The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-07-04
WHERE IS GARNET M'cREADYa
Corvallis Six-year.old is Missing
Her Strange Disappearance.

= - +
Her Strange Disappearance.
Little Garnet McCready, aged
six years, is missing from her home
in Corvallis, and nobody knows
what has become of her She went
witt her grandfather to pick cher
ries at the E. w. Strong place in
the north end of town at one o clock
Wednesday, and while her elderly
companion picked cherries in tree
she disappeared from the spot SO
completely that not single trace
of her has been discovered although
the search for her has been kept up
almost day and night ever since.
Some believe that she has found a
grave in the cruel Willamette, 9TH
ers that she has fallen into an un-
used we'll or hole in the vicinity,
and not a few surmise that she may
have been stolen by gypsies. The
disappearance has kept the town
in state of more or less commotion
ever since the facts became known.
Rumors and reports, most of them
without foundation have been cir
culatated, and the public mind has
been kept in a state of unsettled ex-
pectation. The known fact, that
at any moment the little body may
be found in the Willamette, or in
some hidden we'll or hole, or that
the little girl, alive and well, may
be discovered in the hands of child
stea1ers, serves to keep the disap-
pearance constantly before the
people. Developments of some
sort are momentarily expected,
that will solve the mystery.
Little Garnet is the daughter of
John McCready, blacksmith at the
carriage factory. Her grandfather
is John Mills, who came to Oregon
four years ago from Minnesota,
lived until last year near Philomath
and has since resided in Corvallis.
Her mother is dead, and Garnet
made her home with her grand
parents, who reside across the street
from DR.. A1tman's, in a house own
ed by Miss Kline.
Right after dinner. Wednesday,
Grandfather Mills and Garnet left
the home and went to the Strong
place to pick cherries. It was two
or three minutes after one, when
they reached the cherry trees.
The time is certainly fixed, because
the town clock struck one, as they
neared the place, and Mr.. Mills re-
marked to the child that they were
getting late start. Within 20 or
IS minutes thereafter, Garnet was
gone, and up to the present, no.
body knows where. or in what way
she went.
When they reached Strong's, the
grandfather mounted a ladder and
began picking The child remain
ed on the ground below. He was
in the tree long enough to pick
gallon, and then came down Gar
net was gone. He missed her but
paid no attention. A block south
On the St. German place, Mr.
Mills has garden that he and
Garnet were accustomed to visit to
yether. She often played around
here. and frequently went home
alone after they had gone to the
garden in company. Besides. she
nad playmates at several houses in
he vicinity, and he .fancied that
Garnet had gone to play with one
If them. So he mounted the lad
Ter, and remained there until he
picked another gallon Of cherries.
Then he went home, picking up
Garnet's bucket which sat empty
IN the sidewalk near.
Garnet was not at home when he |
arrived. She had not been there.
Neither had she been at any of the
1eighbors. Alarmed at her abb
;ence, he started at once
o places she was accustomed to Wis
t, and for spots where she was
wont to play, the garden at the St.
5erma1n place among them. This !
vas between two and three O. o'c1ock
All were visited, but Garnet was
lot found. Neighbors were told
# her disappearance and a general
earch was instituted. 1t was kept
lp with an increasing numbers of
earchers until eight o'clock in the
when the fire bell was
ung in order to spread the news
throughout the town. Before
darkness set in, all Corvallis knew
f the disappearance, and hundreds |
f people were engaged in the child
lunt.
Dan Reed of Wren, a boy of IS
r I6 saw the child after the grand