Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-18
OPAL KNAUS WATCHED BY
GUARDS
IGNORANT OF HER CONDITION
Young Woman Who Ran Away With
j. A. Cakes Is Inmate of House.
hold Of E. N. DiIls, 1920 West
Forty-Sixth Street

Unconscious of the fact that she is
by the order of the Los Angeles police,
Opal Knaus, the fifteen-year- school
girl who ran away from her home at
Urich, Mo-, in company with Prof. ].
A. Oakes, a married man of that town.
is now an inmate of the household Of
Il. N. Dills, 1920 West Forty-sixth street.
Even the neighbors living in the close
vicinity of the Dill residence and who
have taken kindly interest in the girl
have been given to understand that
their presence is no longer desired.
She is not permitted to leave the house
without someone of the Dill family ac-
companying her. She is kept under
surveillance as perfectly as if followed
by detectives, but no suspicion of this
has been awakened in her mind.
When she desires to leave the yard
some one goes with her, and she is not
lost sight of until she returns. 1--WE
have orders from the detectives that we
shall do all in our power to prevent
anyone from seeing her." said Dill last
night. "At the present time she does
not know of this, but it can not be
long until her suspicious are aroused"
Country School Girl
Were Opal Knaus other than a little
country school girl, whose delight In
her first long dress has not yet worn
re COW tho n Yaiorbborc eha would long
ago have learned the true condition of
affairs.
Opal Knaus could be detained at the
police station, according to the police,
but it is the wish of her relatives that
she be not permitted to suffer such hu-
initiation. Their constant watchfulness
to prevent her escape or from saying
things which might prove to her detri-
ment, thus becomes a necessity.
The girl is unable to realize her po-
sition. She has stated positively to the
neighbors that she was married to
Cakes while they were in Indian ter
ritory. Whether or not Cakes caused
such ceremony to be performed can
not be determined at this time, but the
charge that in eloping with Miss Knaus
he deserted a wife and two small
children makes any such ceremony
meaningless for the girl.
Opal Knaus is of medium height.
She is a decided blonde with blue eyes,
her features being marred by a pair of
spectacles which she wears constantly.
Could Not Support Girl
Upon the arrival in Los Angeles of
the couple from San Diego Oakes, who
is now in Jail. was unable to support
the girl and took her to the home of
her cousin, Mrs. e. N Dills. Mrs. Dills
was unable to care for Opal at that
time, but procured employment for her
as a nurse in the home of Mr.. Dills'
brother, a dairyman residing south of
the city limits. At the time of Oakes'
arrest, however, Miss Knaus had re-
turned to her cousins home. where she
now Is.
When Miss Snaus arrived in Los An
geles she wore the short dresses of a
school girl, and not realizing her posi-
tion, spoke openly Of her plans.
1t was the intention of oakes to take
the girl to Denver, and letter was
sent to Mrs. Knaus, an aunt of the girl,
asking her for the funds with which
to continue the journey. A reply has
been received, but the letter and the
Los Angeles newspapers containing the
accounts of Oakes' escapade, will not
be given to her by the detectives.
At Urich great indignation psevailsI