Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-05-12
YOUNG WOMAN MISSING
Miss Gladys Stearns Of Hinsdale
Thought to Be in River
Diver Fails to Find Body and Dyna-
mite Is Used Without Result-Hat,
Coat and Gloves Are Found
HINSDALE, n. H., May /

HINSDALE, N. H., May II.
A feeling of deepest anxiety and
gloom has been cast over this town by
the sudden and strange disappearance
late Friday afternoon of Miss Glad
VS. Stearns, 10, daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Willis ID. Stearns, and the start
ling discovery of her coat and hat be-
side the track at the east end of the
South Vernon Boston & Maine railroad
bridge over the Connecticut river.
Miss Steams had been in i'll health
for some time suffering from rheuma.
tism and with trouble with her eyes,
and Friday, accompanied by her
mother, visited physician in North
field. 1t is thought that Miss Steams
surmised the unfavorable chances for
improvement in her health.
On their return journey between 3
and 4 clock Miss Stearns decided to
pick Maynowers and got out of the
carriage at the pasture bars at the top
of the hill Just south of her home, and
this was the last seen of her.
The engineer of the local afternoon
down freight, Charles White, noticed Il
green coat and hat near the tracks
about clock and told Fred Adams,
the station agent at South Vernon,
who thought nothing more of the met
dent until he heard of Miss Stearns S
absence from home Saturday morning,
when he notified the relatives of what
the engineer had seen. Relatives had
been searching all night in the pasture
and had found the girl s silk gloves on
post near the Doolittle underpass n
little less than half a mile from the
railroad bridge. On going to the place
where her hat and coat lay it was
found that tracks led from there to the
east end of the bridge.
Miss Stearns was born and brought
up in this town and graduated from
the high school here last June. She
was an exceptionally bright and popu-
lar young woman and her strange dis
appearance has stirred the townspeOple
as nothing else has in recent years
Her parents are utterly grief stricken
and the sympathy of the entire town
is with them in their trouble.
She held the office of Adah in Naomi
chapter, O. Z. s., and attended a re-
hearsal at the lodge Thursday evening
in preparation for the visitation of the
grand officers, which was scheduled for
this week, but which has now been
pOSl JOHtus -AllHOuSH SHc hHtN HtI pdIt
thoroughly she was unable to 90
through the entire rehearsal, owing to
the intense pain in her head directly
back of her eyes, and she was unable
to arise at the usual hour the next morn
ing. for the same reason.
Mr.. Stearns is a well-known farmer
living on the Mortified road some
/, three miles south of this village.
Diligent effort of more than 100 men
and boys was unavaiing Sunday and
Monday in their search for Miss Gladys
Stearns. The woods in the vicinity OF
the pasture where Miss Stearns was
supposed to have picked Mayflowers
were covered thoroughly and then prac-
ticallv all the searching was devoted
, to the river in the vicinity of the
South Vernon railroad bridge, which is
about a mile distant from her home.
Seven rowboats, lined in relays, dragged
= the river increasingly from early morn
ing until night. The water in the riv-
er is about the normal depth for this
season, but roilly, and the current is
, very strong. The depth is % feet in
some places.
Owners of automobiles very freely
gave the use of their cars to convey
the searchers to the bridge and the de-
sible to aid and comfort the parents
was only one indication of the esteem
in which Miss Stearns was held by the
townspeople.
; John Care of Vernon, a diver EN-
ployed by the Connecticut River Pow
err Co., made several deseents Monday
afternoon, covering the river bed from
the bridge southwark about 800 feet,
ON the east side. He found that
directly under the bridge and for about
{ 80 feet south there was a tangled mass
e of trees and brush, but the rest of the
distance that he covered was clear ex-
o cept for an occasional sunkcn log.
After being interrupted Tuesday
noon in his search by a drowning IN
Shelbume Falls, Mass, Mr. Care re-
turned to the search Wednesday morn
!, ing, without getting any further trace
> of the missing young woman.
Wednesday afternoon he searched the
S eddies on the east side of the river
It down about 900 feet from the bridge,
o but Yesterday the river was so rough
o that he could not work much, and he
will make no further search, but the
t river will be watched and the eddies
5. will be dragged. \ quantity of dyna
l mite was exploded in the river yes
It terdav, but without results.
The current of the river naturally
= would carry an object toward these
a eddies, where there are numerous
Sna0s