OH OH - "The Red Shoe Mystery" - Lola Celli, 24, Grandview Heights, Feb 1946

[nerosleuth]

Columbus Citizen Sunday March 3, 1946

Abduction Theory Gains In Celli Case
Friends Think girl Was Given Ride By Acquaintance

• Grandview friends of Lola Celli, disturbed over her eight-day-absence, have concluded that she was abducted.

• Lola’s friends believe that if she was abducted, she was abducted by an acquaintance under friendly circumstances.

• With rewards over five hundred dollars, police admitted they only have worthless clues to base their investigation.

• A family friend of the Celli Family said that he and relatives are doing some private investigation and that they were going to check people that Lola knew.

• As of Saturday night (March 2, 1946) almost every lead in the case had been exhausted.

• Location of the red coupe still was being pursued.


Columbus Citizen Sunday March 3, 1946

Facts About The Grandview Mystery
Full Review Of Events In Lola Celli’s Disappearance
No Reason For Disappearance


• Article had picture of the Celli home and arrow directions of the route Lola took to catch the bus from her home.

• Article had picture of Cambridge Blvd. & West Third Avenue intersection and the bus stop. The intersection had a traffic signal in that picture.

• Article had a picture of Lola Celli, Lola’s neighbor, and Grandview Heights Police Chief Robert Livingston.

• Lola is still the object of a nationwide search.


Lola Celli Timeline


Thursday February 21, 1946


• At 3:30 p.m., the school bell rang at the end of the school day. Lola was on her desk preparing the grocery list to buy food for the school cafeteria. Lola then went to the grocery to place the order. At the grocery, she met her school teacher friend whom she lived with in West Mansfield. They left the grocery, walked and arrived 4:30 p.m. at the home.

• The train to Columbus was scheduled to arrive at the West Mansfield Depot at 5:30 p.m., giving Lola an hour to pack and get ready. Her friend suggested calling the train depot to see if the train would be on schedule. A phone call was made and Lola was informed that the train would be two hours late on account of a train wreck in Michigan.

• Lola was disappointed because she wanted to get home early. Her friend and her mother tried to convince Lola to stay and wait until early Saturday morning to take the train to Columbus. Lola insisted that she had plenty to do on Friday in Columbus.

• Lola ate dinner at the West Mansfield home.

• Lola did sewing of her skirt after dinner.

• The family Lola was staying with again tried to persuade Lola to remain in West Mansfield over Friday but Lola told them her mother would worry.

• Another phone call was made to the train depot and Lola was advised that the train would arrive at the depot at 7:10 p.m. that evening. Lola went to the train station but it wasn’t until 8:00 p.m. that the train finally arrived in West Mansfield.

• After 8:00 p.m., the train left West Mansfield with Lola abroad.

• Lola arrived at her parent’s home in Grandview Heights at approximately 9:15 p.m. that evening.

• Lola unpacked her suitcase, and then spent the evening talking with her mother and a neighbor woman who visited the Celli family that night. Lola went to bed at 11:30 p.m.


Friday February 22, 1946


• Lola got up around 8:30 a.m. that morning. Lola helped clean house, helped her mother with lunch, then read and sew that afternoon.

• After dinner, Lola read magazines and listened to the radio.

• Later that evening, Lola practiced her piano lessons until about 11:30 p.m. before retiring for the night.



Saturday February 23, 1946


• Lola got up around 8:30 a.m. that morning. Lola had breakfast with her family.

• Lola told her family that she was going downtown to open a charge account.

• Lola’s brother Felice Celli left home before his sister Lola did. Felice said that he took the Fifth Avenue bus line so he could go North.

• At 10:25 a.m., Lola’s mother was in the kitchen when Lola was in the living room and told her mother “I’m going now. Goodbye!”

• Lola’s mother did not see Lola leave their home.

• Lola vanished in the space of 11 minutes.

• As far as police know, Lola was last seen ay 10:27 a.m., on her way to board the Arlington bus going downtown.

• The bus Lola intended to board at Cambridge Blvd. & West Third Avenue arrived at that stop at 10:38 a.m., 11 minutes after Lola was last seen.

• The driver of the Arlington bus wasn’t positive that Lola did not get on the bus, but Lola’s neighbor who lived across the street, makes it certain that Lola did not board the bus.

• The neighbor was Lola’s childhood friend who helped establish the time sequence for police on the day Lola disappeared.

• The neighbor said that he was sitting in his living room when he saw Lola leave her house across the street and walking west towards Cambridge Blvd.

• The neighbor said that he was getting ready to go downtown, so he hurried and put his sweater and coat on before he left his home.

• When the neighbor Lane reached the sidewalk in front of his house, he saw Lola about a block away. He decided to walk south on Glenn Avenue to catch the bus stop on West First Avenue and catch the bus there.

• The neighbor said that he didn’t call Lola when he saw her a block away and Lola didn’t look back.

• The neighbor claimed it took him no more than 5 minutes to reach the bus stop at Glenn Avenue & West First Avenue. He said he reached the bus stop at 10:32 a.m.

