Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-06-28

A case which well Illustrates the
high-handed methods of some petty
officers charged with the enforcement
OF the law, came to light yesterday, and
created a great deal of indignation.
The principals in the affairs are Maud
Smith, the keeper of a bagnio in the
Fifth ward, Grace Wallace, former in
mate of her house, William Woke, a
visitor at the Smith house, Ellen Fra
zier, an inmate of the same house, Geo.
Miller, hack driver, and Constable
Anderson.
The details of the story, as told by
those familiar with it, make up
a state of facts deserving of the sever
est censure, and there should be prompt
application of a suitable remedy.
Several days ago Grace Wallace, tho
victim Of TIE kidnapping outrage,
brought suit against Maud Smith, her
former landlady, 10 recover money
loaned. This enraged the Smith wo-
man, and she vowed TO be revenged.
The Wallace girl had gone 10 Martin :
Ferry, to stay with a friend, and was
out of reach, but plan was connected
to get her inside the limits OF Ohio
county. The landlady accordingly went
before Justice Fitzpatrick and swoIe
out a warrant for the Wallace girl
charging fornication, and a plot was
laid TO kidnap her and bring her TO this
city. A hack, driven by George Miller
was hired and William Woke, a vlSi-
tor at the Smith house, and Ellen Fra
zier, an inmate, got into it and were
driven byMiller to McCOnnaha's saloon,
in Bridgeport. There the Frazier girl
remained with the hack, while Woke
took a street car to Martins Ferry. He
went to the house of friend of the
Wallace girl, where the latter was stop
ping. and prevailed on her TO go down
to Bridgeport to see Ella Frazier. At
ter some hesitation the Wallace girl
consented, and she and Woke went to
Bridgeport. There. after talk, Woke
and the Frazier girl induced Miss Wal
lace to get into the hack, telling her
she would be driven back to Martin
Ferry. Miller, the driver, had been
posted. however, and as soon as the
hack door was closed he whipped up his
horses, tore past the Bridgeport toll
house without paying toll, and urged
his horses across the Island at a gallop.
The Wallace girl soon caught on" to
the fact that she was being kidnapped,
and beat upon the glass doors of the
hack and screamed at the top of her
voice all the way across the Island, the
flying rig with its screaming woman
naturally attracting great deal OF at
tention.
1t was eleven o'clock, or little later,
when the rig reached the city, and it
made straight for the White Cloud
Hotel. a rendezvous which appears TO
have been previously agreed upon. Con-
stable Anderson was On hand with his
warrant, sworn out by Maud Smith,
placed the girl under arrest, and took
her to Jail, where she still remains,
without having had hearing.
George Miller, the hack driver, was
arrested by the police yesterday, for his
share in the escapade, and was fined
five dollars and costs in Police Court,
last night for fast driving, the only
city charge which would lie against
him.
The entire outfit ought to be arrested
and be summarily dealt with. The af-
fair was an outrageous one from start
to finish, and the public will heartily
sympathize with the Wallace girl, the
helpless victim of a scheme concocted
by Maud Smith, and carried out by an
officer of the county.