The Morning Post – May 18, 1910
Through detective work by her 14-year-old sister, Alberta Connord, 16-years-old, who disappeared from her home here last Friday, was found last night in Philadelphia. She was traced to a house at Seventh and Spring Garden streets, where, with Arthur Williams, a married man, 33 years old, whose home is also in Camden, she was arrested by Policeman Quicksell, of the Eleventh and Spring Garden streets station house.
Mrs. Margaret Connord, mother of the girl, said this morning that Alberta left home last Friday without warning. The mother says she learned from neighbors when she began inquiries about her missing daughter, that she had been seen in company with Williams. She went to Williams’ home, she said, and was told by his wife that he also disappeared on Friday.
She had reason to believe that the girl and the man were in Philadelphia, and on Saturday Leonora Connord, the missing girl’s 14-year-old sister, started a nightly search. Every evening she crossed the river to walk up and down the streets of the central district to watch for her sister or Williams.
Monday night she saw them in a moving picture show on Market street, but before she could get close to them they were lost in the crowd. She returned to the search with renewed courage last night and her persistence was rewarded when she met a friend who told her that she had seen Alberta going into the house at Seventh and Spring Garden streets. Leonora gathered her courage up and went to the house.
The woman in charge there told her that a girl answering Alberta’s description had been staying in the house, but that she was out. Leonora hurried back to Camden and got her mother. Mother and daughter returned to Philadelphia after midnight and made their way to the vicinity of the house. At 2 o’clock they met Quicksell and told him of their starch.
Quicksell lost no time in going to the house where he found Williams and the girl. Williams admitted to Magistrate Carey at the station house this morning that he had a wife and four children. He said he was not living with his family. He said the girl met him on Market street last Saturday night. He said he took her to the Seventh and Spring Garden streets house to give her shelter. He gave his address as 509 North Second street, Camden. The girl said she lived at 232 Stevens street.
Williams was held in $1,000 bail for a further hearing next Wednesday on a charge of enticing a minor. The girl was remanded for a further hearing on the same date. Her mother told the court that she thought it better for the police to continue in charge of her.
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