The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-20
ARREST OF n KIDNAPER
AND RETURN OF AN ABDUCTED BOY
TO HIS GRIEVING MOTHER.
How Little Johnny Conway Was Re-
covered from the Men Who Held
Him for a Ransom.

ALBANY, N. Y, Aug. 19-Five-year-o
John Conway, who has been at the mercy
of kidnapers since Monday morning, was
returned to his parents shortly after
o'clock this morning through the efforts of
private detectives and reporters in the
ploy of the Argus. The child was abducted
by his uncle, Joseph Hardy, and II. G..
Blake. Hardy has been placed under arrest,
but Blake escaped from his captors. Blake
was found and taken to the Argus office
with Hardy at o'clock a. m. He was ac-
cused of the kidnapping and at first denied
all knowledge of it, When threats failed
he was offered ransom and finally it was
made so large that he confessed the kid
naping and piloted a party of men some
five miles out in the country. where he left
hem and in short time returned with
the boy in his arms. When he
saw that he had been trapped he pulled a
revolver. fired four shots and broke away
from his captorS who did not pursue him,
but drove Immediately to the city with the
boy. il was intended to arraign Hardy in
Police Court at o'clock this afternoon.
but at that hour there was such a menacing
crowd in the building and about it that
the police postponed the hearing.
The drive down town was at an hour when
thousands of people were on the streets.
the little fellow was held high in the air
and his rescuers shouted we've got him"
In less than a second the crowd realized
what We've got him" meant and an up
rOar1OuS shout went up. Men, women ana
children followed the wagon with shouts of
joy to the newspaper office, where little
Johnny Conway was placed in the window
for the benefit of the admiring and joyous
crowd Ten minutes later he receiving
the embraces and kisses of his mother.
Blake, who will probably soon be brought
that he kidnapped the boy. but claimed that
he knaw party who knew where the boy
could be found. The story of the recovery
of the boy is an exciting one those in
charge of the affair spending three hours in
dense woods and fearing each moment
pistol ball. When Blake was induced to
show the place where the boy was a clever
scheme was arranged. police clerk named
Matthew Greagan put on old clothes and
Reilly was his assistant and Police
Commissioner Phelan and john F. Farrell
counsel for the, Argus, sat with Blake.
When they had driven out several miles
Blake called a halt and said he would find
tie boy. He disappeared In the woods fol-
lc wed bv Mr.. Phelan and Mr.. Farrell. They
returned said they had seen the child
guarded by a masked man. Mr.. Phelan
thought il would be a serious affair. Blake
demanded the reward of 81 800 before he
would get the child out, and then there was
a long parley. Greagan, as driver, offering
to go to the newspaper office and get it.
While this parley al its height
Greagan sprang from the wagon, and fol-
lowed by Reilly pistols in hand rushed
and ran for the wagon. Farrell fired sev-
eral shots. The men. finding they were
beaten, retreated, ana the cllIu reScuerS
drove rapidly down the road to the city
The Schenectady and Troy police were no.
tilted to watch for Blake.
District Attorney BurlingaIne and Mayor
Thacher had Hardy under examination for
almost two hours to-day and at the end of
that time the district attorney said: Hardy
has practically told everything. but / can
not give it out now. There we're at least
two other people in the affair, and / be-
lieve we will get them all" The penalty
for the ohense is twenty years imprison-
ment,