The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-01
KIDNAPPED FOR RANSOM,
little John Conway, Of Albany, N. w.
Stolen in the Street.
CHARLIE ROSS CASE DUPLICATED,
Gis Father Informed by Letter That I'm
less His Cnptors Received $4,000 the Boy
Would BE Put Out of the Way-Coaxed
Him From His Play, 1t is Supposed
Albany Citizens Wild With Excitement.

ALBANY, N. Y. Especially The kidnap-
| ping of little John Conway Is likely to be
| Is celebrated an incident in criminal his
;ory as the abduction of Charles Ross. The
police are nonplussed. The parents are
almost crazed with anxiety. Friends are
searching the open country which lies
about the cities Of Albany and Troy, and
dispatches have been sent by Chief Willard
and his representatives to the authorities
Of half dozen cities.
That the kidnapping Of the Conway child
s the result Of plot there is no question.
That more than one person Is concerned
seems certain. The motives, the where
abouts and all the relative circumstances
Of the theft Of the child are mysteries.
Mr.. Conway says he has no enemies. IN
This he is mistaken, for as night train
dispatcher in West Albany, for the New
York Central and Hudson River Railroad,
he has been engaged in two or three labor
disputes and has aroused resentment.
Whether the stealing OF his youngest child
s an act Of reprisal or merely caused by
desire to obtain ransom OF S3O00 can
not at present be determined.
The Conway family, consisting OF the faith
Or, Michael J. Conway, his wife and three
children-Willlam, Mary and John-have
lived In Colonie street for twelve years.
They now occupy roomy, old fashioned
house half way down the hill toward Broad
way. Conway is in receipt OF an excellent
salary.
John is five years old, the youngest Of
The family. He is q very bright child, and
his father said that the little one not only
knew his name 80 that he could tell 1t
readily, but also where be lived, his home
number and his fathers name.
The circumstances surrounding young
Conways disappearance resemble closely
those attending the kidnapping OF Charley
Ross. Young Conway's abductors appear
to have been close students Of the Ross
case.
On the morning Of his boys disappear
lnce Mr.. Conway returned to his home after
his nights duties and ate breakfast as usual
with his family. After breakfast the father
retired and the f1ve-year-old boy was al
lowed to go into the street to play. He
left the house little after O'Clock. Two
hours afterward Mrs. Conway answered
ring Of the door bell.
A boy fourteen years old and poorly
dressed was standing there with letter
addressed to Mr.. Conway. This did not
alarm her, as Mr.. Conway had several men
q >
sickness or desire to take few hours of
q man would send him word. This letter
appeared .bulkier than those usually re-
ceived, and instead Of keeping 1t until her
husband aWoke in the afternoon Mrs. Con-
way took it to his room and he read It's con-
tents. This was the first -intim alton the
parents had OF the kidnapping OF the child.
The affair is q mystery, and even now the
boys parents would be at loss to account
for his absence from home had not the
principals in the plot unfolded in this let
ter their plans to the boys father, and de-
manded ransom OF $4,000 and absolute
secrecy under threat to kill both the boy
and the father il these conditions were not
complied with.
Mr. Conway read the letter aloud. Be-
,ore he had concluded Mrs. Conway had be,
come hysterical. The letter was fairly well
written. There was no apparent attempt
to disguise the writing.
At first he could not appreciate the fact
that his little boy had been stoled. Then
he rushed out and made hurried inquiries
In the neighborhood, without result Des-
perate because Of the apparent hopeless
ness OF his search, he went to the police,
but they have been unable to obtain any
clue to the boys whereabouts or his aD.
ductors.
The police ordered photographs Of the
missing boy to be copied, and sent them
broadcast with the following description OF
him:
John Conway, Kidnapped, age five
years; blue eyes, light colored hair, cut
short; wore knee pants, pink stripe; blue
waist, light straw hat with brown stripe;
black stockings; button shoes"
Excitement is at fever heat in Albany
over the kidnapping. Hundreds OF people
!, ba ofr Iyhinb
all day long, and watched every visitor
closely. expecting some news Of the abduc-
tors. The police have had q score Of clews
that have amounted upon investigation to
nothing at all. Every one Is at sea, and
the parents OF the lost child are nearly
crazed with anxiety, and uncertain as to
what step to take.
A reward has been offered by local
paper, and the entire detective and police
force, as we'll as hundreds OF citizens, will
pursue their search.