New-York tribune., 1920-04-29
Rich Girl Held
As Thief Is ILL.,;
Father Arrives
Physical Culture Teacher
Temporarily Deranged, Is
Defense to Charge of
Shoplifting in Store Here
Goods Were Not Hidden
Miss Smith Says Mind Is
Blank; Had Plenty of
Money to Pay for Articles

Theodore l.. Schmitz, an official Of
the Elgin Watch Company, Of Elgin.
III, arrived in New York last night in
search of his daughter, Miss Dorothy
Smith, as she is known to her friends,
who had been missing since Monday
morning. He found her at her room at
304 Clark Street. Jersey City, suffering
from q nervous break down as result
of her experiences on Monday and yes
terday. when she was arrested charged
with shoplifting and later released on
bail
Through R. NJ. S. Putnam, Of 81 Lib
erty Street, who had been engaged by
friends of the girl to institute a search
for her following her disappearance on
Monday, it was learned yesterday that
the defense in the case will be built
around the claim that Miss Smith was
suffering a temporary mental derange-
ment due to illness at the time when
ehe is alleged to have taken an assort-
ment of loose articles from counters
in r. H. Macy & Co.'s store. The
total value Of the goods taken is $9.37.
At the time of her arrest by Eta Cur
win. store detective, she had in her
purse more than enough money to pay
for. the goods she is alleged to have
stolen.
Physical Culture Instructor
Miss Smith is an instructor in physi-
cal culture at the Y. w. G. A. at Rah-
way, n. j. She lived at the Clark
Street address with Miss May Z. Phipps,
who is 7. w. c. A. official in Jersey
City. On Sunday morning Miss Smith
left Jersey City to visit Miss Alice H.
Clark, of $40 West 112th Street, dane
Ing teacher at the Savage School of
Physical Education, 308 West Fifty
home over Sunday night.
On Monday, shortly after noon. Miss
Smith left Miss Clark, remarking that
sne had a purchase to make at Macy's
and that she would take Hudson
tube train at the Thirty fourth Street
station. At that time, Miss Clark SAYS,
the accused woman had ten dollar bill
and some loose change in her purse.
MISS Smiths story of the happenings
winch led to her arrest, as told yester-
day by her friends, who are firmly
convinced that she is innocent Of in.
tentional wrongdoing. is that after she
had made the purchase she moved tow
ard the restroom. From that point. it
is claimed on her behalf, she had no
further recollection of her movements
until she was halted at the main en-
trance by Miss Curwin. At that time
she carried in her hands unwrapped
two remnants of silk a pocket edition
of THE Rubaiyat" Of Omar Khayyam
There was no attempt made to conceal
these. articles, it is said. and when
questioned by the store detective she
professed to have no knowledge of
them. She had then been in the store
two hours.
Technical Plea Entered
Miss Smith was taken to the Wom-
ems Court, where she entered techni-
cal plea of guilty, and was neld in
$500 bail by MAGISTRATE Jean Norris.
She remained in the jefferson Market
prison over Monday night.
Her failure to return to her home
on Monday alarmed her friends, and
general search for her was instituted
yesterday morning. An attendant at
the Jefferson Market prison recognized
the photograph sent out by the search
ers as that of Miss Smith, and the con-
nection between the missing girl and
her friends was established yeste rday
afternoon, when bail was furnished and
the girl was taken to her Jersey City
home
Putnam said yesterday he was con-
fident Miss Smith would be cleared of
the charge at her trial in Special Ses-
sions, set for two weeks hence.
Miss Smiths friends point to the
fact that she made no attempt to CON
ceal the goods, and that she had money
with which to pay for them
What would she want with a cheap
copy of Omar Khayyam?" Mr.. Put
nam said last night. "She had already
a much more expensive copy at home"
Miss Smith is comely and we'll
. educated. Her friends in JERSEY CITY
say she was always we'll supplied with
funds, since she received good salary,
which was amply supplemented by
money sent her by her father.