• It was determined that it probably took Lola seven minutes to reach the bus stop at Cambridge Blvd. & West Third Avenue.

• Lola would have reached her bus stop at 10:32 a.m., the same time that Lola’s neighbor reached his bus stop.

• Lola’s neighbor said that he waited about 10 minutes for his bus. This indicated that the bus arrived at 10:42 a.m. at Glenn Avenue & West First Avenue stop.

• The neighbor got on the bus, looked for Lola, but Lola wasn’t on the bus.

• If Lola arrived at the Cambridge Blvd. & West Third Avenue bus stop at 10:32 a.m., she would have waited for the same bus about 5 minutes.

• The neighbor estimated it would take the bus 3 minutes to travel from Cambridge Blvd. & West Third Avenue to Glenn Avenue & West First Avenue.

• It seemed inconceivable that Lola would have waited 5 minutes at her bus stop without being seen. There are several houses near the bus stop and traffic is fairly heavy on Cambridge Blvd.

• Lola’s neighbor said that he looked at passing cars while waiting for a bus as a matter of habit. Lola did not ride past the neighbor in an automobile. The neighbor claimed he would have seen Lola if she did. If Lola had accepted a ride, she must have gone the other direction.

• When asked by reporters why he didn’t call to Lola when he had seen after he left his home, the neighbor explained to reporters that he didn’t know for certain that Lola was going to Cambridge Blvd. to catch a bus. Still he looked for Lola when he got on the bus Lola should have caught.

• Lola’s brother believed if only someone waited for the same bus at Cambridge Blvd. & West Third Avenue, it would have helped in the search for Lola.

• If Lola had walked north to West Fifth Avenue, she could have taken the Fifth Avenue bus but it would have been out of her way as she would have to transfer at North High Street to go downtown.

• Police checked with the drivers on those bus routes and the bus drivers didn’t recall seeing Lola on their buses on that day.

• If it hadn’t been for Lola’s neighbor, no one would have known which bus stop Lola started toward.

• The neighbor saw Lola on account of Lola being easily recognized by the Bombay lamb fur coat and felt hat Lola was wearing.

• The neighbor’s sighting of Lola was the last anyone saw of Lola Celli as far as police know.

• The Celli Family became worried about Lola around 2:00 p.m., but thought there was a long line at the store where Lola was trying to buy nylons. By 6:00 p.m., the family thought that Lola had met a girl friend downtown.

• At 7:00 p.m., Lola’s brother Felice Celli went to the bus stop to meet all the buses coming from downtown.

Note: It was already dark at 7:00 p.m. when Lola's brother went to the bus stop. Sunset was at 6:17 p.m. on that day.

• Lola’s family started calling her friends and neighbors. Lola’s brother met all the buses until the last bus from downtown Columbus. After the last bus had passed, Lola’s family contacted police.

• After police was contacted, Grandview Heights Police combed the neighborhood in their cruisers.


Sunday February 24, 1946


• Early Sunday morning, Grandview Heights Police began searching the may ravines which dot the Grandview area.

• It was Sunday night when Lola’s neighbor and childhood friend learned that Lola was missing. Lola’s neighbor contacted police and told his story.

• Grandview Heights Police Chief Robert Livingston ordered a check of all homes on both sides of the streets. Apparently no other persons had seen Lola walk toward the bus.


Monday February 25, 1946

• Grandview Heights Police made another search on Monday morning. Grandview Heights Police Chief Robert Livingston had the theory that Lola had been a victim of amnesia, but that theory was later discarded after talking with several physicians.

• Later that day, Grandview Heights Police released information that Lola Celli was missing to Columbus newspapers.

• After the story of Lola’s disappearance made headlines in the Columbus newspapers, a flood of tips and calls concerning Lola’s welfare began pouring in to police.


Wednesday February 27, 1946

• Grandview Heights Police received their first important lead in the case when the motorist contact police about the red shoe and the couple had had an argument in a coupe on Olentangy River Road.

• After the motorist’s story was released to the press, many folks began seeing red coupes pass by. Many tips were checked and all proved fruitless.

• The State Highway Patrol conducted a statewide search for the red coupe with the broken window. Police in seven other states were notified.



Thursday February 28, 1946

• Lola’s brother Felice Celli made an appeal to his sister at an 11:00 p.m. radio broadcast. He told Lola that “if she was listening, to keep her chin up, obey to the best of your ability the persons who abducted her. The whole world minus these few are praying for you. Hold on Lola, we are coming to your rescue. Keep your chin up. Mom and Pop and Elda are keeping theirs up.”



Friday March 1, 1946

• A rumor started and swept through the city that a body had been found in the river or quarry.

• Grandview Heights Police said that calls concerning Lola’s welfare were hindering their investigation and asked people to contact police only if they have information.

• Police conducted a search of vacant buildings in the area.

• Police also had two promising leads to date but couldn’t reveal the information to the public.

• Grandview Heights Police will continue to be in charge of the investigation with the cooperation of state, county, and local police.


