Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-21
BRIGANDS ABROAD.
Joseph Perrien, of Detroit, De-
luded and Kidnapped.

iuded and Kidnapped.
THE VILLAINS DEMAND A RANSOM
And Failing to Get VIVA. They Want
Convey Their Prisoner Nearly Home
and Release Him - Thirty Thousand
Dollars Demanded and the Victim
Forced to Write the Requisition-Mr.
Psrrien's Account ofth ARair-Details
Of n Bold but Unsuccessful Stroke for
Big sum.
DETROIT, Mich, March 21-Detroit has
sensation which promises to be a nine
day wonder. One of her richest and best
known citizens has apparently been kid
naped and held for ransom 1t was no
small sum which the supposed abductors
demanded for his release, but the respecta-
BILE amount of $50 000 The victim of the
outrage which is literally sprinkled with
mystery is Joseph Perrien, a well-known
and prominent miller of this city whose for
tune has never been doubted to be less than
$5OO,OOO Mr.. Perrien is bachelor whose
nome on the outskirts of the city is ele-
gantly and extensively furnished His
private life, so far as anybody knows. has
always been exemplary, and although he
has no family he spent all of his evenings
at home.
How the Plot was Worked.
Mr.. Perrien was sitting in his library
Thursday night reading by the aid of a
soft drop-light when loud ring at the
doorbell startled him. Going to the front
door he saw before him a young man
whose Fedora hat was pulled well down
over his eyes
Docs Mr.. Perrien live here?7 he in
quired
He does answered the millionaire
II am Mr.. Berren. What is wanteds
Il have q note for you from DR..
Spranger," said the visitor handing him
paper. Dr. Spranger is Mr.. Perrien's
physician and intimate friend. The miller
turned to the hall light to scan the mis-
sive. 1t read:
JOE: Come at once. Ernest has met with
hso accideEt SPEASGER
Ernest Perrien is Mr.. Perrien's nephew
and thrusting the note in his pocket the
millionaire hastily donned his overcoat
and silk hat and inquired: is he mt
Spranger's Officer
Had the Cab at Hand.
NO" replied his caller; she is lying at
the hospital"
Mr.. Perrien thought this was some
what strange, but in the hurry he attached
no great Importance to it. He said. how
ever:
"Then W. ought to take a carriage"
Il have cab at the door" was the re.
Spouse. In the meanwhile Mr. Perrien's
man servant had come up. and it was
from him that the police CLEANED the dia-
iogue which passed between Mr.. Perrien
and his visitor, "Loc6 up Dan" said Mr..
Perrien. Il have my night key l can't
tell what time I'll get back
"All right, sir" said the man-servant.
and Mr.. Perrien entered the cab, the
young man with the Fedora hat slammed
the door and jumped on the drivers box.
and the vehicle whisked away
Next Step in the Conspiracy.
That was the last seen of Millionaire
Perrien. He did not return. John c.
Hasselberger, an intimate friend, lives in
the same house with the miller He re-
turned home about II O'Clock. Dan, the
man-servant had not yet retired "Where
is Mr. Perrien?" asked Mr.. Hassel berger
"Gone out was the reply. "Dr SpranCer
sent word that young Mr.. Perrien had
hurt himself" Mr.. Hassel berger went to
ned. IL was about o'clock in the morn
ing when Mr.. Hasselberger was awakened
from sound sleep by the furious jingling
of the doorbell. The bell continued to be
violently rung while Mr. HasseIberper
threw on his wrapper went down, and lit
the hall gas. He opened the door but no
one was there.
The Demand for Ransom.
His eye alighted on small package of
badly mussed papers, which fell in as the
door was opened and which he picked I'D
and opened One was note from Mr..
Perrien. 1t read:
HAssELBERGER; have been kidnapped but
am not permitted to tell you where I am
Thirty thousand dollars ransom demanded In
closed Is promissory note for $1,000 on which
raise that sum at once. Also a check for Sl5-
0O which have cashed and send money to
Here follows the designation of the
place to which the money was to be sent.
but the police declined to give the location
to the press, making public only the part
of the note quoted. The letter was evil
IDENTIFY written in great hurry and in
great fear and ended, Il am entirely in
the power of my captors."
Put the Police on the Case.
Instead of doing as he was bid Mr.. Has
selberger donned his clothes and routed
the chief of police out of bed. To him he
told the story and gave the letters. The
chief lost no time in sending out his en-
tire staff of detectives on the case They
very soon foInd themselves entirely at
sea, and working almost without a clew.
1t was soon limited that there was a wom-
an in the case, but exactly in what way
was not stated This Mr. Hasselberger
Indignantly denied. Perrien's check at
the bank would be honored for $3.50. 900,
but the check sent Hasselberger was
made payable to the latter's order. the
miller's captors evidently being afraid to
cash it.
THE GAME DIDN'T WORK.
Failing TO Get Their $50, 900 the Kid