The Washington herald., 1909-07-21
GIRL TELLS TALE
OF STRANGE TRIP
Celia COrbitOff, Missing Since
July z, Returns Home.
WOULD FOLLOW LIFE OF GYPSY
Sixteen-year-OId Jewish Maid Ex-
plains How Man and Woman Led
Her Away and Forced Her to Work
I'm BaItimOre-Wandere Wants No
More Adventure.

Celia Corbitoff. a Jewish girl. sixteen
years old, who has been missing from
her home in this city since July last,
sat IN police headquarters last night and
told story Of suffering. privation.
strange adventures, and peculiar incl
dents seldom heard OF in this day or
commonplace happenings.
II was because she loved the life OF a
gypsy and wished TO follow the adven-
turous career OF the men and women Of
the tents that Celia Corbltoff decided to
leave her comfortable home in this city
where she had been happy amid friends
and relatives since birth.
1t was while in the grasp OF the wander
lust that she met and became friends OF
two strange beings. a man and a woman
who wandered the face OF the earth.
sleeping here one night. and eating there
the next day. with no thought Of the
morrow and no sorrow for yesterday.
The strange pair told Celia Corbitof OF
wonderful cities, beautiful countries, and
alluring adventures. and Il was only a
short time that the mind OF the girl was
filed with brilllant-hued pictures OF a
life OF which she had dreamed.
Joined Strange Couple.
Not caring whittier she went so long as
she left washington. Celia Corbltoff
consented to join the wandering couple
and on the night OF July she strayed
away. She met the man and woman and
learned their destination was Baltimore.
In some way the necessary money for
railroad fare was procured and the three
boarded train FOR Baltimore. Celia Cor
bltoff wearing a simple pink jumper suit.
black sailor straw hat. and tan shoes.
Apparently neither the woman nor man
knew what they were 70 DO when they
arrived in Baltimore and they cared moth
ing about IT, BY some freak Of fortune
they found an unoccupied room In a
house in Baltimore street and took the
room for habitation.
Two or three days passed without ad-
venture or food and Celia Corbitoff was
] sent out TO procure food for the trio.
Luck was with the girl, and she OBJ
/ tained employment with a salary OF s. a
week She does not remember where she
worked or what she did. But she recalls
! receiving s. at the end OF the week.
I Arriving at the room with the money.
| the man took it from her and dlsap-
peared. He bought food and returned to
/ the woman. Several days elapsed be-
| fore all the money was gone.
! Celia CorbitOff was ordered 70 cook
wash clothes. scrub. make the one bed in
/ the room. clean windows. and play the
part OF general housekeeping. She obey
/ ed the orders. and did not demur. evi-
IDENTIFY forgetting the tales OF a life OF
gilt and t!nsel and pretty clothes.
She tired OF the monotonous days ir
the one room, and yesterday she left It
Intent on seeking a gypsy camp. Police
in every Eastern city were looking for
the girl and she had been walking in the
streets only few hours when a police
man took her IN custody.
Put me on my feet" she said. 'and
/ will walk around the world"
Detective Brought Her Home.
Detective Vermillion accompanied tn,
girl to Washington last night Her par.
ents. who live at 1908 Third street south.
east. were notified and asked 20 appear
at police headquarters TO take charge o.
the wanderer. While tho police waite,
for relatives the girl told long, weirC
stories, strangely mixed as 10 dates
names, and places. BY her incessant hov
Of conversation she had been in Pitts
burg. Philadelphia, and Chicago, as vel
as Baltimore.
The police place no credencs IN III,
tales.