New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-02
olice Find Missing
Pomeroy,Cirl Took
Philadelphia Train
Father Declares Daughter Has
Been Traced to Station
in Communipaw

1t has been virtually established that
Velma Pomeroy, the girl from Mon
tana who so mysteriously disappeared
last Tuesday, boarded train for Phila-
delphia few hours after she left her
apartment, at l25 Washington Place
according to statement made last
night by the young woman's fatner'
Judge c. W. Pomeroy. of kihspeii'
Mont, few hours after he arrived IN
New York from the West.
The man who does the double trick
of night ticket agent and telegraph op..
orator at the Communipaw station OF
the Central Railroad of New Jersey is
positive that Miss Pomeroy sent tele-
gram shortly after midnight Tuesday
from the depot. He is not so certain
that she purchased a ticket, but Harry
Saltmer, conductor on the Philadelphia
train leaving the station at l2:42 a. m,
said he was sure the girl was on his
train.
The brakeman on the train corrob-
grated the conductors statement when
seen by the New York police and pri-
vate detectives employed by Judge
Pomeroy. Both trainmen were able to
give a fairly minute description OF the
young woman passenger. Her actions
invited attention TO her, they said
She made the trip in the day coach
and seemed highly nervous, Judge
Pomeroy said the trainmen asserted.
The brakeman is quoted as saying the
young woman boarded the train IN
haste. but no sooner had she selected
her seat than she got up and asked II
she would have time TO mail a couple
of postcards. When the brakeman told
her she would she left the train. re-
turned to the station and came back IN
n few minutes.
The message Miss Pomeroy sent
early Wednesday was addressed to her
cousin. Miss Helen Russell. with whom
she lived. 1t was sent at 12:43 o'clock,
or one minute after the train departed,
and read;
"Will not be home tonight. Explain
tomorrow. NELMA.
On the strength of this evidence the
Philadelphia police have been notified
and a general alarm has been sent
throughout that city. Private detec-
tives from New York have gone over to
aid in the search.
II think my daughters disappearance
is the result of overwork," Judge Pom
eroy said. "She came TO New York to
make her own way. She had high as
pirations and desired to be absolutely
Independent. She would not permit me
to try TO make her path easier in the
city, saying she would fight it out
alone and win. In 1910 she suffered a
nervous breakdown. / will remain in
New York until she is found"
While the police of the two cities
are exerting every effort to find the
missing girl, Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw,
the woman suffrage leader, asserted
she would lend her aid to the search.
Miss Pomeroy was an ardent sutfra-
eist. and had worked with the New
York State Woman Suffrage Party.
Miss Pomeroy knew jeanette Rankin
before the people of Montana sent her
to Congress.
Mrs. Laidlaw entertained a high
opinion of Miss Pomeroy, and ex-
dressed herself as deeply concerned
over her disappearance. She said she
would get in touch with the authori-
ties tomorrow and do anything she
could TO forward the search.
"This is a strange case" said Mrs.
Laidlaw. at is not an elopement, be-
cause Miss Pomeroy was not the young
woman to become involved in foolish
romances. She took a serious interest
in suffrage and war relief. | intend to
take a personal interest in this case
and do all can to stir police activity"
Judge Pomeroy conferred by tele-
phone with Lieutenant Grant Williams,
of the Missing Persons Bureau, as soon
as he arrived, and said he thought the
police had done very intelligent work.
Miss Russell said she believed her
cousins disappearance was prompted
by worry and overwork.
"She constantly fretted about nos
making good in the new position she
took a week ago with the Four Minute
Men" said Miss Russell. "She left the
woman's party, where she was en-
ployed as secretary, to do the same
kind of work for the Four Minute Men,
with headquarters at the Yale Club.
The father was asked if his daughter
had any love affairs.
well" he replied. "she had several
experiences you might call them, but
she dropped them all. Her ideals were
too high. Just ordinary men didn't
measure up"