Disappearance of Dorothy Arnold

1911 newspaper article about the disappearance of Dorothy Arnold (New-York Tribune, via Newspapers.com™)

25-year-old heiress Dorothy Arnold vanished in New York City on the afternoon of December 12, 1910, while out shopping. Her family initially hired private investigators to locate her, so Dorothy’s disappearance wasn’t reported to the police or made public until 6 weeks later. 

Despite the eventual publicity surrounding the case, Dorothy was never found. What happened to her remains a mystery, though her father ultimately came to believe she had been murdered.

Learn more about the Disappearance of Dorothy Arnold through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about the Disappearance of Dorothy Arnold

"Millionaire's Daughter Is Missing For Over Month" "Left Home in New York December 12 to Buy Dress" 26 Jan 1911, Thu Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York) Newspapers.com"Offers Million for Return of His Daughter" "No Trace of Missing Manhattan Society Woman" 26 Jan 1911, Thu Times Union (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com"Three Latest Photographs Of Missing Dorothy Arnold" 26 Jan 1911, Thu The Evening World (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Costume Worn by Girl on Day She Disappeared" 26 Jan 1911, Thu The Evening World (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Death Threats for Lost Girl Sent Father" "Ransom Demanded for the Millionaire's Daughter" 27 Jan 1911, Fri Times Union (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com"Arnold Girl Is Hiding in City Police Believe" 28 Jan 1911, Sat Times Union (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com"Long Missing Girl Read Foreign Letter, Joined Man, Vanished" 28 Jan 1911, Sat The Evening World (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Girl Was Not Likely to Walk Uptown in Bitter Cold of December 12" 28 Jan 1911, Sat The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com"Thinks Miss Arnold Will Soon Return" "Police Have Ceased Search" "Father Says She is Dead" 28 Jan 1911, Sat New-York Tribune (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"No Word from Miss Arnold" "Police Send Out an Alarm to the Principal Cities" 29 Jan 1911, Sun The Sun (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Woman Gives New Clew to Missing Arnold Girl" "Bought Candy in Store Near Central Park" 30 Jan 1911, Mon The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com"Still Hunting Missing Heiress in This City" 30 Jan 1911, Mon The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com"Dorothy Arnold Dead, Her Relatives Declare; Mother Scours Europe" 31 Jan 1911, Tue The Evening World (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Is Miss Arnold Hiding Abroad?" "Steamship Agent Sure She Asked About Passage" 31 Jan 1911, Tue Mount Vernon Argus (White Plains, New York) Newspapers.com"There's Fortune For You If You Find This Missing Heiress" 01 Feb 1911, Wed The Evening Mail (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) Newspapers.com"Local Police Receive Arnold Circulars" 01 Feb 1911, Wed The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com"A Mysterious Case" 02 Feb 1911, Thu The Wells Journal (Wells, Somerset, England) Newspapers.com"Arnold Thrashed Griscom" "And Took from Him a Letter of Dorothy's Dated Nov. 27" 03 Feb 1911, Fri The Sun (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Postal Card from the Missing Girl?" 06 Feb 1911, Mon The Buffalo Commercial (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com"Griscom Expects to Wed Miss Arnold" "Loved Each Other, He Says" 12 Feb 1911, Sun The New York Times (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Griscom and Arnold Girl Meet in Boston" "Secretly Together in This City Several Days in September" 14 Feb 1911, Tue The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com"Miss Arnold Pawned Jewels in Boston" "Police There Make This Known" 16 Feb 1911, Thu The New York Times (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Believes Daughter Has Been Kidnapped" "Mother Declares Dorothy Arnold Is Captive in New York" 28 Feb 1911, Tue Buffalo Courier (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com"Subpoenas in Arnold Case" "District Attorney to Investigate Alleged Clues" 11 Mar 1911, Sat The New York Times (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Drag Central Park Lakes for Dorothy Arnold's Body" 19 Mar 1911, Sun Buffalo Courier (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com"Arnolds Give Up Hope" "But Still Investigate Even Faint Clues to the Missing Dorothy" 18 Apr 1911, Tue The New York Times (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Miss Arnold Gone a Year To-morrow" "Police and Family Now Convinced Girl Has Died" 11 Dec 1911, Mon The New York Times (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Los Angeles Woman Not Dorothy Arnold in Father's Opinion" 16 Mar 1914, Mon Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York) Newspapers.com"Says He Buried Dorothy Arnold" "Rhode Island Prisoner Ready to Clear Up Mystery" 17 Apr 1916, Mon Times Union (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com"They Never Come Back" "Dorothy Arnold Disappearance Still Mystery After 22 Years" 08 Oct 1932, Sat The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com