The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-23

A communication was TtceiNeu "'
police headquarters yesterday from
Richmond, Va, asking the local au-
thorities to assist in finding the reia-
tiyes of 16-year-old girl, who was
kidnapped by gypsies many years ago
The girls parents are supposed 10 nave
lived some where in the coal regions
but little or no description is given.
systematic effort Is being made, with
the assistance of the press throughout
the United States to find the girls rel
atives.
The task Of finding the relatives has
been taken UP by a member or the
firm Of c. r. Boutwright & Son, OF
Farmville, Va, who discovered the girl
at Pamplins. on the Norfolk and west
ern railroad, twenty miles west or
Farmville. She is now at the home or
a man named j. l.. Weber. near
Pamplins, where she awaits the mes
sage that will restore her to her rela-
tives once again.
The girl was left at the Wepper
house on Dec. 1, 1901, by Jim Govel, or
Gable, and Mary Stanley, who Travelled
as man and wife, and who are gypsies.
There had been a quarrel between the
two over the purchase Of a pair OF
shoes for the child, and they decided to
leave her and be rid of her forever.
CAUSE OF KIDNAPPING.
She may have been taken originally
IN the hope Of ransom, or merely be-
cause a pair Of gypsies were childless,
and this little one appealed to them by
her innocence and beauty. The girls
story, as told by herself, in the Rich
Dispatch, is as follows:
Il was playing in the road near my
home, when a woman came along and
picked me up. She put me in a wagon
and drove away very rapidly. My
home was a tall, white house, with a
porch in front. The yard was enclosed
with palings, and there was a gate in
front, opening on a big road.
1--WE lived with the woods around us
and the town in easy reach. We had
lots of cows and horses, and we chill
dren had plenty Of nice things. I had
a brother nearly grown and he used to
bring big pieces Of slate home for us
children. I remember papa coming
home Of an evening, and believe he
must have been connected with some
big coal works, for his clothes were
generally smutty, and he would wash
and put on nice clothes at night and
wear his snutty ones away in the
morning. My sisters called me Becky,
but I do not recall any other family
name
The girl was asked II she wanted to
see her father and mother again, and
her reply was "above all things in the
world" Her voice was choked with
sobs as she said this. She still remem-
oers that her kidnapper treated her so
cruelty that she ran away to another
gypsy woman in a nearby camp, and
in this way she fell into the hands Of
Mary Stanley and her husband.
CANNOT REMEMBER NAME.
She cannot remember the name Of
the first gypsy woman. She remembers
that she never travelled over water,
and, therefore, It is believed that she
is an American girl, and that her par
ents are somewhere in this country.
She says she always travelled in wag-
ons. She remembers that her home
was In a colder climate, and that there
was a great deal more snow and ice
than in Virginia.
The girl is now feet, inches tall,
slender. with light brown hair, hazel or
blue eyes, modest and very refined in
her manners, despite her rough life,
and is about 16 years old.
She describes Mary Stanley as of
dark complexion, black wavy hair, and
Jim Gavel as of Irish descent, with
red, sandy hair. For the sake of re-
storing the girl to her parents, all news
papers are requested to copy this arti-
Gle. and any Information concerning
the girl sent to c. r. Boutwrght &
Son, Farmville. Va.