SHE ELOPED!

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 3, 5 January 1938, Page 7

SHE ELOPED!

LOST DAUGHTER.

Police Hunt for Michigan

College Girl.

FATHER'S FRANTIC FEARS.

United Press Association. —Copyright.

(Received 1 p.m.) YPSILANTI (Mich.), January 4.

State police and G-men scoured Michigan for traces of Gertrude Bennett, 17-year-old daughter of Harold Bennett, one of the five highest paid executives of the Ford Motor Company, who vanished last night. It was later proved she had eloped, and was not kidnapped as was feared.

A significant fact was that Mr. Bennett had been deeply concerned in the relations between labour and the company. However, he did not say whether he suspected foul play.

Mr. Bennett said he had received warnings recently, both friendly and threatening, to watch out for his wife and two daughters. He added that he last saw Gertrude on Monday morning when she left for college, after which she had telephoned home at 6 p.m. asking her sister to drive to college to pick her up at 8 p.m.

The sister had arrived and waited until 10 p.m., but there were no signs of Gertrude. She had reported this to her father, who had waited for hours before reporting the matter to the police. Indicating possibility of an elopement, news arrived that Gertrude's college sweetheart, Russell Hughes, aged 21, was missing. The girl's father discounted the elopement theory, but this proved to be correct. The couple had left the young man's stepfather's home in the afternoon for Auburn, Indiana, where they were married.

Although 1000 State police were searching throughout Michigan, G-men were called in when the father revealed that he was most concerned as to Gertrude's safetv.