Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-08-20
CLEVERLY RESCUED.
Johnnie Conway Recovered from
the Men Who Had Kid.
mapped Him.
ONE OF THEM WAS HIS UNCLE,

Who Il Now In the Grip OF the Law with
. Twenty-Year Penisentiary Sentence
Not Improbable-The Other Miscrcant
Gets Aw.y-scene when the Child was
Taken to the City and Home-Ths Rescue
Described.
Albany. n. Y, Aug. 20.-Johnny Con-
way. who was kidnapped last Monday.
has been found and was returned to
his parents yesterday morning. The
boy was recovered thVugh the efforts
of private detectives and reporters in
the employ of The Argus. The child
was abducted by his uncle. James
Hardy, and II. G. Blake. Hardy has
been placed under arrest, but Blake
escaped from his captors, but the police
are on his trail.
Blake resisted threats when arrested
by the detectives and reporters. but sue
cumbed to the offer of a very large
| ransom. and taking his captor some
miles into the country produced the
boy, and then when his arrest was at
| tempted drew revolver and fled.
1t was intended to arraign Hardy in
the police court yesterday afternoon.
but at that hour there was such a mena-
cling crowd in the building and about ii
that the police postponed the hearing
When Johnny Was Brought to Town.
There was an exciting scene when the
| little fellow who had been kidnapped was
brought to town after his rescue. 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 uproarious shout went UP. Men,
women and children followed the wagon
| with shouts Of joy to The Argus Office,
where little Johnny Conway was placed
| In the window for the benefit of the ad-
| miring and joyous crowd. Ten minutes
later he was receiving the embraces and
kisses of his mother. Blake who will
probably soon be brought to bay by
the police. did not openly confess that he
kidnapped the boy. but claimed that he
knew a party who knew where the boy
| could be found.
Story of the Reducing.
The story Of the recovery Of the boy il
an exciting one, those in charge of the
affair spending three hours in dense
woods and fearing each moment a pistol
ball. When Blake was induced to show
the place where the boy was a clever
scheme was arranged. A police clerk
named Matthew Greagan put on old
clothes and drove the wagon as a hired
man. Detective Reilly was his assistant
and Police Commissioner Phelar
and John F. Farrell Counsel
for The Argus) sat with Blake
When they had driven out sew.
eral miles Blake called a halt and said
he would find the boy. He disappeared
in the woods, followed by Phelan and
Farrell. They were gone about ar
hour, and when they returned said the,
had seen the child guarded by q masked
man. Phelan thought it would be a Sc
rious affair. Blake demanded the re
ward before he would get the child, ant
then there was long parley, Greagal
as driver offering to go to The Argu
Office and get it.
Made a Rush for tho Boy.
While this parley was at 1t
; height Greagan sprang from tn
wagon. and followed by Reilly. pistol
in hand, rushed into the place. Greagal
: grasped the child and ran for the wag
on. Farrell fired several shots The mel
finding that they were beaten retreate6
, and the child's rescuers drove rapidl
down the road to the city. tn
> Schenectady and Troy police were no
3 titled to watch for Blake. District At
torney Burlingame and Mayor Thache
3 had Hardy under examination for al
most two hours yesterday and at tn
| end Of the time the district attorney said
I Hardy has practically told everything
but I cannot give it out now. Their
{ ! were at least two other people in tn
t | affair and / believe we will get ther
3 all. The penalty for the offense is TWEEN
ty years Imprisonment"