Police Chief Asks if Viola Plemmons Was Kidnapped, April 15, 1926

Believe the Missing Woman Was Kidnapped. . . Every Other Theory as to Disappearance Seems to be Unwarranted

Asheville, April 13—“What has become of Mrs. Viola Plemmons?”

This question asked hundreds of times by Hot Springs citizens since she was listed as missing 10 days ago, has drawn just so many answers, all vague and based only on supposition. No clue of any sort as to her whereabouts or the manner of her going has been disclosed.

Now comes the latest supposition. Chief of Hot Springs Police Craig Ramsey declared today that he believed the woman had been kidnapped. He declared that he had little reason for turning to the theory of kidnapping, with the exception of the fact hat 10 days of search, conducted a large part of the time by as many as 50 men, has eliminated all other possibilities.

The only clue which tends to support in any manner the kidnapping belief is contained in the statement of Troy Harrison, carpenter who accompanied Mrs. Plemmons’ husband on a fox hunt in the evening of April 2, when the woman disappeared. He told of having seen a large automobile going westward at high speed while he was returning to Hot Springs for a lantern that night.

Centering first around a belief of suicide the search for the woman was carried to the French Broad river, which has been dragged for upwards of a mile in all directions, but no trace was found. Dynamite also failed to reveal the presence of a body. The mountains of the sections have all been combed following expression of the belief that the woman might have become unbalanced and wandered off aimlessly into the fastnesses. No trace has been found, and her old home country to the west also smothers in the breast any secret, which might have been entrusted to it.

The murder theory, advanced shortly after search of the river proved fruitless, has also been eliminated, mainly for the lack of any known motive which could have brought about her death, and also because she left a note for her husband. No evidence of any foul play has been disclosed. The note is one of the most puzzling angles of the entire affair. Mr. Plemmons exhibited it again today, stating that it was his wife’s writing and was found hanging on a nail in the living room of their home just after she had vanished. The note, unsigned, follows:

“I am gone to alone grave to reap what I have sown. I want everybody to be good to Fairda and the children and never find fault with him for my going like this. It was my fault only.”

The clause about reaping what she had sown is not clear since it is known that the woman appeared to be much in love with her husband, and it is said that when ever he happened to be away, she would be excessively worried.

From page 6 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Thursday, April 15, 1926

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