Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-25
SHE WAS MOURNED AS ONE DEAD
Family Believed She Had Fallen Into
llobblc Greek and Was Drowned
-Playmate'S story,
NOW THINK THAT SHE WAS STOLEN
California ProspectOr on His Death
bed Tells That He Had Abducted
Such a Child Here.

Sergeant John j Roberts OF the po-
lice department is searching for long
lost sister who, he believes, was stolen
from Sprlngville, Utah, when she was
three years Of age and taken to Cali
fOnla where she was ralsed and edu-
Gated AT the time Of her disappear
ance, il was thought she had been
drowned In Hobble creek, but later de-
velopments caused her relatives to bee
lleve she had been abducted They still
hold to the latter theory
BUT THREE YEARS OII).
At the time she disappeared she was
but three years OF age, ana was playing
with another little gin on a bridge that
spanned Hobbe creek. a thorough
search was instituted for her but with
cut avail, The next morning her play
mate told her parents that Violet had
fallen into the creek The stream was
then dragged for miles each way but
not the slightest trace Of her could be
found Rewards were offered for infor-
nation leading TO her whereabouts, but
nothing came OF It,
AFTER TWENTY YEARS
About 20 years after an old prospec-
tor, whose name could not be learned,
died IN California, He had one child,
girl, and on his death bed he confessed
TO her that she was not his daughter,
| but that he had stolen her from the
southern part of Utah and had taken
! her 10 California. AT the time of his
| death the old man was well to do and
! left all his property 10 the girl, Who
! then began to make inquiries IN Utah
| In the hopes Of locating her parents,
| but the Roberts family had moved away
! IN the meantime and heard nothing OF
| her until some years after when "A
| neighbor u Mr. Roberts sister who re-
| sides In Idaho, told her she had read the
old prospector's story In q California
| paper. she said she had saved the pa
| per and would show her the article, Mt
| when the women made a search for the
paper It could not be found. IL had
| either been mislaid or destroyed.
SERGEANT ROBERTS STORY.
| During his recent vacation. Sergeant
Roberts visited his sister IN idaho and
the subject Of little Niolets disappear
! ance was discussed Both NJ. Roberts
/ and his sister firmly believe that the old
miners adopted daughter is their miss
ing sister, but how 10 find out Is a
| problem which is too hard for them
10 solve. In speaking Of the peculiar
case this morning, Sergeant Roberts
said
My sister disappeared about May 20,
1853. / was only two or three days old
at the time For time my folks all
thought she had been drowned ana the
river was dragged for several days, but
no trace OF her body was ever found.
They found her little bonnet on the
bridge and the next day her playmate
told the folks she had fallen into Hob
BILE creek But since that woman told
my sister about reading the old miner
story IN a California paper We Rave be-
ieyed that she was stolen By him. Ac-
cOrding 10 this article, the girl remem-
bered that she was called Vie wsen a
little girl OF course II has been such q
long time since that article appeared
that she would be hard 10 trace now
but | never did believe my sister was
drowned. and since | had a talk with
my relatives up In Idaho | am NOR,
| firmly convinced than ever that the Cal
ifornla woman Is my long lost sister.
am going 20 advertise Tor her In all tn,
leading California papers, acd II Is pos
slble we will be able 10 establish hei
Identity. II Is needless 60 say that 4
will be a great satisfaction 70 us Z
know for a certainty just who she Is