Each of the prison
ers was closely questioned through the !
medium of the Interpreter They told the
story OF their arrival In America two |
years and half ago; of their wanderings |
Cgt1th thtra ar1 ,t,l
their final arrival in this vicinity.
Ihe girls were gayly attired and wore |
silver medals and bracelets. To Police
man Berman, Hannah Michel said she |
had come into the city q number of times
both alone and with others of her tribe |
She engaged In telling fortunes, she said
The girl said that she first landed in Can
ada with her parents and the members
of her band; that they visited Portland
Me, Brooklyn, ~. Y, New York City, |
Philadelphia and finally arrived opposite
Washington about two months ago Orig
inally, she said, her tribe came from Sa-
Vernia, Russia.
Half a dozen reporters waited two hours
through the examination of the girls, the
result of which was withheld. Detectives
O'Connell and Armstrong, of New York,
shrugged their shoulders when asked for
a statement about the interview and the |
kidnapping case. Each said he had moth
ing TO say TO the press. Detective Par
ham, of the local force, told of the talk
with the girls, but said he must consult
with Inspector Boardman before detailing
the story OF the examination ana its re-
suit. From other sources, however much
was learned of the statements of the
prisoners.
There are seventy-three men, women,
and children in the camp across the river.
All of them are Russian gypsies. When a
reporter called at the camp the women
We're 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 diff
ferent. She anXiouF.y enquired about her
daughters. She finally understood why
the arrests were made, and she then de-
clared she had never been in New York
Her daughters, she also stated. had never
been there and il was therefore out of
the question for them to have stolen the
boy She also reminded the reporter that
she had plenty Of children 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 q pile of ashes, indicating |
there had been "A fire In the tent earlier
in the day. There were no evidences of |
cleanliness about the place, and the
woman was particular TO give the in
formation that her girls lived under bet
ter conditions. Their tent comfort /
ably fitted and she said their honor
should not be questioned
AS heretofore published the Mccormick