After the timeline in the Lola Celli case, the article stated facts concerning Lola.

• Lola was a meticulous dresser and made many of her own clothes.

• At Ohio State University, Lola was a member of Pi Lambda Theta. Lola also was a member of the Spanish, French, and Cosmopolitan clubs and also was a member of the College Education Council.

• Lola had been planning to resume her studies at Ohio State University during summer vacation. Lola told friends she wanted to obtain her Master’s Degree.

• The West Mansfield school superintendent, Lola’s friend and her mother have visited the Celli Family twice since Lola disappeared.

• Lola’s description: wore grey felt had with three birds cut from same material of hat, gray fur coat, aqua dress with thin red stripes and red shoes, 5’4 ½ “ tall, 115 pounds.



Columbus Sunday Dispatch Sunday March 3, 1946

What Happened To Lola Celli -
Chief Thinks She Is Alive But Other Investigators Aren’t So Sure;
Baumgardner Case At Delaware Recalled
Case Of Missing Lola Celli Recalls Baumgardner Mystery


• News article asking what happened to Lola Celli- Is Lola Alive? Will her case be solved?

• Recap of the Lola Celli Case: left her parents home at 10:30 am to go shopping Downtown Columbus to hunt for nylons and open a charge account at a store.

• Lola did not visit the store nor did she board the bus.

• Lola has been unheard since she left her parents home.

• Grandview Heights Police Chief Robert Livingston opinion was that he had a hunch that Lola is still alive. But other investigators believe Lola Celli is dead.

• Lola Celli started her teaching career at West Mansfield in September 1945.

• Lola was honor student at Grandview Heights High School and Ohio State University.

• Lola never dated men, never smoked, never visited beer parlors. She spent her time studying, attending school activities, sewing, and visiting home on the weekends.

• Lola was extremely considerate of her family and friends.

• Lola was neat about her appearance.

Police Detectives believed that:

• Lola didn’t left Columbus voluntarily.

• Lola would not leave without informing her family.

• Had Lola left voluntarily, she would have taken extra clothing and extra money.

• Lola only had sixty dollars with her when she disappeared.

• Lola had no male friends, no heart interest.

• Detectives say that the theory that Lola had a temporary mental breakdown or suffering from amnesia must be ruled out.

• Detectives believed that Lola met violence at the hand of others. They did not believe that Lola was suicidal.

• Detectives believe the possibility that Lola was abducted.

• Detectives believe that the red shoe incident with the red Dodge coupe is a major lead unless someone came forward to explain the incident that happened on Olentangy River Road north of West North Broadway.

• A former ace investigator with Columbus Police compared Lola Celli’s disappearance with the May 4, 1937 disappearance of Ruth Baumgardner, an Ohio Wesleyan coed from Delaware, Ohio.

• The former ace investigator explained that Ruth Baumgardner and Lola Celli both had a background involving educational institutions and both involve sudden and unexplained disappearances.

 

[Robin Hood]

''• A former ace investigator with Columbus Police compared Lola Celli’s disappearance with the May 4, 1937 disappearance of Ruth Baumgardner, an Ohio Wesleyan coed from Delaware, Ohio.

• The former ace investigator explained that Ruth Baumgardner and Lola Celli both had a background involving educational institutions and both involve sudden and unexplained disappearances''

Ruths thread

OH OH - Ruth Baumgardner, 21, Delaware, 1937 - Page 15 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[nerosleuth]

I found a brochure from 1939 of the public transportation network that existed on the Columbus area back then. The route maps in the 1939 brochure were the same public transportation routes that existed in 1946.


http://www.columbusrailroads.com/new/pdf/1939 brochure.pdf


Depending upon which public transportation route a passenger took, that line was either served by a street car, trolley coach, or motor bus.

According to the 1939 brochure, West Third Avenue was served by a motor bus on the Arlington route that went from Downtown Columbus to Grandview Heights and Upper Arlington.

We know that Lola was going to take the Arlington bus route on the day of her disappearance as it was the quickest and direct route from her parent’s home to Downtown Columbus.

We also know from the newspaper article that Lola disliked taking the Fifth Avenue bus route to reach Downtown Columbus on account that it would have been a longer trip which took her out of her way. Lola would have to get off the bus at Fifth Avenue & North High Street and then transfer on to a street car on the North High Street route to reach downtown.

On North High Street, the street car line ended at Blenheim Road and North High Street. If you wanted to go farther North, you had to take a motor bus which went to Stop 18 at Charleston Avenue & North High Street before the bus line ended at Worthington.

The owl cars were a special street car service that operated during the overnight hours on selected street car routes in the Columbus area. The overnight owl cars had hourly arrivals at their stops.

Each weekend, Lola traveled by train on the New York Central Railroad from Columbus to West Mansfield on a train line that went from Columbus to Toledo.

I also found a picture from around 1945 of the West Mansfield train depot that was operated by New York Central Railroad.

 

[Veidt]

nerosleuth, thank you so much for all this information! It is great and it's awesome of you to share it with us.

