Evening star., 1951-05-26
Girl
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Girl
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said there was no evidence that
she had been sexually molested.
Barbara's mother, Mrs. Richard
M. Graves, told police she first
the child about $50 pm.
when she failed to appear for her
supper.
Neighbors Aid Search.
Aided by neighbors in the build
ing, the mother started searching
the neighborhood a short time
later.
I'VE looked everywhere - in
trash cans even," said Mrs. Wal
lace Haynes. who joined in the
search. But we didn't look in
the cellar steps. No one goes there
Except to take the trash out"
However, another neighbor. Mrs.
Florence Shipley, told police she
was certain the child was not in
the areaway at 6 pm. At that
time, she said, she had gone out
to retrieve a cookie tin which had
fallen from her window. finding it
in the exact spot where the child's
body was found six hours later.
The child's mother, Mrs. Rich
ard Graves, gave police this ac-
count of the little girls actions
before she disappeared yesterday
afternoon:
Shortly after pm. Barbara
passed through the Graves kitch-
en-, announcing that she was going
to Mrs. Haynes apartment to
watch television. Mrs. Haynes
said the child looked into the
apartment and then continued
down the stairs to the first floor.
A few minutes later, when Mrs.
Graves started looking for her,
she found her other daughter,
I3-year-old Janice Marie, standing
in the front door looking out
into the street.
When Janice said she had not
seen her sister. the parents and
neighbors : started combing the
area, searching unsuccessfully for
several blocks in each direction.
Notified Police.
At about 9 pm. the girls STEP
father, an employe of the Railway
Exoress Co.. notified the police.
He described her as blond and
blue-eyed, wearing a red dress
with tan shoes.
It was shortly after midnight
that Mrs. Shipley, heard what
she described as a moaning or
whining sound" from the rear of
| the apartment.
Police Undecided.
"We rushed to the window and
saw her red dress in the darkness
5 feet below" she said. "She was
unconscious when We reached her,
with her dress over her head but
her underclothes still on"
The battered body was lying
at the foot of three concrete steps
Heading to the cellar. Her head
Ilay in the corner. One of her
brown shoes was on her foot The
other was found a foot away on
the steps.
Immediately after they carried
the little girl inside, Mrs. Shipley
said she heard two men talking
loudly in the alley and the sound
of running footsteps. The time,
she said. was exactly 1890 am.
This morning, residents of the
apartment said the 6-foot wooden
gate of the back yard was found
open. 1t was usually kept closed
with piece of wire, they said.
Mr.. Graves. who moved to the
nelghborhood three months ago,
said Barbara had few friends in
the neighborhood. She had never
been known to play in the back
yard or run into the street, he said.
Her outdoor playground was in the
front yard, which is surrounded by
a hedge.
Homicide Squad Its. Richard v.
Felber and John K. Baker. in
vestigating the case. said that it
was still undecided how the child
was injured.
However, it was pointed out
that, when last seen. the child had
been chewing gum. When she
was taken to the hospital. doctors
removed the gum from her mouth.
Police said it was covered with
dirt, similar to that of the back
yard where she was found. The
|soles of the child's shoes, police
added, were clean, indicating that
1she had not moved around out of
doors.
Windows of her mothers room
below which the child was found
were open at the time, and were
not equipped with screens.
u