The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-09-26
GIRL HAS DISAPPEARED
Josephine ZeieIer Has Disappeared
from Her Home in Des Moines.
Formerly Lived in Leon.

Guy LOT several years, Mr.. LeIEler De-
ing employed for long time at the old
Hotel Hamilton. The family removed
to Des Moines about eight years ago:
After two unsuccessful attempts to
chloroform the inmates of the house,
hold, little Josephine Ziegler was kid
naped Tuesday and up to late hour
this morning the police had found no
trace of her.
A little girl resembling her was seen
entering train at the Rock Island de-
pot. 1t is feared she has been abducted
by band of professional thieves from
Chicago removed temporarily to Omaha.
She is the daughter of Mrs. Andrew
Iiegler, who for many years has oc-
cupied the position of housekeeper in
the home of g. w. Hippee, general
manager of the local street car company,
on Grand avenue.
1t is known that she left her mothers
home in an everyday working dress,
quite soiled, but concealed in which
were diamonds and pearls of great
value.
A mysterious tall woman, elegantly
dressed, was seen listening under the
window at the Ziegler home last Mon
day night and narrowly evaded capture
Oy HAuiOW A10Slofs OAo SiFA AdCHoE.
Later in the night there were two un-
successful attempts to chloroform the
household by throwing the drug through
sleeping mother who, actuated by some
mysterious fear of kidnapers owing to
recent developments, slept across the
door to safeguard her daughter.
The search for the missing child has
tho foot hot ho hoe
known to her parents, been engaged in
a career Of waywardness for two years
which would battle Sherlock Holmes,
ranging from the passing of forged
checks when she was but IL years of
age to obtaining money from
storekeepers by false pretense and
even to stealing flowers from graves in
Woodland cemetery.
people, and, while they are poor, have
always provided her with every luxury
possible. She has piano; they provided
with her all the up-to-date music, and
she was skilled pianist. She was pro-
vided with many fine dresses, all of
which she made no effort to take with
her, though the evidence shows she
went voluntarily with her abductors,
knowing she was going to leave the city.
So far as hrs yet been discovered she
had no fondness for men and even spoke
repeatedly of her dislike for male society.
1t is known that she has regularly left
her home each day after the departure
of her parents to their work and visited
some unknown place in the locality of
Drake university for nearly year.
Developments last night showed that
she has been spending money in lavish
quantities for the last year far in excess
of the little allowance made by her
parents. Vague runners in the neighbor-
hood strengthen the report that the
child has been Systematically tutored
by professional crooks and has been
used as tool to further high class
criminal money getting, and that she
possessed remarkable talent in this
direction.
When seen at her home last night
Mrs. Ziegler said: 1.Now that Josie is
gone, can put two and two together
and understand many mysterious things
which have happened for long time.
"a feeling of uneasiness caused me to
watch her more closely than usual the
last week. On Monday night about s
O'clock heard noise at the rear of
the. house. Josephine screamed and ran
out, and we followed just in time to see
a tall woman running out of the back
yard. Neighbors saw her listening
underneath the window of our sitting
room before she was frightened away.
I have learned since that this woman
has been seen two or three times about
the place. She is described as being
lavishly dressed with a cream colored
plated skirt, white waist and a
brownish turban hat. Her hair is light
red, and she is quite handsome.
"At. another time very stylishly
dressed young man appeared at the
door Of neighbours house and asked if
we lived at this number. Josephine
was there at the time and she ran and
hid from the man. He did not appear
afterward.
.sJosephine was always at home when
we returned in the evening. On the
day of her disappearance iTaesday) she
came home from down town for dinner.
happened to be here that day. She
went out shortly after noon and we
never saw her again. Mr.. Ziegler
learned from the ticket agent at the
Rock Island depot that girl resembl-
ing her purchased a ticket for Omaha
Tuesday afternoon. He made mistake
and handed her dollar too little
change and she sassed him and made
him adjust the matter. He stated she
had roll of bills. She was we'll dress
ed he reports, though Josephine did
not take any of her pretty dresses and
was poorly clad when she left. So far
as know she had very little money;
only little silver. The ticket agent
does not think anyone was with her.
This proves nothing to my mind, how
ever, as she may have purchased that
ticket purposely to throw off the scent
andfpaid her fare on the train in the
opposite direction. She was very
clever about such things.
Nearly two years ago Josephine was
lead into difficulty by cashing several
forged checks about the city. They
were signed by the name of the mother
s Of a girl friend of Josephine's and
very cleverly executed. They were
made out for $500 in most cases, and
there were half dozen Of them. We
had to settle for the amounts. The
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