Here are some things that came to mind while I was reading. I'm sorry if I'm missing something, I've been feeling unwell so it's not easy to focus.

1. One of the articles say that her family stated she would not have accepted a ride as she thought it wasn't proper for a young lady. I wonder if this would have meant that she wouldn't accept a ride even from someone she knew. Her friends, according to another article, seem to believe she would have if it was a friend or acquaintance she was on friendly terms with. Hm.

2. Regarding what her childhood friend said, I'm curious about the following things:
a) One of the article says that he thought he was surprised to see that Lola was not on the bus. This is strange, because why would he be surprised (I understand looking around out of curiosity) or even maybe think it was weird she was headed the other way, when he also says he wasn't sure she was going to take the bus? Maybe I'm reading too much into this.
b) I wonder if it was ever verified that he boarded the bus as he said he did. I don't want to be suspicious of probably entirely innocent people, but it is odd to me that he says it was unusual and then he says he didn't think much of it.

3. I wonder why Lola would have said she was busy that weekend (she told her friend at West Mansfield that she had a lot to do at home and also that her parents would worry; she also told her best friend that she couldn't visit Dr. Melfi because she would be busy). By all accounts of her activities, she was being rather leisurly - sewing, playing piano, reading, etc. I can understand the first part about her wanting to go home and spend as much time as possible with her family. However, if Lola and Dr. Melfi were very good friends as I think I saw stated somewhere, wouldn't she have visited him? At some point her best friend says she only saw him at parties and didn't know him that well so maybe it's not that weird, but at the same time, she strikes me as the type of person who would go visit even a friendly acquaintance. It sounds like his disease was serious, too.
a) Maybe she/other people thought he would still have several weeks left;
b) Maybe something happened and she didn't want to see him for some reason. A fight, perhaps? This may not be related to the case but I think it's odd and something does not match up.

4. In one of the old posts, the fact that there was a church near her bus stop (just in the other direction when on that street) was brought up and I suggested she had gone there before taking the bus. This could explain why she would have taken that route. If her friend was ill, she could have been there to light a candle and pray for him, maybe?

In any case, it seems now that the red car was probably related to the case. Some people (myself included) wondered if that could be a coincidence or a false lead, but if three different people saw the fallen shoe, maybe it's more than that.

I wonder why she had $60.00 on her, and how her family knew. According to this site, $60.00 in those days were worth roughly $756.93 today. Why would someone carry around that much money just to order nylon stockings? Some other article in this thread she was going to buy fabrics, IIRC, and people even commented on the difference in reporting that fact - maybe that would have made it more understandable, but I still don't get it. It says that her best friend didn't think it was weird that she had that much money with her. Is that related to the account she wanted to open? I wonder what bank she would have chosen and where that bank operated - that could maybe point to possible places she would have gone to in addition to the stockings shop. If there was a bank in a nearby block she could have taken a detour and then we would have a scenario like the church scenario I have suggested before (she takes a later bus, meets with foul play/is abducted down town later; she is in that area, but later, when she is abducted).

I wonder if she had plans to meet up with a (girl) friend who was implicated so she never came forward to talk about her plans with Lola, but then again, I think that unless her friend was in some kind of trouble she would have mentioned in passing to her family. Maybe she went to apply for a job/graduate school but kept it a secret to avoid jinxing it?

I definitely don't think she would have run away. It sounds like she really loved her family and even had plans - starting a Master's degree, teaching, maybe even getting married in the future. It sounds like there were some contradictory things about her plans - becoming an interpreter vs. graduate school - but hey, who doesn't have that kind of thought once in a while? Many of my close friends are in the academia track and I hear them contemplate teaching abroad and such very often, but even when they mean it, it's not because they're having a break down. Maybe it was even an alternate plan, etc.

I'll check out the other case that has common elements with her. I wonder if there could be someone related to both higher learning institutions that was a common thread, maybe not someone in a top position but in a desk job.

That's it for now. This is all JMO, but if anyone wants to know the sources of what I'm mentioning as facts (e.g. "her friends said this...") I'm referring to previous posts in this thread.

 

[carbuff]

In the days before credit cards were commonly available, it was much more common for people to carry that much cash.

Common practice would be to cash your paycheck and get it all in cash, or deposit it and get your week's spending money in cash.

 

[nerosleuth]

Columbus Citizen Monday March 4, 1946

Busmen Questioned In Celli Probe

• Police were questioning bus drivers on Fifth Avenue.

• Grandview Heights Police Chief Robert Livingston went to West Mansfield on Sunday March 3 to investigate the activities of Lola Celli the day before she left for Columbus to visit her parents.

• Police had little to report, was sifting minor clues and tips.

• Police had little hope that the minor tips would lead to any important development in the case.

• The Celli name is pronounced as though it is spelled with a S. The family pronounces it SELLY, as in “Sell-e”.

• Chief Livingston held to the opinion that Miss Celli is still alive but the Celli Family still held the opinion that Lola was abducted.

• The Grandview Heights City Council planned to discuss the Lola Celli case at its city council meeting on the evening of Monday March 4. It was believed that the city council discussion would be a vote of confidence in Chief Livingston’s handling of the Lola Celli case.


