Evening star., 1937-08-09
FATHER IDENTIFIES
RIDER IN CIRCUS
AS DORIS MAJOR
Missing Cigarette Girl Is
Located With Show
in Norfolk.
BLOND SEEMED DAZED
AND ISSUED DENIAL
Declared She was Billy Sergeant
and Never Worked or
Lived Here.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Friends OF Doris (BHlvl Major
began search for her Monday uhen
she toiled to report for rork. She
lett note saying she 1ras going up
the riUer" to sWim Detectiucs
mere called in Thursday. Rirer
Tds searched and the GIRLS ad-
mirers quissed. A reporter for
The Star found taricdb driver ,uho
had taken the girl to KEY Bridge
early on the morning OF her dis
appearance.
BULLETIN.
The missing Doris tBilly) Major,
cigarette girl at the Shoreham
Hotel, was identified this afternoon
by her father Malcolm Major,
newspaper artist. as she rode a
pony about the tent of the Hagen
back-Wallace Circus in Norfolk. Va.
The father, who had feared his
daughter might have met with
some violence or have drowned in
the Potomac River, flew to Nor
folk from Washington this AFTER
noon on learning that a girl in the
circus was believed to be his
daughter. The girl had insisted
that she was Billy Sargeant."
The missing Doris billy Major,
ehoreham Hotel cigarette girl, was
identified at Norfolk, Va, this after
noon by the assistant manager Of
Haeenback Wallace Circus as an
equestrienne who had signed up With
the show Monday, the day after the
corely blond disappeared from her
apartment here.
The girl herself however, insisted
she was Billy Sergeant and had
never lived or worked in Washington,
although she said she was born in
Arlington County. Va. The girl seemed
daoed as she talked to reporters. and
answered questions in monosylla bles.
She obviously was under nervous
strain.
The fact that the Sergeant girl
has a peculiar walk, sort of glide,
which is one of Miss Majors char
acteristics. strengthened the identih-
cation, however.
The circus manager, Mel Smith,
said:
Sure, she's Doris Ma ior But she s
swell rider-one of the best we've
got! She's over 21 and knows her
own business.
IF she says she's Billy Sargent,
then Billy Sargent she is, as far as
this outfit is concerned!'
Wearing Brown Stacks.
The girl was wearing brown slacks
. polo shirt and low-heeled shoes. She
is about feet inches tall and looked
some Is years old Miss Major is
feet inches and is 27 years old.)
{ Confronted by photograph of Miss
Major, the girl denied the picture was
of her. She insisted that she read of
a vacancy in a theatrical publication
and hitch-hiked from New York to
apply for the job.
The girl said she joined the circus
at Covington, KY. last Monday. sign
ing as bare-back rider. Miss Major,
an enthusiastic horsewoman, has been
riding since she was years old. She
is passionately fond of animals. and
had often told her friends she wanted
to be an animal trainer or to join a
circus
The tip concerning the circus rider
resemblance to Miss Major had come
from the captain of the excursion
steamer Robert E. Lee, who telephoned
the Shoreham this morning from Nor
folk to say that girl he believed to
be Miss Major had taken pleasure
cruise yesterday to the Virginia Capes
with other circus performers.
The ships officer said he learned the
girl joined the circus last Monday. the
day after Miss Major disappeared from
her apartment in Cathedral Mansions.
He declared the girl seemed con-
fused" when he asked her if she ever
had worked at the Shorehsm
The tentative identification was
made from photographs the captain
had seen in the newspapers
Was Lover OF Animals.
Miss Major had gift that enabled
her to handle wild horses. dangerous
dogs and even untamed crea lures at
the Zoo.
During her off hours Miss Ma
was frequent visitor at the Zoo. Her
associates said she had made friends
with the wolves and other animals
some of which she petted through the
bars when no keepers were in sight to
stop her.
Employees Of the hotel telephoned
the new development to police, who
sent detective to investigate.
Photographs and descriptions of the
missing girl had been sent earlier to-
day to police chiefs of a dozen cities
after detectives had eliminated vir-
tually al other clues in the mysterious
disappearance.
Several admirers Of the pretty blond,
(see MAJOR GIRL, Page A-3.)