Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-02-07
fromHospital
Since Last June
Ran Away with
Married Man.
Officer Is Reported on Way 10
Arrest Herbert Reed.

Dover. Me-, Feb. 6.-Ruth H. Cor
don, the 19-year-old nurse who disap
peared from hospital in Roxbury last
June, and for whom the police of all
New England have been looking ever
since, has been found here in Dover
Herbert E. Reed, the married man
who disappeared at the same time, is
locked up in the county Jail He was
here, too.
A federal officer Is on the way from
Boston with a warrant for the arrest
of Herbert E. Reed, alias Harry Sim
mons of Plympton, Mass.
History of Case.
Ruth Gordon made q first page story
for the Boston papers for days, las
June. Her home was Plymouth, Mass.
where her mother, Mrs. Levi Gordon,
still lives. Ruth was a student nurse
in the New England Hospital for Wo-
men and Children at Roxbury, and
had been there several months. One
day she walked out. Not the slightest
trace of her has been found until
Thursday The mysterious disappear
ance brought down all sorts of inves-
legation and there were suicide and
white slave theories, as usual. The
papers printed all that could be found
or imagined about the case nd then
had to stop.
A few days ago the case was revived
principally because Msr. Gordon, the
girls mother, was breaking down in
health through grief and dependency
and becoming in q serious condition.
A detective agency took up the mat
ter and in it's issue of Wednesday, a
Boston paper printed brief story of
the girls disappearance. with her pic
ture. The detectives soon established
Plymouth, had disappeared at the
same time as the girl, and had not
been seen since. ~
Village Woman Sees Picture.
Thursday morning Mrs. Bert Drawn
of this village was glancing over a
Boston paper and became casually in
terested in the account of the strange
disappearance Of a young nurse from
a Roxbury hospital. Something about
the picture which embellished the
story looked strikingly familiar and
1t was not long before Mrs. Drawn
put two and two together" and de-
cided that the missing girl was none
other than a young Mrs. Simmons'
who had come to her house Wednesday
to await an expected event. Mrs.
Drawn notified Sheriff Calvin w.
Brown, who at once investigated. The
girl admitted her identity as Ruth H.
Gordon. The sheriff then went to the
place of Irving r. Holmes where
Mr. Simmons" was at work and plac-
ed him under arrest. He denied his
identity at first but finally admitted
that he was Herbert e. Reed. He was
locked up In the county jail
Lived in Camp.
Although neither Miss Gordon nor
Reed will talk about the matter it is
known that they came direct from
Boston to Dover and have been living
in a camp at the Four Corners, about
four miles out towards Sebec lake,
ever since. Reed went by the name
Of Harry Simmons and has been
working at odd jobs on the farms here
abouts ever since.
According to the stories printed in
the Boston papers, the couple who
lived in Plympton had known each 9TH
er for some time and 1t was the old
story of blind infatuation. Reed is
about 32 years old and deserted his
wife and three children, leaving them
in destitute circumstances, 1t is said.
The girl, who is not in condition
to be moved, will probably remain
where she Is for the present.
From the circumstances Of the case
it appears that the discovery of the
couple was almost by mere accident
and had not the girl been forced tc
come from the hidden camp in the
woods to quarters where she could
have medical attendance. the disap-
pearance Of Ruth Gordon would have
remained q mystery much longer.
| AS far as known there was no clue
left behind that would lead from Mass.
achusetts to their hide-out In the half
hidden camp at Four Corners.