Columbus Dispatch Monday March 4, 1946

Celli Investigation Strikes Blank Wall

• Now in its second week, the investigation into the disappearance of Lola Celli is still a mystery as police are no nearer a solution of the case than the day she disappeared.

• Police say there are no new clues, no breaks in the case.

 

[nerosleuth]

Columbus Citizen Tuesday March 5, 1946

Mysterious Call Says “Lola Safe’

• Grandview Heights Police received a mysterious telephone call when a man told them “Don’t worry about Lola. She is in Columbus and is all right.”, then the connection was broken.

• The phone call was traced to a phone booth at a corner drug store on the west side of Columbus.

• A Columbus Police cruiser was sent to the drug store to investigate.

• Police learned that the store was crowded at the time as clerks were busy serving customers. Store clerks were unable to describe who may have used the phone at that time.

• Chief Livingston said the call was possibly the work of a crank.

• Two Columbus Police detectives were assigned to the case.

• The Columbus Police Chief pointed out that it was logical to place a homicide detective on the investigation since the homicide squad handles missing person cases in the city of Columbus.

• Chief Livingston talked with Catholic Church leaders on the theory that Miss Celli may have entered a religious institution. That theory was discounted by clergymen who the police chief talked to.


Ohio State Journal Tuesday March 5, 1946

Columbus Detectives Are Put On Celli Case
Curtis And Mathis Are Assigned After Grandview Chief Confers With Merica

• Two Columbus Police Detectives were assigned by the Columbus Police Chief Lester Merica to work on the Celli case not full time but to cooperate and coordinate efforts with Grandview Police.

• Grandview Heights City Council questioned and considered hiring a private investigator and posting additional reward in the Lola Celli case.

• A Grandview Heights city solicitor didn’t recommend employment of private detectives, telling city council members that Grandview Heights Police have done everything possible to solve the mystery and that no department could have done more.

• The city solicitor said that the Celli Family expressed their appreciation on numerous occasions of the police efforts to find Lola Celli.

• Felice Celli, Lola’s brother, said no further information had been received at the parent’s home about Lola.

• Chief Livingston questioned all bus drivers of the bus route Lola normally would have took. He also questioned bus drivers on the Fifth Avenue route to find out if she boarded a bus on that line.



Columbus Dispatch Tuesday March 5, 1946

Police Blame Celli Phone Call On Crank

• Grandview Police dismissed a telephone call they got on Saturday March 2 as the work of a crank or drunk.

• A man called Grandview Police on Saturday afternoon and said “Don’t worry about Lola, she is alive and well and in Columbus”, then the connection was broken.

• Police traced the call to a west side drug store but investigation revealed the store was crowded and clerks couldn’t identify the person who made the call.

• Two Columbus Police detectives were assigned by the Columbus Police Chief to work on the Lola Celli case.

• Bus drivers on two routes Miss Celli could have used to travel downtown the day she disappeared were questioned but none interviewed have been able to give any information of value.

• Grandview Heights City Council discussed hiring a private investigator and posting an additional reward during the city council meeting on Monday evening (Monday March 4, 1946) but the Grandview Heights City Solicitor did not recommend employment of private detective at this time.

 

[Veidt]

In the days before credit cards were commonly available, it was much more common for people to carry that much cash.

Common practice would be to cash your paycheck and get it all in cash, or deposit it and get your week's spending money in cash.

Hence why I brought up the bank scenario. I'm pretty sure that she would not need that much money just to order nylon stockings, unless nylon stockings were that much more expensive and she was in fact a millionaire :winko:. She could easily have left it at home and just taken what she needed. IMO she may have planned to take a detour to the bank to deposit it or to open the new account that was mentioned in one of the newspaper articles nerosleuth posted about. If that was the case I wonder why only the nylon stockings are mentioned - maybe a small, secondary detour wasn't significant enough, people would implicity figure out why she had that much money on her (especially since her friend didn't think it was weird), etc.

So basically, I agree with you, it's not specifically weird that she had $60. But IMO it's weird that she had them if she wasn't planning on going to the bank, so she probably was. (She could have used it to run away but I doubt that, or her family and friends would have found it more significant. IMO, of course.)

 

[carbuff]

Hence why I brought up the bank scenario. I'm pretty sure that she would not need that much money just to order nylon stockings, unless nylon stockings were that much more expensive and she was in fact a millionaire :winko:. She could easily have left it at home and just taken what she needed. IMO she may have planned to take a detour to the bank to deposit it or to open the new account that was mentioned in one of the newspaper articles nerosleuth posted about. If that was the case I wonder why only the nylon stockings are mentioned - maybe a small, secondary detour wasn't significant enough, people would implicity figure out why she had that much money on her (especially since her friend didn't think it was weird), etc.

So basically, I agree with you, it's not specifically weird that she had $60. But IMO it's weird that she had them if she wasn't planning on going to the bank, so she probably was. (She could have used it to run away but I doubt that, or her family and friends would have found it more significant. IMO, of course.)

