Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-21
DAYTIME ABDUCTION
Startling Story Of an 11-Year-Old
Lad in Lawrenceyille.
A STRANGE NAN KIDNAPs HIM.
And the Boy Says He was Taken to Sharps-
burg and Imprisoned.
A TALE OF ESCAPE BELIEVED At HOME

A mysterious case of kidnapping out
Lawrenceville way leaked out yesterday.
The victim is little school boy, about II
years of age, and, as the parents are''out
for blood, )" it will be bad for the abductor
if he is caught Although the affair hap
pened week ago, it has been studiously
kept quiet, in order to give the police an
opportunity to get in their work. The lat
ter have worked hard, but the person wanted
is still at large.
Mr.. R. B. Noon is the name of the father,
and he is an engineer in the Keystone
Bridge Works, living on Fifty-second, near
Home. street. His small boy set out for
school, as usual, on Thursday morning.
The boy did not come home at noon for
dinner, but the mother merely thought that
something had detained him, or that he had
gone home with schoolmate. AS the after
noon wore away, however, and the husband
came home from work, and still no boy, the
anxiety of the parents may be more easily
imagined than described.
NOTIFYING THE POLICE.
The police were notified, messengers were
sent to the schoolhouse; but all to no avail.
Expectant hope kept the parents astir until
late at night, when they were joytully
aroused by the temperance of their boy.
He came running into the house, painting
and almost crying. After resting and re-
freshing himself, the boy related the following
startling tale:
He had started out to school that morning,
and had almost reached the schoolhouse when
he was accosted by tall and thick-set man,
whom he described as wearing stiff gondols
hat and sack coat and sporting full set of
black whiskers. The boy asked what swas
wanted, when the man said that he had some.
thing for him, and wanted him to come along.
After some hesitation the innocent child COM
piled, and, walking short distance, he was
persuaded to board Sharpsburg street car
with his abductor. By means of the car they
got to Sharpsburg. and when the frightened
boy wanted to go back he was told to keep
quiet on pain of receiving beating.
They walked up the main street of Sharps-
burg short distance, when they turned up a
side street and entered a house and went up
the stairs.
The lad was roughly taken into back room
on the second floor and locked up. His cries
and moans had no effect, as they were proba-
bly, not heard beyond the four walls of the
house The day passed slowly to the poor boy,
and when evening came someone entered the
room from side door, bearing a tray of food
of meager quantity and quality.
LEFT THE KEY IN THE DOOR.
After devouring this the boy perceived that
his late visitor had left abe key sticking in the
door, and with Joy realized that it was not
turned. Opening the door and passing through
he softly stole down the stairs, opening upon
an alley, and being favored by the increasing
darkness, succeeded in getting away unob-
served by the inmates of the house. No grass
grew under his feet, and after finding
the car tracks he followed the latter all the
way to his home, arriving there little after II
o'clock
Mr.. Noon, after hearing the story, decided to
clear up the mysterious kidnaper, and with
this end in view hunted up an old friend of his,
an ex-detective. The latter set to work on the
case. but has not been able to find q clew as to
the whereabouts of the man. The boy is not
able to locate his prison, as he was only too
glad to get away. without taking observations.
There is no doubt in the minds of the parents
as to the veracity Of the story, nor in the mind
of anyone acquainted with the lad, as he is
known by all as truthful and conscientious
little fellow, not having missed a school day
for years, except on account of sickness.