The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-23
gHILD sT'EALERs.
They Break into House al the Dead
Hour Of Night, and Garry Off Two
Little Girls.
The Misery Margaret ana rsesenna saa-
vann were Fsrned to Endure.

cling afloat 10 the effect tfut burglars had
entered the house Of Mrs. Meadss. ht
the corner OF Pacific avenue aud Alex
street, and had stolen her two neoes,
Two little girls, named Margaret and
Hosannh Gav1na. and carried them
away.
Investigation into the matter disclosss
the fact that the rumor was reality.
WHEN THE TRUTH WAS FULLY HHowH
the whole neighborbood WAS aroused
and, assisted by the police, searched
the town OF Algiers from end to end,
but failed to Ind the missing ones. The
searehers were about to give. up all
hopes Of recovering tho children. as
they had been on the 20 all day. and
evening was setting In, when, about
balf.pa5t 4 o'clock, the father OF the
children discovered them In the posses
sion Of negro, about ~ half square
from the. place whence they had been
abducted.
The almost erazed parent rushed to
the scene, and at his approach the ne
gro started TO take ''leg ball." but the
pursuef being better runner than the
pursued, succeeded In capturing the
negro aud locked him up IN the Eighth
Precinct Station, where he gave his
maine as VIM. Thomas.
THE NOW HAPPY CHILDREN
were taken back TO their aunt's by their
father, and after the excitement was
over and they had become reeoneiled,
they told their pitiful story. The old.
est Of the two, Hoasanna, stated that
she was awakened by the cold cir blow
ing on her, as she was In her night slip,
and when she awoke she found herself In
the arms OF q man who WIS handing her
through the window to d negro man,
who was on the outside; that she tried
10 scream, but they had put something
In her mouth that tasted like gum, aud
she found 1t impossible TO make q noise
that ut each end OF this piece OF gum
was fixed piece OF cord, and that the
string was passed around the back OF
her head so that she could not get the
stuff out Of her mouth. my little sister
was also treated the same as myself.
She had something In her mouth
AND COULD roT HALLoo.
The white man handed my sister out OF
the window to the negro man. the same
as he had done with me. After We were
both out on the ground, before we could
gain the street, we had to get over two
fences. and SO the negro man was
always first to get over the fence, and
then the white man handed my sister
and myself over To- him.
AFTER we gained the street, the negro
took both oil us under his arms, md.
followed by the white man, carried lis
on the levee. When We reached the
levee they put o dress on each one OF
us. The clothes were Our own: thy
had stolen them ut the same time they
stole us.
"After dressing us. they carried US Up
one street and down another, and then
u way back into the woods. It was awful
dark, and / was afraid they we're going
TO kill US, but they did not; and after
for long time, we came to q
little shanty; the two men stopped, /!
looked around, and then took US Into |
this little house.
"After we had entered, the white man |
said to me- "You don't belong to your
aunt any more. but to mo-"
From the time we entered the shanty |
until we left with the negro to come |
home, VIC could not say word, for they
would not take the
GUM OUT or Our MOUTHS.
When evening came, the white man
1ren back home !" they then took the |
gum out Of our mouths, and brought us
within half q square OF cur home. The
negro man who was caught by my papa,
d tho man who helped to steal az. The |
white man who was with us was short, |
but stout he had on n3white shirt and |
lark pants: he had no shoes on; his |
hair was light, and he wore q moustache |
md goatee: he also had tooth out OF
The front of his mouth"
The foregoing ID little Rosanna's state.
nent, and her words show the agony |
ghe and her little sister were forced TO
endure while in custody OF the two
Drutes. The gum she speaks ofkwas an
India rubber gag that is frequently
used by noted robbers to prevel their |
victims from hallooing. The pSvscision |
with which this little creature fold her
story would force any one who heard
her to believe she was telling the truth.
The two cowardly robbers who
planned this whole affair were deter
mined to do their hellish work well.
They first poisoned the dog In the yard |
adjoining The yard where they intended
TO coHsunMATE THEIR CRIME.
they then forced open the window and
lid their work, as shown by the state
nent OF the little girl.
There is no cause assigned for this
unless the robbers intend
I'd to steal the children to make beggars
II them, or maybe they were under the
that the children's father,
vho Is reported to be wealthy, would
,ffer large reward for them.
The negro Thomas was arraigned
before Judge Thompson and released on
800 bonds, for his appearance before
he First District Court. This seems a
tery small bond npon which to release
prisoner charged with such o terrible
,ffense. It has the appearance that
Judge Thompson wishes to defeat the
,nds Of justice.
The two little girls who are the hero
mes OF this story are half orphans,
heir mother having died some two
vears ago, and their father put them to
i've with their aunt, as he knew she
would rear them properly. The child
en- have both been well sckooled for
heir age, and after telling their sad
tory Yesterday to the judge, signed