Well, yeah, but my point is that there's nothing weird at all about it and it does not imply that she was planning to go to the bank or anything. It was probably the amount of money she would need for the nylons, the week's or month's lunches, and whatever other expenses she had until her next paycheck. I don't date back quite to 1946, but even when I was a kid in the 60's that would have been a perfectly reasonable amount for an average middle-class person to be carrying day to day.

 

[nerosleuth]

On this day, the Lola Celli case was carried in just one of the Columbus daily newspapers as a bigger news story in Columbus took over the headlines.

President Harry S. Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were in Columbus for a brief visit on that day.

The Celli case only had brief articles in one Columbus daily newspaper during the rest of the week. It wasn't until the coming weekend that the Lola Celli case took over the newspaper headlines again.

As we see that even though there weren’t any new developments in the Lola Celli case, one Columbus daily newspaper did report the nature of phone calls that police had received from the public during the Lola Celli case.

Columbus Citizen Wednesday March 6, 1946

New Leads Sought In Celli Mystery

• Police were still without promising leads in the disappearance of Lola Celli.

• Many minor tips were being followed.

• The mysterious phone call from a corner drug store was the work of a crank.

• As far a police have been able to learn, Lola did not board a bus on the morning she disappeared.


Columbus Citizen Wednesday March 6, 1946

Offers To Assist Keep Police Busy In Celli Probe
Magicians, Detective Story Enthusiasts Among Eager Aides

• Numerologists, amateur detectives, magicians, and men with vision want to help police find a solution to the disappearance of Lola Celli.

• Police had a record 100 telephone calls on Sunday March 3.

• Grandview Heights Police Chief Robert Livingston said you can’t refuse to listen each time the phone rings as it might be a call giving important tip on the case.

• One woman called about her husband’s dream of a woman’s body lying in an abandoned shanty up the river, not the first shanty but the second shanty.

• Several magicians have called to offer their services.

• Chief Livingston said that the worst calls were from amateur detectives who read detective story magazines and hang onto their radio horror stories.

• When it was announced that high school seniors would scour the area in the search for Lola Celli, a pilot called to offer his services to fly over the area and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

• One man called to offer the service of his German Shepherd dog to follow the scent and find Miss Celli.

• Chief Livingston commented that when police announced they were looking for a red coupe, it was surprising how many people had seen red coupes pass by and also surprising how many people had seen girls with Lola’s description in various places in town, some were seen in different sections of the city at the same time.

• The Celli Family had been kept busy answering phone calls at their home. Some of the calls were vicious. One person called and when the phone was answered, the caller laughed and then hung up.

• Police have received several anonymous letters but couldn’t pay attention to people who didn’t sign their name on letters as unsigned letters are unreliable tipsters.

 

[Veidt]

Well, yeah, but my point is that there's nothing weird at all about it and it does not imply that she was planning to go to the bank or anything. It was probably the amount of money she would need for the nylons, the week's or month's lunches, and whatever other expenses she had until her next paycheck. I don't date back quite to 1946, but even when I was a kid in the 60's that would have been a perfectly reasonable amount for an average middle-class person to be carrying day to day.

Except, why would she be carrying all of the week's/month's money on her? Maybe this is my age speaking, but if I were to go out and there were no ATMs, I would take enough money for the stockings and maybe some for a meal if I felt hungry or for an unplanned emergency but not the equivalent to $700. Maybe closer to the price of the stockings + $10 or $20 in today's money.

ETA: I was reading the post above my own, and I can't help but wonder what is the logic of ignoring unsigned tips. Sure, anyone pulling a tasteless prank could send in one, but I'm guessing that someone with first hand information about a missing person case wouldn't want to sign their real name.

 

[AnaTeresa]

Except, why would she be carrying all of the week's/month's money on her? Maybe this is my age speaking, but if I were to go out and there were no ATMs, I would take enough money for the stockings and maybe some for a meal if I felt hungry or for an unplanned emergency but not the equivalent to $700. Maybe closer to the price of the stockings + $10 or $20 in today's money.

ETA: I was reading the post above my own, and I can't help but wonder what is the logic of ignoring unsigned tips. Sure, anyone pulling a tasteless prank could send in one, but I'm guessing that someone with first hand information about a missing person case wouldn't want to sign their real name.

I think this is just personal preference. Some people would prefer only take what they needed for a day, others would keep in their wallet their money for the week, not wanting to leave it unattended at home.

 

[Veidt]

Oh, ok, thanks. I stand corrected, then! I think it might be a regional difference as well, in my country, I don't think most people would ever do that! But I can see the point the two of you are trying to make.

 

[carbuff]

Except, why would she be carrying all of the week's/month's money on her? Maybe this is my age speaking, but if I were to go out and there were no ATMs, I would take enough money for the stockings and maybe some for a meal if I felt hungry or for an unplanned emergency but not the equivalent to $700. Maybe closer to the price of the stockings + $10 or $20 in today's money.

