www.extremeweatherwatch.com
Dec 12 : Daytime 25F, night time 19F.
As you mentioned, no way was she sitting on a bench in Central Park reading a book that day. The Central Park lake or pond or reservoir or whatever it is, was frozen over. The police discredited Dorothy's father's belief that she had been killed in the park and her body dropped into the water due to it being frozen over.
I am not familiar with NYC at all. Wonder how far the train station was from Central Park. Dorothy apparently liked to go walking as her exercise and walked about 50 blocks to reach the stores from her home the day she disappeared.
I am not familiar with NYC at all either and then even if one was, back more than 100 years ago, it is gong to be entirely different and so is the landscape going to be and the population but it's always been I know this much a main hub in our nation, enter Ellis Island for instance where most of our ancestors entered through. It established ahead and first over many an area and we know just from novels and other things that it was a place that high society tended to live and as you said trade, importing, we know banking, at some point the stock exchange, etc.
Of course, nowadays i'd think of course the subway would be right at Central Park's door and about with a stop everywhere in NY but train stations, not as sure. But it wouldn't seem too unlikely Central Park wouldn't be far from one. It existed then clearly from this story and so was an early part of NYC and a big thing there. I've always had the impression it was in the main hub area, 5th Avenue, etc. through my lifetime anyhow but at some point of course as time went on what was a gorgeous and nice park for society to go to, ride through, etc. of course these days is going to attract another ilk. And in that day probably did to a point as well but crime wasn't like it is today. Just my guesses.
So she liked to walk and would walk 50 blocks to reach the stores and they let her. You know I guess I shouldn't be surprised I suppose. Times were different no matter where we lived and people trusted their areas and didn't hear of all we hear of today but still.
And I also don't know NYC but over the years of being an avid reader (I do little these days) my impression of Central Park is that it's huge for the average size of something in NYC where things are now squashed together and went up into high rises to fit more and more people. In my head if I recall it has ice skating in the winter, used to back in the day have pony rides, people took an outing in their carriage to drive Central Park, etc. did they not? Water, a fair amount of acres of grass and so on and lanes or paths.
And was there only one train station in those years... I would say it was close because it existed then, if only one. It was sure big ENOUGH then although probably not the size of today if her home in high society was 50 blocks from the shops on 5th Avenue. Of course you'd want to be in the nicer area probably established for the rich but not right on top of or next door to the shops.
It remains odd to me they would "let" her do this much less walk 50 blocks alone in that day and age. I tell myself it's probably far more dangerous today but they were society people. But maybe that alone left them feeling untouched or no one would be dumb enough to touch one of them. Heck you can get into the 60s and it was a thing for a woman to be out alone yet, taking a train alone or anything else. Not just for crime but because it just wasn't "done".
So I did not know this either, you are saying she DID walk that day? Where was she last seen that can be relied on if there's anything at all to be sure of that?
Also her dad thinking she was killed in the park and dumped in (I know what you mean what is it) a man made lake, reservoir, pond tells me that even back then they thought such risky and dangerous if that's where he believed something happened to her.
Here real lakes and such wouldn't be frozen to much depth if temps stayed from 25 and up or necessarily even safe to walk on and certainly not to drive on. And some areas will remain with open water but these are real lakes and currents, bridges, etc. Where I grew up one area is always risky where it goes under a bridge and myself i'd never trust it but some idiots do.
Interesting this is what her dad figured, imo. That tells me imo that they wouldn't have been in agreement with her going there alone and so I am asking did they know her plan to do so and just could not keep her from doing what she wanted or they found out afterwards it was part of her day's plan of shopping, a walk in the park, etc.?
When I first came in just days ago and skimmed the bit, it seemed to me they knew of her plans. I could be wrong.
Dad seems to come back in this short time, front and center a lot. I don't mean he did anything to her but I mean thinking she died in Central Park, declaring her dead in his will, worried about what society would think and you name it.
Saying he'd have let her date and even wished she'd do so more or see nice solid men more or however you put it, gives me an impression but you can feel that he means certain types, good types of course and so on.
I'm starting to get an impression and perhaps I'm wrong and I'm going on the very little bit here and things you've shared that he was a controlling type but when one has that, one often rebels at some point, and perhaps he couldn't keep Dorothy in line at 25 or even before and thought she'd be raised, married and so on. And SO worried about status and appearance. Money seems to play in here too and I don't mean in the way of course it mattered to someone of such society but I mean that Dorothy would have to pawn stuff. And so he's supporting a daughter as an adult who maybe cost a fair amount and was also taking risks and being wayward and that could risk their reputation and status, and he may be kept her or tried to on a tight leash as far as with spending money, not that he should be having to support her at 25 but back then well women didn't have the same options and you're not going to have your daughter seen if you are high society working teh streets or serving coffee at some dive of a diner, etc. Perhaps working at Saks or Macy's if they were around back then and even then people would likely talk that his daughter had to WORKKK??
With your help, since I know little, I'm refining thoughts. Again, I'm not saying dad did anything to her. I am thinking though that there was friction, and with the worry about appearance and being young, strictness or an attempt to be with money, and she likely made none of her own and the way out is a man. Or some form of income of your own, not so easy for her and at that time imo.
It's archaic but it's just true. In ALMOST all cases, you married, the woman was home with the kids and the man brought home the bacon so to speak and that's not even high society where you wouldn't be allowed to take some low level job and embarrass the family...
So dad sounds tight with the money and not necessarily wrongfully so. Maybe Dorothy cost a lot and it was the only way he had of her not gallivanting and spending a week with a lover, etc... And that would leave her if the money was not just given freely to some 25 year old doing her own thing needing money, hence the pawning, etc. The fact she would pawn things some family of their ilk would consider important and even go to pawn them, tells me she was somewhat rebellious and probably against the structures of "society" and her dad, etc.... If most of us are honest, every generation is a bit in these age ranges not in sync meaning from the time we are in our teens to early 20s and those are the years not by law but but nature we are looking to separate and find our own way while parents are trying to ensure that way is right, etc. Add in rules and you are 25 and make no money of your own... And no outs for women for centuries OTHER than a man to take dad's place... Seriously.
With knowing little, like I said, dad keeps playing back in here. Again, not that I necessarily think he did anything to her but of causing Dorothy to do or be, or to even sway things (attacked and dumped in Central Park). I still find the part she had the money on her interesting and in my head this can't be proven right? How could it be proven? Probably came from dad/or mom saying so. And then you said which I don't know the story of she had pawned things previously. That tells me dad didn't give her money or enough of it in her opinion to do her things. So why would he on this occasion? She also had played the parents if true lying and spending a week with George....
But on this day supposedly she had a lot of money, from dad supposedly right?
If I have anything wrong here, let me know AT your leisure. This case hasn't gone anywhere for over 100 years right. No rush.
I am getting to dialing in a little bit with the more info. Not saying figuring out or knowing, just a better feeling of the family dynamic, etc.
This is a brief thread and so I don't have the info you do. So I am guessing her pawning stuff previously comes from that you have followed and know the case and I take all you say as fact and know if speculation you pretty much show that but pawning is pretty much fact right?
en.wikipedia.org
www.historicmysteries.com
www.crimewatchers.net
