Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-03
MISSING PRUDENCE KERN
 TAKEN TO RIVERSIDE,
Mystery Cleared Up After Good Work
 by Police.


 Some features of most peculiar tention of Prosecuting Attorney A. G. Bill, Chief Michael Grimshaw of the local police and agents of the United States district attorneys offices in New York and Providence were clear ed up Monday when a girl named Prudence Hern, 15, Of 1J Jacks on ave- uue, Riverside, R. l., suburb of Prov tdence, was taken back to her home by her parents, MT. and Mrs. J. R. Hern
 The name of Miss Eern has for the past two weeks been featured in Bos- ton and Providence papers as one of a number of young girls that have re- gently disappeared from their homes in Providence and vicinity.
 Three weekS ago Monday Miss Hcrn almost exhausted, poorly dressed and i'll, appeared late one afternoon at a house near Attawaugan crossing. She told story that immediately enlisted the sympathy of those who heard it and upon Mir Bill being notified he sent Deputy Sheriff Charles E. Aver for the girl and had her brought to his office.
 At that time Miss Hern gave her name as Mary E. Brown and said that her home was at a certain number at East 31st street, New York. Her amazing narrative leading up to her appearance in Danieison was so sim cerely related, and in such minute de- tail. that local officials immediately notified United States officers in Providence and New York of what Miss Brown" had said and d gov efnment official came here to inter- view her. lie, too, was convinced that he was in touch with a remarkable case, and net was spread in Provi- aence to capture a man and woman that figured il. the girls tale. The same thing happened in New York but investigators there were no more successful than the government in- vestigators in the Rhode Island city.
 In the meantime the girl had been spending three weeks 1t the home of Chief 'Grinsh haw. She improved in health and from time to time as she was questioned and mildly third de- greed-very miIdly--told over and over again a tals that recotinted revoltins undergo willie under the power and virtually a prisoner of a young man and woman of middle age who kept her closely confined in Providence.
 Sunday she called for Chief Michael Grin1shaw He was astounded by what she told him. She had that morning seen her opn' picture in a Boston paper and read of herself in the story of how several girls have recently mysterlously disappeared from Prcvi- dence. Ih1S,- She said, had cleared her mind and she was again able to identify herself.
 She gave the address of her parents and they came here to take her home
 It now appears that Prudence, whc is an expert swimmer, and who was to have taken part in a swimming contest at place down the Provi- dence river during he past summer was injured while practicing for the event by striking her head against boat.
 The injury made her i'll and evi- dently affected her :n other ways, for from information furnished Chief GIfmshaw by the girls mother Pru- dence was sent out to get loaf of bread three weeks ago Monday and did not return. Her parents knew no more of her until the Danielson mes sage informed them of her where abouts.
 The presence of the girl i'll Daniel son has been kept secret to all but a few in order that the efforts of the United States officers to ferret out the facts as she represented them 70 be might not be interfered with by pre- mature publicity.