Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-24
Secrecy Maintained at
Pompton Lake Re-
sort About Her
Disappearance.
'GIRLISH PRANK HOSPITAL
AUTHORITIES CALL AFFAIR
But Actions of Heiress and Her
Companions at Hotel Navarro
Here Were Very Peculiar. 1t
Is Said.

Miss Romona Borden, the 16-year-
old daughter of Gail Borden, the
mult-milionaire head of the Borden
Condensed Milk Company, has been
returned to DR.. w. c. Adams's Sani-
tarium. at Pompton Lake, from which
institution she was kidnapped" last
night by two well-dressed women,
and every effort to conceal the facts
in the case is being made by the
authorities at the sanitarium.
As soon as the disappearance of the
girl became known the police of New
ark, Jersey City and New York i'm
mediately became active, and every
conceivable means was resorted to to
head off the "lSidnapers" was made,
with effective results. The young
woman has persistently refused to
give any information as TO the
identity of the two women with whom
she fled, though she is known to have
known them intimately.
The hospital authorities and at
torneys for Mr. Borden insist that the
entire affair was only a pleasure trip.
and the mystery thrown around the
affair was simply girlish prank of
young Miss Borden. This statement.
however, Is not subtsantiated by the
actions of the party while at the
Hotel Navarro in this city.
Asks for Detective.
According to John Harrington, day
manager of the hotel. 1.-THE party en-
tered the dining-room yesterday aft
ernoon between and O'clock, and
appeared greatly excited, though Miss
Borden retained her composurA
throughout all proceedings. One OF
the women with whom Miss Borden
appeared more intimate left the
dinins-room and went outside into
the office to use the telephone. Inn
mediately upon her leaving the party
stated Mr.. Harrington, one of the
women. who later developed to be
Miss Coagland, the nurse accompany-
ing Miss Borden, came to him in the
office and asked for the house detec-
tive
She was told that the house detec-
tive was not around at that time.
when she excitedly demanded:
Get me a detective immediately.
That girl is the daughter of Mr.. Bor-
den, the milk man. and those women
are kidnapping her. They have Just
stolen her from a sanltarium, and
must not get away with her"
The woman who was using the tele-
phone emerged from the booth and
Miss Coagland entered. While she
was engaged in a lengthy conversa-
ton, presumably with the sanitarium
authorities. the two women and the
girl held a whispered conversation.
after which Miss Borden left the hotel
unaccompanied She walked down
Broad street to Green street and
turned east toward Mulberry street,
where sight of her was lost.
Balk at Taxi Charge.
The two women who had accom-
panied Miss Borden then appealed
to Mr. Harrington to get them
lawyer, and when told that there
were several lawyers offices in the
Immediate vicinity they asked wheEa
the prosecutors office was locateG
| They were given this information,
but evidently decided TO make their
getaway while Miss Coagland was
still tnllSing over the telephone.
They summoned a taxicab and or
dered the chauffeur to drive to Jer-
sey city. When they reached the
corner of Market and Fillmore
streets. however, they asked the
chauffeur Robert Kerber, of 127
Continued on Page !, Column %