The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-08
BOY STOLEN BY BANDITS
Daring Deed Of a Band Of Indiana
Outlaws.
HELD IN A CAVE FOR RANSOM
Six.Ycar.Old Ray Wickham Carried Away
by Gang Of outlaws Who Expected
to Secure q Reward for
His Return.
BY the United Press.

Lebanon, Ind, Jan. 1.-The most das-
tardly attempt at kidnapping ever made
On this vicinity occurred at Thorntown,
ten miles west of here, on Friday.
Charles G.. Wickham, assistant cashier
of the Thorntown National bank, is the
father Of a 6-year-old son. His name Is
Ray. He is bright little fellow with
golden hair and talks with an air of
wisdom which would do credit ITO per-
son many years his senior.
About IL o'clock in the morning his
mother started him to- the bank with
message ITO her husband. AT the cross
Ing of Pearl street and the Big Four
railroad crowd of boys were sliding
down an incline on skates and Ray
stopped to watch the sport. He had
been there but few moments when he
was approached by a well dressed
stranger who told him his father was
but a short distance down the railroad
track and wanted him to come to him.
Ray started to accompany him, and at
'uhe Plum street crossing they met a
second stranger on horseback. The
child was lifted up in front of the
horseman, who told him ne was going
ito take him home, and rode rapidly
away in a nontherly direction. Mr..
Wickham went home to dinner about
12 o'clock. His wife asked him why
Iuheir son had not come with him and
was told that the father had not seen
him. Supposing he had stopped to
play somewhere, no anxiety was felt
as to his safety until about O'clock
when the mother came to the bank in
Ysol, Of Tn m aI n
his playmates and the places he was
in the habit of going visited, but no
trace of him could be found. Calling
together several persons, the father
instituted a thorough search of the
town.
First Clew for the Searehers.
Mrs. Emma Baker, who resides at the
Plum street crossing, told him about
the stranger taking the boy upon his
horse and hiding away. For the first
time THE terrible truth dawned upon
the mind of the father. The fire bell
was rung and meeting held in the
opera house, and in a short time sew
eral hundred men were securing the
country in every direction. All night
long the excited 'throngs kept up their
search but no trace of the missing
child could be found. kilograms CIV
ing description of the child and his
captors were sent to all the neighbor-
ing towns, and every possible exertion
made, but of no avail. He had disap-
peared as completely as if the earth
had opened and swallowed him up.
About 10 o'clock Saturday morning
party of searchers came across a negro
on the road near Mechanicsburg, eight
miles north of here His answers to
the questions asked him We're very un-
satisfactory. and he was brought to
this city and lodged in Jail. His story
was investigated and found to be un-
true. When confronted by these facts
he broke down and confessed that he
was member of gang of outlaws,
whose rendezvous was in a cave in the
banks of Sugar Creek about half way
between Thorntown and Mechanics
burg. He says THE child had been alb
Quoted for the purpose of securing
handsome ransom from the father for
its return. They had drawn straws to
see which ones should do the work and
Tom Pike and AL Anderson were the
ones selected. And it was they who
were seen in Thorntown yesterday. A
posse was at once organized under the
leadership Of Manager W. H. Alexan-
der, of the Hoosier Detective agency
who, from 'the information obtained
from Ithe negro, had little trouble in
locating the den. There they found the
child asleep in one corner of the place
but the bandits had evidently been
warmed of their coming and flown. A
brief description of them was given by
the child and the officers pushed on in
pursuit.
Bandits Surrounded in Swamp.
messenger who arrived from the Vi
cinity about o'clock reports a run
ming fight as having taken place be-
tween the officers and the outlaws
about o'clock He says that when he
left the bandits were surrounded in the
swamp, and their capture is but a ques-
tion of a few hours. The negro, who is
now in Jail, gives his name as Henry
Jordan, and says his home is in At
lanta, Ga, and that he has been
member of the gang about three
months. He was walking through the
country in search of work when he ran
across the other colored members of
the gang, who invited him to take din
ner with them. He was taken to the
rendezvous and there told that unless
he remained loyal to the gang and
worked in their interest he would be
shot. Under fear of death he had re-