ETA: I was reading the post above my own, and I can't help but wonder what is the logic of ignoring unsigned tips. Sure, anyone pulling a tasteless prank could send in one, but I'm guessing that someone with first hand information about a missing person case wouldn't want to sign their real name.

You'd carry that much because there wasn't a bank or an ATM on every corner, and you didn't have a convenient card to just get cash when you needed it. Getting to the bank was a major excursion -- they didn't have branches on every corner, and they were only open limited hours.

Most likely, some of that cash was to pay for her apartment (was it room and board? I forget.) Maybe a utility bill, a phone bill -- all those things were routinely paid in cash by going to the company's office. (OT: I remember going in to town with my mother the day after Dad got paid, and cashing his check (always depositing at least a little no matter how high the bills were), then going around to the power company, the phone company, the auto parts store (Dad was a mechanic), and finally the grocery store, where if I had been good and she had a few cents left over, I'd get a Hershey bar. This would have been in the late 50's. By the time I hit first grade, checks had become common enough that she would mail in the payments. It was much easier but not as much fun for me. I'm sure it was never fun for her...)

I am guessing -- just guessing -- that when she talked about opening a new account, she meant opening an account at a bank that was in the town where she worked, so she didn't have to wait for the weekend to do her banking.

 

[Veidt]

You'd carry that much because there wasn't a bank or an ATM on every corner, and you didn't have a convenient card to just get cash when you needed it. Getting to the bank was a major excursion -- they didn't have branches on every corner, and they were only open limited hours.

Most likely, some of that cash was to pay for her apartment (was it room and board? I forget.) Maybe a utility bill, a phone bill -- all those things were routinely paid in cash by going to the company's office. (OT: I remember going in to town with my mother the day after Dad got paid, and cashing his check (always depositing at least a little no matter how high the bills were), then going around to the power company, the phone company, the auto parts store (Dad was a mechanic), and finally the grocery store, where if I had been good and she had a few cents left over, I'd get a Hershey bar. This would have been in the late 50's. By the time I hit first grade, checks had become common enough that she would mail in the payments. It was much easier but not as much fun for me. I'm sure it was never fun for her...)

I am guessing -- just guessing -- that when she talked about opening a new account, she meant opening an account at a bank that was in the town where she worked, so she didn't have to wait for the weekend to do her banking.

Thanks. I knew that people would have carried more money because of the lack of cards, but I didn't know they're carry around their week/month money on them all the time, just maybe however much they needed plus a bit extra. But I'll take your word for it! As I said, it's not really common where I live, even before bank cards were a thing, hence my confusion.

Regarding your second paragraph, so do you think it's possible that she went to run more errands than just the stockings, then? That's what I was mostly wondering, if she was planning on doing more things than just getting some stockings and coming back straight away. I think that could also explain why she said she couldn't visit her friend because she was busy.

As to the bank thing, I thought that it didn't matter if the bank you were using existed in different places, so you could just any as long as they belonged to the same company. But I guess it makes sense if her bank didn't exist in the town where she worked or if US banks operate(d) differently in that regard.

 

[carbuff]

Thanks. I knew that people would have carried more money because of the lack of cards, but I didn't know they're carry around their week/month money on them all the time, just maybe however much they needed plus a bit extra. But I'll take your word for it! As I said, it's not really common where I live, even before bank cards were a thing, hence my confusion.

Regarding your second paragraph, so do you think it's possible that she went to run more errands than just the stockings, then? That's what I was mostly wondering, if she was planning on doing more things than just getting some stockings and coming back straight away. I think that could also explain why she said she couldn't visit her friend because she was busy.

As to the bank thing, I thought that it didn't matter if the bank you were using existed in different places, so you could just any as long as they belonged to the same company. But I guess it makes sense if her bank didn't exist in the town where she worked or if US banks operate(d) differently in that regard.

You're right about the banks, but in the 40's and 50's in the central US, most banks were small and local. Some of them would have branches around the area, but many had only one location.

Also, people didn't mind carrying cash around because there wasn't much danger to it. Getting robbed was a city thing. It did happen, and probably more often than people wanted to admit, but mostly it wasn't something people worried about.

Yes, I would assume she had more in mind than just stockings, though perhaps not on the same day. But my only reason for assuming that is because it was a normal thing to do, and nobody comments on anything unusual about her having that much money.

 

[GuyO]

I grew up around the corner from the Celli's and didn't learn about the disappearance until I stumble across a stack of clippings from the Columbus Dispatch when I was working on the Grandview Bobcat, the high school paper, in 1976 looking for some historical background on a teachers retirement I was supposed to write about.
She was last seen 1 1/2 blocks from home by a former classmate of hers while she was on the way to catch the bus at Cambridge and 3rd. He saw her and gave her a shout asking what her plans were. She told him where she was going and he asked if she wanted some company. She told him he had better hurry if he wanted to catch the bus. Being as he only had on pants, a t-shirt and no shoes he went back in the house hurriedly got dressed and jogged the long block from Wyandotte and 3rd to Wyandotte and first to catch the bus. He made it with only moments to spare but did not see her on the bus. Figuring that she had caught an earlier bus, several lines used that same stop on Cambridge, he proceeded to take the bus on into downtown Columbus and walked through the F & R Lazarus Department store, hoping to find her. Lazarus was quite a large store with many tens of thousands of square feet on 6 floors and four connected buildings. When he didn't find her after a 2-3 hours he gave up and took the bus back home. He was cleared by police due to timing, the bus driver remembered him because he was a bit winded when he got on, that coupled with his parents remembering having asked him why he was outside with no shirt and shoes and the time he left his house vs the time she had left hers there was no way for him to have abducted her.

