Dorothy Arnold
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold (1884?–presumed dead
1910) was an American socialite
who disappeared
while walking in New York City
in 1910.
importer Francis Arnold and the niece of the magistrate Rufus Wheeler Peckham
. She had graduated from Bryn Mawr College
and unsuccessfully tried her hand as a writer
.
, New York City
on the morning of December 12, 1910. She was going to go shopping for a dress for a party. Acquaintances she met on Fifth Avenue later described her as cheerful. She was last seen in Brentano's
bookstore on 26th Street, where she purchased a book of epigram
s; before that, she had visited Park & Tilford's store at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 27th Street and charged a pound of candy to her account. At the bookstore she met a female friend, who later reported that Arnold had intended to walk home through Central Park
. That night, she failed to come back for dinner.
s, morgue
s and jails in New York
, Boston
, and Philadelphia for three weeks until giving up.
The Arnold family turned to police six weeks after their daughter had disappeared. In a press conference, Francis Arnold said he believed that Arnold might have been attacked and killed in Central Park and her body thrown into the reservoir. Although he refused to mention Griscom's name, journalists tracked him down.
Griscom, who was in Naples
at the time, sent a telegram where he stated that he did not know where Arnold was. In January 1911 Arnold's mother and her brother John travelled to Italy
to forcibly interrogate him, without results. Griscom could only hand over a letter where Arnold had mentioned her depression over a story she had written and which had been rejected by a magazine. Intrigued by the disappearance, and probably to quell any suspicions he might have something to do with it, Griscom later spent thousands of dollars searching for Arnold — without results. He paid for ads in major newspapers asking her to come home.
, but there was nobody who matched her description. Others suggested she might have died during a botched abortion
. Some of her friends suspected that she might have committed suicide
because Griscom had refused to marry her. The most widespread rumor was that she had become pregnant out of wedlock, the family had banished her to Switzerland
, and the search was a very elaborate ruse to hide the scandal
. Others said that she had simply decided to disappear.
There were numerous "sightings" of Arnold all over the United States
, but all of them proved to be false. In 1916 a Rhode Island
convict claimed that somebody resembling Griscom had paid him $150 to dig a grave for Arnold in a cellar of a house near West Point
. Police found no sign of a corpse.
Francis Arnold died in 1922, having spent more than $100,000 trying to find his daughter. In his will he stated that he had come to believe she was dead. His wife died in 1928.
.
Death in absentia
Death in absentia is a legal declaration that a person is deceased in the absence of remains attributable to that person...
1910) was an American socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
who disappeared
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
while walking in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1910.
Early life
Arnold was the daughter of wealthy perfumePerfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
importer Francis Arnold and the niece of the magistrate Rufus Wheeler Peckham
Rufus Wheeler Peckham
Rufus Wheeler Peckham was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1895 until 1909. He was known for his strong use of substantive due process to invalidate regulations of business and property. Peckham's namesake father was also a lawyer and judge, and a congressman...
. She had graduated from Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
and unsuccessfully tried her hand as a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Disappearance in Central Park
Arnold left her parents' home in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on the morning of December 12, 1910. She was going to go shopping for a dress for a party. Acquaintances she met on Fifth Avenue later described her as cheerful. She was last seen in Brentano's
Brentano's
Brentano's was an American bookstore. In addition to the numerous locations in the United States, there was a Brentano's on Avenue de l'Opéra in Paris, at the same location for 114 years....
bookstore on 26th Street, where she purchased a book of epigram
Epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising statement. Derived from the epigramma "inscription" from ἐπιγράφειν epigraphein "to write on inscribe", this literary device has been employed for over two millennia....
s; before that, she had visited Park & Tilford's store at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 27th Street and charged a pound of candy to her account. At the bookstore she met a female friend, who later reported that Arnold had intended to walk home through Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. That night, she failed to come back for dinner.
Investigation
The Arnolds feared that the case could be socially embarrassing — Arnold had eloped and spent a week with George Griscom, Jr., a month before. Instead of calling the police, they made discreet enquiries through John S. Keith, a family friend, and hired Pinkerton detectives to investigate the disappearance. Keith searched hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s, morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
s and jails in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Philadelphia for three weeks until giving up.
The Arnold family turned to police six weeks after their daughter had disappeared. In a press conference, Francis Arnold said he believed that Arnold might have been attacked and killed in Central Park and her body thrown into the reservoir. Although he refused to mention Griscom's name, journalists tracked him down.
Griscom, who was in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
at the time, sent a telegram where he stated that he did not know where Arnold was. In January 1911 Arnold's mother and her brother John travelled to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to forcibly interrogate him, without results. Griscom could only hand over a letter where Arnold had mentioned her depression over a story she had written and which had been rejected by a magazine. Intrigued by the disappearance, and probably to quell any suspicions he might have something to do with it, Griscom later spent thousands of dollars searching for Arnold — without results. He paid for ads in major newspapers asking her to come home.
Rumors, theories, and sightings
Arnold was rumored to be in a hospital somewhere with total amnesiaAmnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
, but there was nobody who matched her description. Others suggested she might have died during a botched abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Some of her friends suspected that she might have committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
because Griscom had refused to marry her. The most widespread rumor was that she had become pregnant out of wedlock, the family had banished her to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and the search was a very elaborate ruse to hide the scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
. Others said that she had simply decided to disappear.
There were numerous "sightings" of Arnold all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but all of them proved to be false. In 1916 a Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
convict claimed that somebody resembling Griscom had paid him $150 to dig a grave for Arnold in a cellar of a house near West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. Police found no sign of a corpse.
Francis Arnold died in 1922, having spent more than $100,000 trying to find his daughter. In his will he stated that he had come to believe she was dead. His wife died in 1928.
In popular culture
In her 2009 young adult novel 'Lost' ISBN 978-0-7614-5535-6, author Jacqueline Davies combines the story of Ms. Arnold's disappearance with that of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fireTriangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history...
.
External links
- The Disappearance of Dorothy Arnold
- The Girl Who Never Came Back
- The Vanished Heiress
- Mysteries of the Unexplained (Reader's DigestReader's DigestReader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
general books)