The Washington bee., 1899-04-15

ST|)RYf AkDNAPPEDBOY
lhe Finding of Little Gerald
Lapiner Who Was Stolen
From Chicago.
INSANE COUPLE HID HIM.
They Kept the Child in Their Hovel
Just Outside the Town of
Painesville, Ohio.
INSANE COUPLE HID HIM.


BY the Parents-Discovsry Due to Pub
Iicity Given the Case In the Newspapers
Numbers of Lost Child rem Found In the
Course of the Search for Gerald.
Little Gerald Lapiner, who was kid
mapped May 80, 1898, from the side
walk in front Of his parents residence
in Chicago, was found in Painesville,
o., in the possession of an OLD insane
couple. This kidnapping and search is
second only to the Charley Ross mys-
terry. Publicity brought about the re-
covery of the child. Innumerable clews
were run down. The weary mother
and discouraged father travelled all
over the country, and spent $4,000 in
their search.
Gerald Lapiner, three years old, was
playing in front of the Lapiner house
in Prairie avenue on May 30, when a
woman was seen to pass the child
She leaned ever and said something to
him. She seized the little fellow by
one hand and again whispered some
thing to him. The child went with her
gladly.
The entire police force began a
search for the missing boy. The faith
er first believed the child was stolen
for ransom, but as no word came the
idea was given up.
Several children of the neighborhood
saw the woman taking the child away
and gave the police a good description
Of her
The woman was traced to Forty-sev.
enth street and Grand Boulevard,
;5 HnI; ,ha
carriage. An hour later q carriage
containing a woman and a child an
swering their description stopped at
Adams street and Wabash avenue,
and the occupants boarded Lake
street elevated train.
At Fifty-second avenue they hurried
out of the car to a buggy that had
been waiting in the vicinity in charge
of a young man. and they disappeared
in the direction of the suburban town
Of Austin.
Here all tangible clews disappeared
The child was heard to call for papa
in the 81" train. and was repeatedly
quieted by promises of candy 1t was
believed by the police that the woman
was hired to kidnap the child. for be-
fore she led him away from his home
she asked three persons who he was.
Mr.. Lapiner was an insurance ad-
juster, and all the big companies with
which he was connected helped in the
search for the stolen boy.
Several letters were received by Mr..
Lapiner from different towns, Offering
to return his son if certain specified
sums of money were left at designated
places. These letters were written by
Swindlers who did not know anything
about the whereabouts of the missing
child. their scheme being to get possess
sion of the ransom and give no return
for it.
Lost children in numbers were dis
covered and returned to other parents
in the course of the search for little
Gerald. but the boy especially sought
after remained unfound.
Finally the police received letter
from Miss o. C.. Ferris. of gainesville,
o., who wrote that she had read in the
papers the story of the kidnapping of
the little boy. and was certain that he
was i'm Painesville in possession of a
mysterious old couple who appeared
insane.
Mrs.. Lapiner went to gainesville
and identified her offspring. He was
in squalor and filth in hut inst outside
the town. He recognized his mother
and ran to her crying, Mamma, man.
MAJ
Mrs. LapiDer burst into tears, and
seizing the boy cried, Jerry, it is you
this time, isn't it dariingY
my boy, my boy" cried she, then
fell upon her knees and with tears
streaming down her face thanked God
for the pleasure of again clasping her
boy in her arms.
Mrs. Anna NJ. Ingersoll, the mistress
Of the hut, meantime was standing in
a corner Of the room apparently dis
interested spectator of the scene and
with scornful smile on her thin lips
Mrs. Lapiner happened to glance up
and saw her look of disdain. In a mo-
nent the tenderness which she had ex-
hibited a moment before was turned
to fury, and she made an effort to
grasp Mrs. Ingersoll by the throat,
and but for the interference of the
deputy sheriff would in all probability
have accomplished her design.
Let me tear her to pieces" she said.
Think OF the pain and agony she has
caused me in the past nine months"
The condition Of the Ingersoll house
in which the child was founC almost
beggars description. 1t was mass of
filth from cellar to garrett The child
itself presented picturesque sight. 1t |
was SO untidy that Mrs. Iapiner. In |
talking Of the matter, said the dirt
came off the little chap in scales.
Anna NJ. Ingersoll and John Collins |
(the mani were placed under arrest.
Collins represented that Gerald was
his son.
Miss Ferris had read Of the kidnap- |
ping, and she did not believe old Col |
Inns was the father Of so bright a /
child. She tried to see and talk with |
the boy. but Collins was as watchful |
as a hawk When Mrs. Lapiner and
the sheriff arrived the couple attempt
ed to hide the boy and lock the door
The sheriff forced his way in. The
couple asserted that. they found the
child wandering alone.