The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-27
Narrow Escape Of Three Girls.

a Times reporter on yesterday ran
across the details of o piece of yillaipy,
the author Of which has been shown up
| more than once in these columns, for he
is no other than j. w. Thompson, .ho
proprietor OF D notorious dive in Dallas
Texas. For years pact tho man has paid
periodical visits to Chicago; ho has,
entered the homes OF the poorer classes
and carried off young girls whom ho has,
as i6 credibly reported, doomed to lives of
shame. JIe has generally been aided in
his attempts, it is alleged, by Arthur G.
McCambridgc, an alleged dramatic agent
About the beginning OF December
Thompson came here and got some girls
into his clutches, but at the last mcmcnt
was baked in his designs. A few weeks
later, through his agent, he made another
attempt, aud it was by the merest chance
that three young girls from the North
side escaped from his grasp. Their
names are Annie Strauss, Of No. 81 Rec
street; Freddie BuckmanD, Of No. l4o
East Chicago Avenue, aud Anni,.
Schaeffer, of No. 168 Clybourn Avenue.
One day fellow who wore the assumed
name Of Miller, called ut the homo Of
Annie Strauss and stated that he wished
TO engage her for trip TO Kankakce.
lie said that he was the agent Of Mr..
Emmet, of the Academy of Music,
who was about to put OIL the road con.
Germ to be known AZ the Arlington Troupe.
He wanted girls with finely developed
figurcs, TO pose as statues in certain meta
OF tho play, and would givo to each
SALARY ofSl0 wcck. Annie Strauss at
once asscnted. and went with th man to
the homo of her friend, Annie Schacfer.
The latter, who is poor and ignorant,
but very handsome girl Of II, also agreed
to join tho alleged troupe OH the proposed
terms. Miller next induced Miss Buck.
mann to sign q contract, and also little
Swedish girl, whose name could not be
learned. The girls, who are ell tho
children of respectable hard. working
people, fell easily into the snare which
was prepared for them.
On the day appointed for their do
parture, Annie Schaeffer was not ready
and she WAS left bohind. Miller, accom-.
panied by three other girls, started for
the depot, but on the way the victims
began to suspect that thcro was some
thing wrong about their escort. He lot
drop some hints ofa long journey, Of O
cred that he had told each OF them diff.
S'SHS oFOiiNo' hC tiuld NltS JubL lUUuC
TO start. Miller said: Jump on"
when Annie Strauss asked him to please
show the tickets. Miller wouldn't do
SO, but begged tho girls to get into the
car, and, as they rcsolutely refused, he
was finally forced to tell them that lie
he was about to take them to Texas.
Without listening to his promises and
Gh.cats, the girls got out Of the depot
as fast rs they could aud hastenad back
to their respective homes.
The description that tho girls give of
their woud-be abductor talles with
that of an individual who is often seen
about McCambridge's rooms, on South
Clark street. There can, apparently, bo
no doubt whatever that the notorious j.
w. Thompson, of Texas, was Mt the bot
tom Of the scheme, which 80 nearly sue
ceeded. He annually obtained q largo
number of ignorant and, in many cases
innocent, girls from this city, and the
authorities think ii is about time that the
slave trade in which he is engaged should
be suppressed Chicago Times Jan. 4.