Evening star., 1938-05-11
MRS. WEST FEARS
BABY, 4, KIDNAPPED
Asks Child Who Wandered
Into Woods Be Taken TO
ANY Legion POST
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
BRADFORD. Pa, May 11.-Mrs.
Shirley M. West, expressing fear her
4-year-old daughter Marjory had been
abducted, appealed today for the return
OF her child to any American Legion
post or her home.
In brief statement, the first she
has made since the daughter disap-
peared from family picnic last Sum
day while picking flowers, the mother
said:
II want notice given that anybody
who has her should return her to any
American Legion post anywhere or
bring her home. No questions will be
asked"
The kidnap theory came after a
fruitless search of the woods in which
she disappeared and reports from
Thomas, w. Va, that girl wearing
clothes similar to Marjorys was
brought there Monday by an unidenti-
fed man.
Child Was Sobbing.
opdtt 4iOOPCi L. v. MiIllilCk VI
Thomas said the man stopped in the
evening at hotel, took the girl to a
room without eating and left early the
next day without giving his name
Paul Valentine of Parsons, w. Va,
guest at the hotel said he was
awakened by the girls sobs and saw
her in a dim hallway with the man.
She wore a red hat, blue dress and
had dark hair. She appeared to be
3 or years old, he said
The red-haired, blue-eyed Marjory
was wearing red hat, aqua-blue sum-
mer dress, a dark-blue coat and over
shoes, her father, an Oil field worker of
moderate circumstances. said.
Mr. Minnick said the hotel clerk
told him the man acted strangely"
and left hurriedly with the girl in a
light green sedan. West Virginia po-
lice today were patrolling highways
leading from Thomas to the Maryland
line and mountain trails in search
of the car
F. B. I. Asks Information.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
in Pittsburgh requested information
on the case and description of the
girl, but agents said they had not re-
ceived a complaint or started an in
vestigation.
Meanwhile, weary. mud-splattered
searchers turned their hunt in the
woods to the bears den"-a bear and
snake infested spot atop High Level
Mountain, IL miles southwest of Brad
ford.
Bloodhounds brought here by New
York State police, who joined the
hundreds of men and boys in the hunt,
picked up the trail yesterday but lost it,
Searchers Sent Home.
Searching parties-Nationals Guards
men, members of the American Legion,
high school and c. c. c. youths-who
had helped cover 6-mile area. were
sent to their homes or camps last
night, while their leaders held a con-
ference to discuss how to proceed.
AS the hundreds who had volun-
teered their aid tramped homeward
through cold drizzle that was some
times chilled still more by sleet. the
dogs handlers explained that fewer
men in the woods would give the
hounds chance to work unimpeded.
The weary searchers had clambered
since Sunday over the steep grades
of Big Level Mountain, where Mar
jory disappeared. and through wind
ing creek bottoms near the peak.
One group of would-be searchers
attempted to enter the woods guided
by spiritualist's declaration that
THE child, when found, will be
dead under a tree"
Dogs Pick Up Trail.
They were turned back at the high
way entrance to the area.
w. w. Horton and j. N. Bershimer,
handlers of the hounds. let the dogs
sniff pair of the child's shoes, then
sent them into the woods. They
picked up the trail, but lost it after
leading the party to a fishing cabin
near a road. The door was nailed
Shut, but officers broke in. They re-
ported they found nothing sus-
picious.'