The times., 1899-05-24
THE KIDNAPPING MYSTERY.
The New York Police Unable to Find
Trace OF Baby Marion Clark.


New York, May 2s.-All the combined
efforts Of the detective bureau and the po-
lice department have SO far produced no
result in the mystery enshrouding the
kidnapping Of little Marion Clark. Though
the ablest men in both departments have
been searching night and day for the child,
who disappeared in the arms OF Carrie
Jones. her nurse, they have found not the
slightest trace of her or her whereabouts.
Wherever the nurse has taken the child,
she has so carefully covered up her tracks
that the best detective skill in the de-
partment seems unable to find them.
Captain McClusky denies that any arrest
or arrests have been made in the case or
that any are contemplated, denying en-
phatically the rumor that a waitress in
East Houston Street named johnson has
been apprehended and is being held al
headquarters
According TO Mr. Clark. the childs faith
er, the nurse maid at one time said the
only friend she had in the city was a Mrs.
johnson, of East Houston Street. II such
woman exists, except in the imagination
of the nurse, she ought, it is believed, TO
be able TO shed considerable light upon
the kidnaper IL not upon the crime that
has made her famous in the criminal his
tory OF the city
Mrs. Clark. who is prostrated by the
daughter and the fear that harm may
come TO her, passed a restless night, and
is suffering today from excessive nervous
ness. She feels as if she must rush from
the house and act, instead Of waiting for
news that does not come. physician is
attending her, and. according 10 Mr..
Clarks orders, she is not allowed TO see
anyone save most intimate friends
Three central office men watched the
Clark house all night, and the house is
under surveillance today. Shortly after
midnight last night. Detective Armstrong
left the Clark house with a bundle OF
clothing, which he took to the East Sixty
seventh Street stationhouse. The cloth
ing, it was said, was the property of the
missing nurse.
Many theories have been advanced by
the police, but all lead to the same result
nothing. 1t is almost certain. however.
that Carrie Jones had a confederate, and
that the child was given to this person
soon after the nurse left the park. perhaps
in Third Avenue.
1t would be an easy thing to conceal the
child in one of the many tenement houses
of the east side, and, unless someone in
the house became suspicious and reported
to the police, it would be almost hope
less task to find her. Little credence is
placed in the nurses story that she had
come from Deposit, y. Y. and dispatch
from that place announces that no such
person is known there. The fact that the
woman mentioned the place, however,
makes il seem possible that she may know
something about it.
No reward has yet been offered for the
child, and, with the whole machinery of
the police department at work. it is next
to impossible for the nurse or anyone in the
plot to communicate with Mr.. Clark. If
reward were offered it might bring COM
munication to the house through the mail.
This could be done with almost perfect
safety, but it would be a dangerous thing
for the kidnapers to communicate in any
way with the Clarks. The nurse has prob
ably read in the papers of the severe pun
ishment meted out to the kidnapers of
John Conway, in Albany, and is in no
hurry to claim any reward that may be
offered
Systematic search OF all the baby farms
in this city and Brooklyn is being made.
but so far with no result. The police do
not believe Carrie Jones would try to place
the child in any such place. but they feel
that something must be done, even if they
are entirely in the dark.
Carrie Jones was not the kind of a girl
who would be likely 10 live in tene-
ment house, and the police are far from
sure that she is hiding in one. She was in
teiligent, apparently refined, and very neat
and clean in her person, looking and
acting as If she had been brought up by
respectable parents.
One strange thing in the case, almost as
strange as the child's disappearance, is the
mysterious way in which Mr.. Clark is con-
Quoting himself He refuses to give infor-
nation to newspaper men and apparently
tries to avoid them, though there is no
known reason why he should do so. The
only explanation OF this is that he fears
his little daughter will be murdered if he
talks too much. in a note the writer
warned him not to talk if he wanted to see
his child alive again.