The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-02
AYOUNG WOMAN'S PLUCK
ROSE SUPERIOR TO ALL OBSTA-
Giles AND SHE WON HER
POINT.
THERE ARE GOOD FOLKS EVERYWHERE
In her Exciting Attempt to Kidnap Her Sister,
Children, Miss Bell Found Assistance
and Help.
Greensboro telegram

Greensboro has heroine. If nerve.
pluck. fortitude and tact displayed i'll
thrilling adventure by a young lady
under circumstances before which the
majority of people would quail, con-
stit,,te a heroine. then she lis entitled
TO boast of one of a type which scarce
" decade of North Carolina history
has produced.
Our heroine appears in the person of
Miss Elvia NJ Bell, who resides with her
father just out of town and is stenog-
rapher for the Merchants Grocery Com
pany.
The facts are these: Her sister. Mrs.
u. l.. Case on account of mistreat-
ment, separated from her husband, who
resides at Ocean Springs, Miss, with
his father, and came with her two little
girls, Evern and sVeva, aged respect
lively four and six years, to live with
her father near town. Her husband
soon came and desired to take the
children. 1t was agreed that they should
return to Mississippi with him to re-
main two months and be returned to the
mother the 7th day of May last When
the time was up the husband not only
refused to returns the children, but ig-
nOred every communication addressed
to him on the subject.
The mother was greatly distressed
at the retention of the children and
could not endure the delay and ex-
pense incident to regular proceedings at
law. 1t was at this juncture that our
heroine appeared upon the scene.
After consulting law firm of this
d. JS.1, nd fn Ia
risk involved in the undertaking. she
resolved to go to Mississippi, kidnap
the children. if necessary. and bring
them with her to Greensboro, knowing
all the while she would have the
strongest opposition to encounter. Ac-
cordingly about the 10th of June she
boarded the. train at this place and
in due time arrived at Ocean Springs an1
took lodging at the hotel to study the
situation and mature her plans. She
carried letter of Introduction to some
lawyers there and soon had the sympathy
of the hotel-keeper and Mr.. Martin
Turnbull, reporter of the Times Demo
crat, enlisted in her cause. After fruit
less interviews. of not too friendly a
nature, Mr.. Case finally agreed that one
child could return Monday. the 26th. but
the other must remain with him. This
concession did not satisfy Miss Bell.
She had gone for both and both size
must have.
Strategy now was her only resort A
sail downs the river was arranged for
on Sunday by party with which she
was to go. This confirmed the belief
that she would not leave Oceon Springs
before Monday. Now it was easy to Sc
cure permission for the children to dine
with her at the hotel on Saturday, and
here the excitement begins.
To allay suspicion of final departure
and to be rid of all possible incumbrance
it was arranged with the hotel keeper
that baggage should be left behind and
hotel bill remain unpaid. When the
childrem came Saturday morning it had
been planned by the Times Democrat
reporter that Miss Bell and the children
should go down the river in boat to-
ward New Orleans, but this miscarried
and, to escape unnoticed. they took
a carriage for Fontainbleau, a station
several miles distant on the L. and n.