The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-25
YOUNG GIRL KIDNAPPED.
An Eighteen. Year-0ld Boy Kidnaps a Girl,
Expecting to Hold Her for Ransom.

New YORK, Feb. PA little sheet, printed on
one side of the paper only. issued yesterday
at Osceola Mills, Pa, in place the Wage
aarners Journal. and the reason why this
newspaper suddenly reduced its size is to Id
by the editor, r. A. Kinslos. The matter in the
little sheet is confined almost entirely to case
of kidnapping in which one of the principals was
the editors son. The story is headed: "The
Osceola kidnapping Case" Mr.. Kinsloe. who tells
the entire story in a diguifed. touching way,
not attempting in the least to cover up his sons
wrond doing. heads the story by saying:
.It is not an easy matter for the writer to
send the facts herein contained broadcast to the
public but justice to all parties demands that it
be done"
1t appears from the story that on Friday even
ing last Gertie, the teen-year-old daughter of
r. j. Walker. leading and prosperous citizen
OF Osceola, visited young friend in town, after
promising her mother that Bhe would return
home early The girl left her friend at $50 in
the evening, and was on her way home, when,
near an old deserted building, she seized,
shawl pulled over her shoulders and head, and
she was dragged into the cellar. Her hands
were then bound, and she was told that If she
made any outcry she would be killed. She was
then asked If she knew who had her; upon her
replying in the negative. shs was told that her
captor was one Will Greenwalt Then her captor
keeping the shawl tight over her head. led
her out and up several streets, finally taking
her into the building iu which the Wage earn
ers Journal is printed. Her captor leaving her,
Gertie made no outcry, but obtaining a knife
from her pocket by pulling her dress around,
cut the cords that bound her, for the abductor
had tied her ankles together and laid her on
pile of exchanges. After freeing herself, which
she accomplished just morning dawned,
Gertie escaped from the building and ran home.
She told her story. not emitting to state that no
violence had been done to her person, and then
she was Frustrated by fright and nervousness.
While she had been tied in the Wage-earners
Journal Office the whole town had turned out to
hunt for her. The factories blew their whistles,
the town bells rung. and the neighbors
hither and thither looking in all sorts OF
places, expecting to find her dead body.
Her father, happening to look into the cellar Of
the deserted building, found there his childs
hood and partly eaten stick of candy This
confirmed the worst suspicious and. believing
that tramps had kidnapped the girl. word was
sent TO adjoining towns that the abductors
might not escape. Then editor Kinsloe ad-
vanced the theory that it not the work Of
trEmps, that the deed had been committed by
son1e one in town, that the child, either dead
alive, would be found in town, and suggesting
that the Mayor call a meeting offer reward.
send word to the neighboring towns. and
then make thorough search of every building
in town. The plan was about to be adopted
when before detailed the child returned, and
from searching for Gertie, the scene in in
slant changed to wild chase for the abductor.
w. a. Kinsloe, the eldest son OF the editor aged
eighteen years. was the guilty one. He eluded
his pursuers until noon, when he was captured
AID lodged in Jail, that course being thought
advisable on account of the excited condition Of
the people. He was nnarmed and did not even
own pistol. Says his father ID the little
sheet:
'The excitement is not to be wondered at. for
the knowledge as to who committed the act and
the return of the child followed so quickly that
no time was given for the people to grow more
calm, even though many knew Gertie had not
been seriously harmed The high state of feel
ing being only natural result following the
commission of heinous crime believed to have
been committed, we have neither any right nor
any desire to censure. Bad as it is, we thank
God it is no worse
Editor Kinsloe went to the Jail to see his boy.
The latter said his plan to keep the girl un-
til ~ reward was offered for her return. Trashy
literature which he had been In the habit of
reading with other boys. had inf1amed his mind.
He accused nobody of cooperation with him in
the abduction, and says he was under the inhu-
ence of liquor at the time. He asserts that he
never thought of doing the girl any violence,
his only purpose being to hide her until a reward
was offered for her return. How he was to OBJ
seems not to have considered. the scheme hav-
ing been worked out only far as
obtaining possession of the girl and
After placing her in the building and still some
what under the effects of LIQUOR he in order to
wear off its effects. twice to the school
house and back TO the depot and back TO the
depot and back-more than a mile-then home
where he kept tally for several games of DOM
inoes few lady guests were playing, and then |
retired.
In concluding his story of the abduction, the |
father says:
"Active IN our efforts to obtain a kno Wedge |
OF the guilty one, our keen sympathy and the |
sy pathy of our family for Mr.. and Mrs. I
Walker, the transfer Of the trouble from their |
shoulders to own, came like a thunderbolt /
from clear sky and we have the best reason TO
know that the sympathy of Mr.. and Mrs. Walk
er goes out US in as full measure as ours went
out to them"
A.
the circumstances, the fact that the boy who
helped him is gone. and the sickness of another
Of his compositors, it was impossible for him to
get out a paper this week and the little sheet
was issued instead Mr.. Kinsloe is apparently |
weighed down by sorrow over the position of his
boy. and offers his journal for sale at sacri-
dce. He says AZ the foot of the little paper that
his journal has good patronage and better
prospects. and that the public will find his
reasons for. selling out n the story he has writ
len about this wsyward son.