The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-08
THE FRENCH ELECTIONS.
OCCURRING TO-DAY LOOKED FORWARD
TO WITH GREAT INTEREST.
NO SIGNS OF SERIOUS TROUBLE
A Remarkable Ease OF Attempted Alb
duction OF n Child on the Champs
Elysee-The American Pavilion at
the Exposition TO be Formally Opened
Next Saturday The Great Insecurity
OF the Exhibits Practically Illus
trated by n Paris Exhibitor.

Copyrighted by Associated Press1
Paris, May 5.-Foreign visitors To
Paris this week find the dead waIis
covered with huge colored posters sci
ting forth the electoral manifestoes OF
the candidates at the municipal eIec-
tions which are TO be held tomorrow
Sunday throughout France The re-
suits are awaited with particular In
terest owing to the announced inten-
ton OF the nationalists to utilize the.
election as field OF battle TO test the
feeling OF the country on the govern
ments policy. especially in domestic
matters.
Al the present moment there Is no
serious political efferescence of grave
discomfort with the government. This
Is shown by the tranquil manner In
which labor day passed in France. AT
| one time the celebrations on the 1st of
May almost convulsed the countries
| This year the day fell into complete
abeyance. Work proceeded as usual
nearly everywhere and meetings OF
labor committees which formerly were
feature of the day. were few and far
| between.
The Champs E1ysee is the last place
| In the world one would think would
| be chosen for an attempt at child-ab-
| duction in broad daylight This how
ever, happened this week. to the
amazement Of all Paris. This fashion
| able avenue was thronged, as is usual
| IN the afternoon, with a stream of
| equipages, and Of promenaders, when.
almost in front OF the imposing en-
| trance of the exposition a man rushed
| ~
| head horse drawing a fiacre i'm which
| were seated an elderly lady and gen
tlelnan IN whose arms was a little boy
ABOUT 4 years old. At the same mo
ment woman sprang to the side OF
| the carriage clutched the child and at
| tempted 10 draw him from the vehicle.
! ihe child cried and a crowd soon sur
rounded the struggling group. The new
| conner explained that the boy was her
enid whom the old people refused to
give up. The crowd Immediately took
sldes with the mother, and the cid /.
: .ady bursting into tears relinuukshed
her hold. 1t was then found that tl,f !.
chlld was girdled with an iron chain.
| which was padlocked to the two occu
pants OF the fiacre. This discovery
| excited the wrath of the spectators
| who prepared TO handle the old people
| roughly.
AT this juncture the police arrival
| and took the whole party to the sta
| ton house, where IL was explained that
lhe mother had been granted a divorce
and awarded the custody of the cbJtd
! out that during an Illness she had hals
MIN temporarily given into the care. of
the mother-in-law. the Baroness vor +.
! Neldegg. The latter upon the moth
ers recovery, refused to return the
child and the mother tracked o.;
untli she met them on the ChanIps
Eiysee. The baroness, learning that
4 hnr svr
| child, forcibly. If necessary. had ne
iron chain forged and never left Aer
| mouse except in carriage and acc m
panied by the old Prussian officer. who
held one end of the chain, the baror -
| holding the other
Al the station house the mother-fa-
| law refused to unfasten the padIock
| and the commissary Of police wag
| Obliged TO have the chain filed i'm two
| The child was then restored to his
mother, despite the protests and sobs
| or the baroness The scene of excite
ment provoked by the dramatic incl
dent on the Champs Elysee can wen.
| be imagined
| Ine date OF the Inauguration OF the
American national pavilion In the *
position Is now definitely fixed for
| next saturday, TWO days later than
originally place.. Tie ceremony viii
De very simple Nr. Charles A. Cool
idge, the archit t OF the structure
VIII hard over ii" building to United
states Commissioner General Peck
VINO IN turn, will transfer it 70 CON-
missioner General Picard. The Amer
ican building will be given ro To ad-
min1strative and reception purposes
the idea being to have a sort of cInr.
Where Americans may fraternize In tha-
afternoon On the main floor Is located
united States postoffice and a bureau
OF Information as we'll as reading and
waiting rooms. The postoffice Is in
lenoed TO De an object lesson to Euro
pedns OF prompt and business-iike
handling of postal matters
Inc second floor will be devoted t,s
various state headquarters. the roox
OF which will be handsomely finished
oy the states OF New York. Massachu-
setts and California but will be onen
to all American citizens. The COMMIT
SION reception room viii OCCUPY tia
third foor, while on the fourth yfiD f,~
found the headquarters of various ar
| CARNATIONS
The important question of the s-c,r,-
~ OF the exhibits at the exoosftIon -
raised this week by a practIcaI 1a,xss- m-s
stratfon OF their insecurity. afYorded ~
Dig 1eweler OF the Eue de la RoIx T.
oraer 20 TEST the safety Of his yaIua HE
exhibit. he conceived the idea NJ -nh.
Ding himself Accompanied by two
h,s shn.. ns pt0ceeded unchallenged to
ms showcase, opened II, carefully nack-
go quantity Of silverware and nther
sa.uaoIes under the eyes OF the euar-
waa u,ans OF the department, to whom he
tn h,,,,t .er stranger. and then left
ss ouiidfng and the grounds unmo-
IT, carrying the goods with him
me americans are watched over day
anu night by American guards. the
ulper OF which was increased thu
week to sixty.
"A computation OF figures by an Amer
| lean official indicates that there nm
oe In the neighborhood of 150, 900 Ameri-
cans IN Paris during the next si1