The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-30

! public subscription raised so large that
cupidity could not resist ii. There is never
| any excuse for condoning crime. Putting
a premium on this ones crime by reward
ing the perpetrator, with no questions
asked would produce an epidemic of
| child-stealing. Anything that rewards
crime-that makes crime proftable-en-
| courages crime. No child would be safe
out of its mothers arms if kidnappers
were to be rewarded for their return
Without exception, the judges and law
yers of the city are in favor of extreme
punishment for the crime. All of the men
on the bench who have been asked for
their opinions have declared in favor of
more severe laws for child-stealing. E1ec-
trocution is not at all too strong a pen
atty, they think, and they do not hest
tate to say so in terms that are strong.
The district attorney, Colonel Gardiner,
in an interview says that death is the
proper punishment for kdnaper He is
backed in his opinion by all the members
of his staff. Chief Devery cannot use
strong enough language when discussing
the crime, and does not hesitate to say
that death is too good for the wretches
who steal babes. Chief of Detectives Nc
Clusky is too much chagrinned at his fall
ure to find a olew in the present case
to talk much about kidnapping and its
punishment, but does not mind swapping
out, at any time he is asked, that the
electric chair is the only place for the
criminals of this particular case.
1t was just one week ago yesterday
morning that Marion was carried away
by her nurse from Central Park. The
nurse was employed Monday, May Is, I'M
der the name of Carrie Jones. She had
advertised for a position, giving no home
address. Mr.. Clark answered the adver-
tisement, and being impressed with the
girls appearance and manners, engaged
her to go to work the following day with
out asking for references. She took only
a small handbag with her to the house,
saying that her trunk would arrive later.
1t never came
Mr.. Clark has but one other child besides
Marion, a baby months old. Mrs. Clark
has been more or less of an invalid since
the birth Of her second child and the care
of little Marion devoved almost entirely
upon the new nurse. She took the child
for airing in the park every afternoon.
She suggested that she take the child out
earlier than usual last Sunday morning
Mr.. Clark, who was playing with the lit
tie one in front of his house, agreed to
this, and Carrie Jones' as it was believed
the girls name was, started across Sixty
fifth street with Baby Marion in peram-
bulator. She entered the park at the
Fifth avenue gate, near the menagerie,
and turned uptown under the arch leading
TO the ladies' waiting room. Without any
delay she left the perambulator against
the bushes there, and asked the matron
Mrs. Madden, to look after it while she
took the child to see the bears. She
walked away in an opposite direction from
the bear cage, and when the matron called
out to her retorted that "she knew her
way about
The Clarks had engaged he girl on the
understanding that she was from the coun-
try, and knew nothing about this city. Mr. |
Clark said that he had a feeling that all
was not as it should be, within ten min
utes after the nurse and the child left the |
house. He communicated his suspicious !
to his wife and followed them to Central |
Park. Mrs. Madden saw him sitting be- |
meath the arch looking at the empty baby |
nurse had gone away with the child Mr.. |
Clark went to Mrs. Madden and ascer- !
tanned precisely what had happened He |
then started what has turned out to be !
one Of the most remarkable cases Of police |
ever known IN this city. He |
went first to Captain England. in charge |
of the Central Park station, not far from |
where the child was stolen. The baby !
carriage was taken TO the station, and |
policemen were sent out to look for the |
nurse. No word of the abduction was sent |
to police headquarters at the time.
Mr.. Clark went back home TO tell his !
wife what had happened. He found a boy |
there who had carried a note given him |
by young woman at Sixty second street |
and second avenue, This note made 1t |
clear that the child was kidnapped for the |
sake of ransom, and notified Mr.. Clark /
that if he notified the police or let it get /
into the newspapers he should never see |
his child alive again. The name of the |
boy who carried the note was Freddy /
Lang, and he gave a good account Of him. /
self His description of the woman who I
gave him the note was not very clear, but /
Mr.. Clark thought it resembled that Of the !
missing nurse girl The lad remembered (
that the woman was greatly excited and /
that she went away on Second avenue /
car after giving him the note. From in /
vestigati5ns made by the police so far they /
do not believe that the woman who gave /
Freddy Lang the note was the alleged 4
Carrie Jones. It may have been an accom- /
plice.
Captain England and Mr.. Clark conclud- /
ed that the ends of justice would be best T.
served by keeping the case quiet until /
Tuesday. the tine specified by the writer /
Of the notte hat an answer would be /
waited for. Eut the information was un-
sent 70 police headquarters /
with the usual report from the Central
Park police station, and The news became !
public
II - II q Ia.