The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-01

tateful story is n every NOUN. some
he!ievo that the recent publication OF
the storirs of tho unsuccessful search
for that lad have suggested this kid
mapping FOR revenge on Conway.
This is The threatening letter tha;
the unknown boy delivered to Mrs.
CONWAY. The letters capitalized are
the ones underScored by the writer.
August Ii, 1897.
Mr.. Conway-Your little boy John has
been kidnapped, and when you receive this
word he will be safe distance from Albany
and where he could not be found in hun
dred years. Your child will be returned to
you in payment of THREE THOUSAND DOL
LARS $4,000, PROVIDED you pay the
money TO-DAY and strictly obey TIE Fol,
LOWING DIRECTIONS: Fut the money in
n package and send it by man you can de-
pend on to the lane going up the hill a FEW
| FEET SOUTH OF THE TROY ROAD, FIRST
| TOLL GATE. Just off the road on this lane
there is tree with n big trunk, have the
man put the package on the south side OF
the tree and AT ONCE CONE AWAY AND
| CONE BACK TO YOUR HOUSE.
We want the money left at this spot at EX.
ACTLY Sis O'CLOCK TONIGHT. See
that no one is with the man you send. and
that no one follows him, or you will NEVER
| LOOK on YOUR LITTLE BOY AGAIN. II
YOU say WORD OF THIS TO ANY ONE
OUTSIDE OF YOUR FAMILY and the MAN
you send with the money, or if you take any
steps to bring il to the ATTENTION OF TIL
| POLICE YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR
| CHILD AGAIN. For, if any one knows OF
it, we will not take the risk Of returning
him, but will leave him TO HIS FATE.
If you obey our instructions IN EVERY
| RESPECT you will receive word WITHIN
TWO HOURS after the money has been left
where you can 60 and get your boy safe
and sound. We have been after this thing
for LONG TIME, WE KNOW OUR BUSI-
NESS, and can beat all the police in America.
We are after the MONEY, and if you do
what you are TOLD NO HARM WILL COME
TO YOUR LITTLE BOY. Buff you fail to
do what we tell you or do anything we tell
not to do, you will NEVER LOOK ON YOUR
CHILD AGAIN, AS SURE AS THERE IS A
| GOD IN HEAVEN. We KONW YOU HAVE
MONEY IN THE BANK, and that the bank
closes at . o'clock, aud we MUST have it
TONIGHT, so GET 1T IN TINE. Don't tell
them why you draw it out. You can say
ysu are buying property if you wish, for
this must be BETWEEN YOU AND Us il
you want your boy back alive.
REMEMBER the case Of CHARLEY ROSS,
of Philadelphia. His Father DID NOT DO
as HE WAS TOLD, but went to the police,
and then spent five times as much as he
could have got him back for, but never saw
his little boy TO THE DAY OF HIS DEATH.
A WORD TO THE WISE MAN is ENOUGH.
NOW UNDERSTAND Us PLAINLY. Get
the money from bank IN TIME. Don't
open your lips to any one and send the
money by trusty man to the place we say
at SIS, a QUARTER PAST EIGHT TO-
NIGHT. He wants to BE SURE THAT NO
ONE SEES HIM PUT THE PACKAGE
THERE, so there is no possible danger of
any one ELSE GETTING IT. Then within
\ two hours you shall have word from us
where Jour boy is.
Every move you make will be known to
| us, and if you attempt ANY CROOKED
| WORK with US SAY GOOD BYE TO YOUR
BOY and look ont for YOURSELF, for we
will meet YOU AGAIN WHEN YOU LEAST
| EXPECT 1T. DO as we tell you and all will
be well and we will deal straight with you
| If you make the LEAST CROOKED MOVE
you will REGRET l 7 TO THE DAY OF YOUR
DEATH.
If you want to have your little boy back
SAFE and SOUND keep your lips closed and
do EXACTLY AS YOU ARE TOLD. If you
| fail to obey directions you will have one
child less Yours truly.
TIE CArrAIN OF THE GANG.
The letter was written, evidently
| with a stub pen, upon four pages OF
paper such as is used, by school chill,
dren for writing exercises. 1t is of a
size between the ordinary notepaper
and foolscap. The writing is in busi.
ness like hand, and evidently that OF
q person Of more than ordinary tntelli-
gence.
Conway took this letter to the Pc
lice, disreg4rdinG its warnings, and
franticalty sought for his missing boy.
A general alarm was sent out, and
soon policemen and detectives were
securing all parts Of the city and the
adjacent country IN sesrch Of the child
or its abductors,
Mr. Conway was directed to follow
the Instructions ci the letter and place
dummy package behind the tree on
| the Troy road. Chief Detective Mead,
with Dettc ives Nolan, McCann and
Sweeney, boarded a Broadway car and
went as far as the tollgate, where they
left the car and singly went within a
short distance of the tree designated,
and at the hour for the money to be
left and for two hours afterward they
,watchsd and waited, but in vain.
The rain came down in torrents,
and the secreted officers were drenched
to the skin when they returned to Po-
lice Headquarters, not having seen a
man, the wary kidnappers evident ly
having watched the spot as closely as
did the police. All night long the
father and mother OF the missing boy
sat up waiting for some tidipgs of their
child, but none came.
Intense excitement was created
about the Conway residence this after,
noon, when short. stout man walked
up the street 10 know whether re,
ward would be paid for the return OF
the child. A neighbor shouted for
the police. The officers responded
and pulled from the house slightly
intoxicated man, who was taken to
the Third Precinct Station House. A
crowd followed the police and their
prisoner. and shouts went up: "He
ought to be lynched!'
At the station the fellow, trembling