LOST IN KENTISH WOOD.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9437, 6 May 1909, Page 3

LOST IN KENTISH WOOD.

GIRL’S TERRIBLE BXPEBI- ; ENOB. Not a little mystery is associated with the terrible adventure which has just befallen a young German lady, of noble birth, at Bromley, Kent. Miss Elizabeth yon Teufel, a pupil at the Belmont Ladies’ Sjiiool, at Biokley,* was found lying unconscious in a, wood about a mile from 'the school. She had been missing for four nights, and apparently had neither food nor money. The suggestion is that the girl had wandered about the woods and [slept in the undergrowth four nights. But the bitterly cold and'rough weather during that time seems to make this suggestion an impossible one, for the exposure and lack of food would, under ordinary oiroum-, stances, be qnite sufficient to cause fatal results. But that is the explanation given by the authorities, and it gives cause for much specula-' tion, as to the girl’s movements. Miss von Teufel, who is 18, arrived at’Belmonc School about seven weeks ago from Germany to learn English, She was of a cheerful disposition, and very fond of walking long distances. On the Thursday, after school, she started off*alone for a walk, and, as she had idone this before, no particular notice was taken of it. As, however, she did not return at a reasonable hour, the principal, Mrs Leisbman, became very anxious. A search having no result, the police were communicated with, and they in torn scoured the district. The girl’s family in Germany were notified, and <t brother, Baron von Teufel, hurried over to England. There appeared in some of the London morning newspapers on a Monday an advertisement relating to the strange disappearance of.the girl. Then oame the announcement of her discovery. A labourer named James Whittenden was going to work through Sornbb Wood when he oame upon the unconscious figure of Miss von Teufel lying under a tree close to the edge of the wood. With assistance, he carried the girl to his cottage. She was said to be in a 'dreadfully exhausted condition, and her boots apd clothing were covered with mud. She was later removed to the school, doctors were called in, and the girl restored to consciousness several hours later. When the girl regained consciousness in .the afternoon, she made statements indicating that she had been wlking aabont the wood since the Thursday night, and had no food whatever. The headmistress stated that it had been considered best not to ! question the girl till she was better able to give a mil account of her adventures. There was no suggestion whatever that the girl had been molested in any way. All her jewellery, some of an expensive character,, was intact. The only [explanation that she could give was that Miss von Teufel had been suffering from a sudden loss of memory. She had been worried lately owing to her fear that she was not learning English sufficiently well.