Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-07
LIKE A NOVEL.
Kidnapping and Robbery in
Sleepy Philadelphia.
Four Men Abduct Women, Steal
Jewels and Secure Large Checks.
Alter Her Escape. One Is Appreciated and
COniesses Whole Plot.

Philadelphia, oct. G.-Charged with
prisoner for four days. roDbing her
of jewels worth more than $1,000, and
compelling her 10 sign bank checks for
large sums Of money. is Che story
which the police unfolded here. today
when they announced the arrest Cf two
newspaper men, q Stenographer in an
other newspaper office, ana barber
all charged with completely. The men
locked up are Howard X. Sloan. an I'M
employed reporter. Henry Wallace. So
ciety editor Of morning newspaper
j. Knight Findlay of Wayne, near here
stenoGrapher in the business office Of
another morning paper, and oscar s.
Dunlap. a barber employed in one Of
the most prominent shops in the city.
The victim is Mrs. Mabel Goodrich Of
North 10th street. The four men We're
arrested. last night. and will be given
a hearing. tomorrow.
Last Monday. Mrs. Goodrich went to
police headquarters and told a story
Of kidnapping and robbery SO daring
that the police at first doubted its
truth. She said that a young man who
represented himself as a resident Of
Germantown. last Wednesday week
proposed a drive through Paramount
park. She went out with him in a car
riage with a pair of richly caparisoned
horses and with a coachman on the
box wearing stylish livery.
At g lonely place in Paramount park
the carriage was stopped by a man.
who. she said. represented himself as
7
attorney Of the Law and Order Society
of this city. This man. she went on to
say. told her that he had warrant for
her arrest on the charge Of keeping
dsorderly house, but that the matter
could be fixed up. He was invited into
The carriage and the next moment she
was gagged and Dlindfolded. The men
conveyed her into a building where
ire engine and a hook and ladder
truck We're standing.
She was kept 9 prisoner from Tues
day night until Friday night without
anything to eat or drink, and was then
taken on another long drive, blindfold-
ed, to a house where she was kept from
Friday until Monday. in the latter
place the men, who We're ma sked
stripped her of the jewelry and at the
point of revolver compelled her to
sign bank checks fer various sums of
money she had deposited in the Third
National Bank. The men finally put
ner out of a carriage at 10th and Pop
La streets, about a mile from her
house.
The detectives secured several clues
which led them to a fire house in
" 81 no.
fire company is a volunteer organiza-
ton and the key to the place was kept
in the nearest dwelling. The nearest
house was occupied by family named
Findlay and there the police learned
that one Of the boys was J. Knight
Findlay. Getting a description of him
the police returned to the city and
found The young man. who is 81 years
Old. in the office where he is employed.
He was charged with the crime and
broke down and implicated three
others.
Findlay said that he had imperson-
ated the coachman. that Sloan, the I'M
employed reporter acted the part Of
Attorney Gibbony. that the barber
played the part of the rich Germantown
resident and that Wallace. the society
editor. had rented = house in German
town where Mrs. Goodrich was to have
been held a captive.
Sloan. the police said. conceived the
whole plot He was to have begun
work on the same newspaper on which
Findlay was employed, tomorrow.
Wallace has been society editor of the
paper on which he was employed for +
only two weeks.