The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-10-04
KAUFMAN KIDNAPPED.
If Not, His Imagination Ought
to Insure the People of
Medora a Lively
Paper.
The Story Which Puzzled the Mo-.
berly Policemen-A Brother
Telegraphed for in Haste.
It. Loui, Glohc-Denioc:at.

/ received bv the Globe-DemOcrat from Me
dora, H.. stating that W. y. Kaufman.
! Young man from -. Louis, had recently
/ appeared In Medora and purchased the
/ independent OF W. L. Dakin, paving part
! oi the purchase money down. giving his
! note, i've DAYS from date. FOR the remainder.
and taking the evening train for this CITY,
/ telling the Young man In the office that lie
| would return Tuesday noon; that no word
was received from him until FRIDAY eve
/ ming Oi last week. when message was re-
ccived by his brother at Nedora, dated at
I Noberly. No, stating that W. y. Kat
| man had been taken from the city bv force
AMI robbed. The statements appeared To
5e 80 singular and inexplicable that re-
| porter OF the Globe Democrat, while IN
Moberiv on Wednesday, undertook to OBJ
tain a more comprehensive explanation.
By few inquire, it was soon discovered
| that the city officials 81 that busy town
had already investigated the case, ard
| were informed upon most Of the material
! facts. MIR. j. W. Dorser. the city attorney,
AMI Chief of Police Lynch had been siit-
| ing the rumors in connection with the
matter, but permitted Mr.. e.. Il. Kelly,
editor oi the Noberlv Monitor. to detail
| the facts 10 the reporter. Mr. Kelly said
| that one day las; week a nicely dressed,
plta-ant-appearing Young man entered his
office AMI asked Tor j lew day, employ
ment n, type-setter In order to obtain
sufficient money to return 10 -. Louis.
a STRANGE story.
! The Young man said his name was w.
1 " ka;tman and that he hast been kid
mapped from the city OF 81. Louis, drug
/ gtd aud robbed, and was then III strange
country without money or friends. Nr.
! Kelly thought Il was the usual tvposraph-
zeal 'biind" bat he interested himself sui
/ h,'i-ntlv L. promise immediate assistance
ii the story could he proven true Then
kaufman asked NJ. Kelly To send Il tele-
gram 10 G. III. Kaufman. brother coz
nected with the wholesale drug house of
tieo. L. Hopkin, II Go. 2y' North Sec
oni street, -. Louis. informing his brother
that ne ha,i been kidnapped and robbed,
and requesting enough money u return
nome. Mr.. Kelly sent the telegram in
question. directing that the answer be sent
70 the Monitor office. Then Kaufman
went To WORK. At noon he asked il re-
piv I" the telegram had been received, AMI
At . O'Clock repeated the interrogatory. but
no answer aad arrived UP 10 that hour
Mailman was then directed u a hotel in
Noberiv, and az ali early hour in the
evening. retired. 1t about 9 o'clock Mr..
Kelly received telegram from kafnan's
brother. a. Ne,ipra, H., whittier the first
! telegram had been forwarded from ~.
LoJ;;>. stating that he would arrive in
Noberiv the next morning. The telegram
was carried By Mr.. Kelly 10 the hotel
where Kaufman was stopping, AMI he went
directly 70 the Young mans room. Ar
| irwin. there, Nr. Kelly entered uncera-
ANONYMOUSLY, and Mailman >prang I'D III
q hai:-deiirioU> ami frightened manner
After a few minutes OF soothing converse
/ ton. kaufman realized the purpose OF the
visit AMI expressed himself delighted that
! nj brother was coming. The next dav the
second Kaufman appeared in Noberly, AMI
went AZ once 10 large drug store, To
which he had been recommended by Hop
kin, s Co.
/ AFRAID OF KIDNAPPERS
! To the druggist he presented the telegram
! from Mr.. Kelly and desired information a,
I 10 who Mr Kelly was, stating he feared
/ that il was jccoy from the kidnappers to
obtain more money. The druggist satisfied
! ka.,mau'> mind concerning the telegram.
and they both proceeded to the Monitor
| rttice There the brothers immediately
recognized each other aud made the most
| extravagant demonstrations OF affection.
! The winderer was then appealed to by all
he held sacred To tell the whole truth CON
corning his sudden departure from ~.
Louis. and thereupon he related that On
returning from Medora he started toward
the drug mouse III Geo. K. Hopkins & Co.
.As ne walked lei>urely along Second street
an uncOuth stranger accostei him and de-
sired To know the way 70 the Union DEPOT
/, kaiman obl.g!ngiy said ne would conduct
( the stranger IL street cars leading to the
depot, and proceeded To do 80. About this
time il began 10 grow dark, and as Kat
man himself; was not very we'll acquainted
with the city he became confused and
finally confessed that he wa, lost. He
then felt singing blow on the back OF his
head and consciousness ceased When he
did recover from the blow it was To find
himself seated within a railroad train.
bound and shackled as prisoner. and two
men standing guard over him. At Mo-
berlv they di,embarked and carrie. Kaa
man bodily some distance from the depot,
where he was placed in covered wagon
and driven rapidly away.
IN TIE WOODS.
! The kidnappers travelled that NIGHT and
half the next day in a circuitous route.
and at noon they released Kaufman in the,
woods with dire threats and curses. Several
hours a;t,rward Kaufman reached the
house OF Barney Epping, wealthy farmer,
six miles from Noberlr. where he related
the circumstances of his kidnapping and
va, given food and shelter for the night.
An examination by Mr.. Kaufman showed
that ne had been robbed of $50. together
with bundle Of papers ana letters, and
was quite Ill from drugs administered to
him: On the following day Mr.. Epping
conducted Kaufman to Moberlv. and there
the officers were informed of the case and
Kaufman given position in the Monitor
office, As stated. The city officials were
not long it declaring that Kaufman must
be !emented Tor the story was too utterly
romantic, sensational and absurd. Mr..
Ill L. Ii. L Il