When I mentioned this to a friend of mine who spent sometime working in the Intelligence community he posited that her language abilities, she spoke 5 languages, and her immigration in 1930 and naturalization may have made her a very desirable candidate for the Central Intelligence Group, the forerunner of todays Central Intelligence Agency.

 

[nerosleuth]

Columbus Citizen Thursday March 7, 1946

Police Near Impasse In Celli Search

• Grandview Heights Police were facing a stonewall in their efforts to find Lola Celli who have been missing for 12 days.

• Police have no major leads, only minor tips.

• Lola’s brother Felice Celli said they have received no word at their parent’s home.


Columbus Citizen Friday March 8, 1946

Deputy Sheriff Placed On Lola Celli Case

• A Franklin County Deputy Sheriff was officially assigned to the Lola Celli case at the request of Grandview Heights Police.

• The FBI had refused to enter the investigation until a violation of federal law was proved.

 

[nerosleuth]

2. Regarding what her childhood friend said, I'm curious about the following things:

a) One of the articles says that he thought he was surprised to see that Lola was not on the bus. This is strange, because why would he be surprised (I understand looking around out of curiosity) or even maybe think it was weird she was headed the other way, when he also says he wasn't sure she was going to take the bus? Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

b) I wonder if it was ever verified that he boarded the bus as he said he did. I don't want to be suspicious of probably entirely innocent people, but it is odd to me that he says it was unusual and then he says he didn't think much of it.

Being as he only had on pants, a t-shirt and no shoes he went back in the house hurriedly got dressed and jogged the long block from Wyandotte and 3rd to Wyandotte and first to catch the bus. He made it with only moments to spare but did not see her on the bus.

He was cleared by police due to timing, the bus driver remembered him because he was a bit winded when he got on, that coupled with his parents remembering having asked him why he was outside with no shirt and shoes and the time he left his house vs the time she had left hers there was no way for him to have abducted her.

Veidt, I don't think you're reading too much into this.

GuyO, thank you for the information about Lola's neighbor and childhood friend on the day she disappeared.


The bus stop at Cambridge Blvd. & West Third Avenue is a lot closer to Lola's home than if she went to West First Avenue to catch the same Arlington bus going to Downtown Columbus. If Lola took one of the residential streets to catch the bus on West First Avenue, it would have been a long block for her to walk.

Here's what the Columbus newspaper articles reported about the neighbor who was the last person to see Lola.

In the Columbus Dispatch on February 26, 1946, the article stated that not only was Lola going to open a charge account at the Roberts Store, she also was going to a jewelry store in Downtown Columbus on Saturday February 23.

In the Columbus Citizen on March 2, 1946, the article stated that Lola’s neighbor and childhood friend said saw Lola walk by his house. He told reporters that he was also was going to a jewelry store in Downtown Columbus on Saturday February 23.

In the Columbus Dispatch newspaper article on March 2, 1946, Lola's neighbor told reporters that he boarded the bus at Westwood Avenue & West First Avenue.

In the Columbus Citizen newspaper article on March 3, 1946, Lola's neighbor told reporters he boarded the bus at Glenn Avenue & West First Avenue.

Some thoughts here about this. We know that Lola lived on West Third Avenue between Glenn Avenue & Westwood Avenue.

Glenn Avenue & Westwood Avenue are residential streets that are one block apart from each other on West First Avenue.

While those two residential streets may not be much of a difference where the neighbor boarded the bus at on West First Avenue, those two residential streets are a big difference on West Third Avenue.

Now if the neighbor took Westwood Avenue to catch the bus on West First Avenue, he would have walked by Lola’s house. He would have walked by a neighborhood market and also a tavern called Knotty Pine Grill at the corner of Westwood Avenue & West Third Avenue.

That tavern is still there today and is now the Knotty Pine Bar & Grill.

Now if the neighbor took Glenn Avenue or Wyandotte Road to catch the bus on West First Avenue, he would not have walked by Lola’s house at all.

After looking at the newspaper articles about Lola’s neighbor, I don’t think the neighbor would have been confused as to where he boarded the bus at on that day as he would know the streets in his neighborhood.

I have to wonder if the neighbor told different stories to the police and newspaper reporters about being the last person to see Lola before she disappeared.

It is possible that the neighbor could have been a victim of sensational journalism where what he told reporters was misstated in the newspapers.

 

[Marilynilpa]

I'm so happy to see how much information is being uncovered. Nerosleuth is uncovering info I have never seen before!