The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1898-04-09
STEALING LITTLE ouEs.
An Industry Which Is Showing signs
&5-,f 81 8fs OF Revival ..5.@E 3

.szlI n 8f{a# OF Revival Z. 5-.E, sEf3z
Away back in the dark ages when
civilization was slow in coming and
the barbarities of the vicious members
or the human family made innocent
people shudder, there were organized
bands OF ruffians who made it a part
OF their business. to kidnap children
and sometimes grown persons, and
hold them until various ses1ns of mon.
ey were extorted from the agonized
parents or friends. OF course children
were their favorite prey, as they were
more easily kept and could not escape
without assistance. Terrified into 81
lence, shut up in some interior apart
ment OF building, or concealed in a
cave, many child has dragged out
Wretched existence, frightened, ne
elected and at last murdered or thrown
into dens Of vice if the demands of the
k1dnappers were not complied with
Since the time when Charley Ross SO
suddenly and mysteriously passed out
OF knowledge, but few attempts have
been made to disturb the quiet Of
American households in this way. But
OF late the disposition to extort money
IN thls manner has seemed to be- grow
ing, and, in spite of themselves, Am
er1can parents are feeling more or less
concerned because of the dangers that
menace their little ones. There is. no.
punishment severe enough for the vii
lain who snatches a child from the
heart of quiet and unsuspecting FAM
1ly- There is moral and emotional
phase to such an act that is by no
means met if the miserable wretch ends
his life at the hands of a justly: en-
ragged mob. There is that, however
IN the alertness of the American mind
that makes it somewhat difficult for
acts OF this sort to go unpublished. It
Is not the easiest thing in the world
for men of the sort who do deeds of
this kind to escape detection Such
things might have been possible when
the country was new and sparsely set
tied, and when there were unbroken
forests an unexplored caverns all
about the great hills that environ
some OF our eastern cities. But the
habit of observation is very strong in
the average Yankee, and any unusual
action or appearance is quite likely
to be observed or commented on. There
are towns in the vicinity of New York
city into which stranger cannot go
ana lounge for six hours without the
detective force is warned of it and
knows his movements thoroughly. If
there is the least suspicious action or
expression he is not free from espiOn-
age as long as he remains. It is great
~ to the credit of the men to whom
the safety Of these places is entrusted
that they are rarely mistaken in their
estimation or the men they shadow.
In one town within six years not a mis-
take has been made, and dozens of
stragglers have been apprehended and
either put behind the bars or given to
understand that in moving on was
their only safety. In the case of the
Conway child it was developed upon
inquiry that if this scheme worked
satisfactorily other children were to
be similarly captured and held until
money could be extorted from the par
ents. But the sudden coming to grief
of this effort has, it is hoped, shown the
persons who contemplate such villainy
that the undertaking is altogether too
risky to pay. It is fact that ninety
nine out of a hundred crimes. are de-
tected and the criminals are punished.
The hundredth escapes sometimes
merely by fortunate circumstances, and
sometimes because thorough sitting
reveals the fact that the criminal was
too close to the household to be prose-
cuted. The cold-blooded iendishness
of the kidnapper of children is scarcely
para1leled by any act in the history of
crime: That all efforts should be made
to- prevent a recurrence of such acts
every we'll disposed member of every
community will devoutly wish.-New
York Ledger.