The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-07
MABEL HERRICK'S STORY
HER "TRIP FROM OGDEN CANYON TO
IDAHO.
Left by Her Abductor Among Red
skins Who Shove Kindness
Entirely Lacking in Hini-Sherin
Wright After Riddle.

IL
day to her home in Ogden canyon, ar
irving here on the 7:S0 train from the
north. The little girl was met by her
anxious father. and after the hrst
greetings were over went to the once
of the chief of police where she told
in part the story of her abduction and
subsequent experience
After the interview with Cher
Davenport Mr. Herrick brought the
girl to The Herald office and as the re-
porter was absent letter OF THANKS
for assistance rendered by The Herald,
together with the information that the
child was well and could hardy wait
to get home, was left there.
Later in the day reporter
visited the Herrick home in the canyon
and talked with the girl and her par
ents. Mabel's ideas as to time ana
location was somewhat vague but sne
remembered incidents very clearly
She said that after leaving her nome
the man brought her to Ogden and re-
NAMED about town an hour or two
while he pretended to be looking Tor
his mother. She remained by the cart,
as he told her to do. He SAID MS
mother had another horse and cart. He
did not leave Ogden till dark. Inc
first place she remem bered after leav-
ing Ogden was the Hot Springs. IL
was ni-ht time and her companion
stopped and got something TO eat, but
did not give any to her. 1t was long
time after they started before she got
anything to eat. When they left,
Britton-such was the name he gave
the little girl-had horse, cart ana
an old mule. They drove the horse and
cart and led the mule. The man was
always trading. He traded horses
time or two and traded the cart for an
old watch and a pistol with no cart
ridges for it Later he traded the
watch and pistol for horse feed. After
the cart was traded off they went
horseback. She was used to riding and
did not mind it. Britton pretended that
he had lost the way to West Weber
and the little girl said she DID not
think it was so far, but that they had
better so back home and find the
! right road. Britton told her that he
would never go back. Sometimes he
Weber and thev would say that they
did not know. One woman told them
they were on the right road. Naturally
the little girl was too young to
wonder much al the absurdities OF the
situation, to see through his trans
parent schemes or comprehend the
depth of his villainy.
fEOlliClllIlGS. Silt- 'Sd-tts 0SHS WOQll
beat the horses when they were doing
their best. He would get off and strike
them in the faces with his fists and
then with his hat. Sometimes he was
kind 70 me but most of the time he
was awful cross. My feet would get
cold when we rode. but did not get
cold at any other time"
She thought they travelled two or
three weeks. They did not go through
n Ia 81, 20
go around the towns when they could
as her companion said that town"
was not eher-SSometimes they
stopped at houses, and most always
the folks would ask them to eat At
one house they stopped and the girl
told the woman she wanted to come
back home. The woman said she
should, and went out in the lot to
where her usoand was and told him
they ought to take the girl away from
the man. The husband refused to in
terfere and Britton put her on the
horse and made it gallop away He
was very cross to her then They
nearly always stayed over night in old
/ houses or barns where no one lived
Gene" used TO talk often of George
Britton who was in Ogden and it was
to him she wrote the letter which was
sent TO Chief Davenport for her father
by Eldredge. When Britton left her it
was near McCamrnon. He had traded
horses with the Indians and told her
that he must go to Ross Fork and see
If the Indian agent said it was all
right. He was to be back that night
! but did not come. When she worried
about it the next day the Indians tried
to make her understand by SIGNS that
he would not come back. They shook
their fists in the direction he had gone.
They took a lariat and threw it over
post. Then they hung this post I'D
TO another post. Afterwards a man
who could talk explained that this man
Britton was very wicked. This man
who could talk Indian and English
said that some women were going
down to the agency and they would
take her to that place. She went with
the squaws. At the agency the folks
were good to her. She got kshere lust
the day before it grew so awful cold
and was clad of it.
She came from Ross Fork to Poca-
tello with Sheriff Wright in a wagon.
wright put her on the train and then
went to look for Britton.
Although the girl when questioned by
Chlef Davenport did not say that the
kidnapper had attempted to misuse her
there is no doubt that he plotted a
dastardly crime against her but could
not carry it out. DR.. Joyce. at the
request Of the girls father, made an
examination and confirmed the story
that the girl first told to her mother.
Britton, according to the girl had q
flask of whisky but she did not see him
drink. He tried to make her drink.
If Britton is captured and brought
to Ogden the officers will do well TO
keep that fact secret from that aggre-
cation of bighearted men known as
the Power Dam gang" or the panto-
mime Of the Indians at Bannock creek
may be initiated.
E. ]. Britton, alias Earl Riddle. must
have been scheming the abduction for
several days. He first secured the little
Herrick boy and took him away under
pretense of having found a place for
him. The boy was brought back the
same day by Britton, who all this while
claimed to be Tyler Bingham and who
explained that the people had changed
their mind about wanting a boy.
He has quite start of Sheriff Wright
as that official did not start as soon
as he expected on the chase, the reason
being, it is said, that the commissioners
would not allow his expenses unless he
should capture the man. However, the
chances that he will he captured are
good.
Weber County Road.
Alexander Ririe OF Eden has pub