Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-09-16
A KIDNAPPING STORY.

uhPlnk vi III NbO oeAN VI kHAA
or revenge has been pracuced for hun
dreGs of years. There are doubtless
to day in this country score or more
of Charley Ross cases, but as the par.
ents are not rich and prominent, and
the search aided by legislative action
and the united press, they are seldom
heard of by the great public.
The case of Willie Albright, an
English lad, was full of strange ad-
ventures. lie lived at Sheffield with
his parents until FIVE years of age.
His father was employed in great
factory there, and his mother was
dressmaker for the neighborhood.
They lived in cottage in the suburbs
of the town, and at the ago of four the
boy was permitted to run about the
neighborhood good deal. At five,
when he was kidnapped, he was sent
to the stores to make purchases, and
knew all the streets clear to the fac
tory in which his father worked. One
day in 1861, about 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, he was sent to store about
three blocks away after some buttons.
Before he reached it strange man ac-
costed him and asked his name. He
then gave Willie some sweetmeats
and asked him to go and look at a
Punch and Judy show in the town,
promising to return with him in half
hour. The boy eagerly set off with
him, and was taken to a railroad depot
and placed on a train in charge OF a
middle aged woman, who gave him
more sweetmeats and was very kindly
spoken. She said the show had
moved away and they were going
after it, and the novelty of the child's
position prevented him feeling any
anxiety. When the detectives came
to take the case up, as they did two
days after the boys disappearance,
they got no clue whatever. Although
he had walked a mile or two hand in
hand with the abductor, along crowd
ed streets, nobody remembered seeing
the pair. They had gone openly to
the railroad station, but no one there
had noticed them. The guard on the
train dimly remembered woman and
child in a compartment, but could
give no description. AS the Allbrigbts
were poor and lowly, no great stir
was created, and no great effort was
made by the detectives to restore the
boy to his parents.
The boy was taken from Sheffield
to Liverpool, being SO we'll treated on
the way that he had no thought of his
home. At Liverpool he was told his
name was John Manton, and that the
woman was his mother. When he
disputed the point he was soundly
whipped. His hair was cut close, his
dress entirely changed, and liquid
was rubbed on his skin which turned
it dark. Except when he asked to go
home, or denied that his name was
John Manton, he was kindly treated,
and after he had been beaten seven or
eight times he accepted the new name,
and ceased to refer to his parents.
Young as he was, this was stroke of
policy on his part. He realized that
he had been stolen from home and he
kept repeating to himself that his
true name was Willie Albright, and
that he lived at Sheffield.
After couple of weeks lessons in
tumbling and tight-rope walking were
given to the boy. He was never per-
mitted to go out alone or to converse
with strangers, and it soon became
natural for him to call the woman
mother. In the course of couple of
months the past seemed dream to
him. and he would have forgotten all
about it had he not kept repeating to
himself: IL am not Johnny DManton,
but Willie Albright, and they stole
me away from Sheffield" He was in
Liverpool six weeks before he knew
the name of the city. When he had
been taught how to dance, sing, tum-
BILE, and walk tight-rope-a matter
of three months time-he was taken
around the country with small show,
which the woman ownd part. The nov,
city of travel was so agreeable that he
almost forgot his situation, and was
for two or three years quite content.
There was no one to teach him how to
read and write, but he was quick wit
ted, and could reason beyond his
years. He had hopes that the show
would some day reach Sheffield, and
he would then slip out and run home,
but the people of course carefully
avoided the place. Once, when they
were showing at Doncaster, few
miles away, Willie observed a man,
whose face had familiar look, gaz-
ing at him in an earnest manner, and
presently heard him say to friend
"That laddie keeps me thinking o1
the child who was stolen away from
: neighbor Albright, but of course il
can't be the one"
The boy was about to call out thai
his name was Willie Albright, wher
the woman, who always kept an eagle
eye on him, came closer and intimi
dated him. The show then hurriedly
packed up and left the place. The
boy now realized more fully than ever