New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-11-30
BL4JR ACCUSED OF ABDUCTION.
SUPERINTENDENT OF POOR DENIES
THAT HE Is HIDING WOMAN WHO
COOKED FOR PROMINENT MEN.

Justice Clarke in the Supreme Court yesterday,
on the application OF George C MacLoushIh' Is
sued writ Of habeas corpus directing George baii
who IS described in the petition filed by MY Mac
Toughrin as pretending to be- Superintendent OF
the Public Poor. TO produce in court EIen DUN
whom he is alleged to restrain from her hpertS-
Mr. NacIloughlin charges Superintendent biali
with defrauding The OF s5.G-o. placing her IN
a convent at Bauvelt. and. when he found mat Slt
was taking proceei Ings regain her liberty with
abducting her ana concealing her 50 that heF ID"
yer could not IND her.
AfacI.oughlin says - first met Ellen Duff in last
Ma wandering about he streets. She told MN
80. hsd beeu taken to the Convent Of St. Dominic
T. Superintendent Blair. She declared ne says
tat Blair induced her 10 hand over all her prop
81 y TO him, and that then he had Imprisoned her
IN tie convent. The lawyer said that at hrst ne
did not believe her story and thought she was
crazy but after watching her carefully and con-
versing with her he became convinced that she
was T,erfectlv sane. She told him that she hac
been induced 70 sign paper conveying about soVVV'
which she had in several banks. 10 Blair because
she feared he would send her TO the island
MacI.oughlfn says that ne made investigation
at the banks and found that part OF her story was
true He then went and saw Blair and demanoeo
Ellen Duff's money. Blair. he alleges, made sew
eral appointments with him which he dld not
keep and at last an action was begun by the
woman for the recovery of her money and the
cancellation of the deed executed by her Since
Ellen Duff was anxious TO return 10 New-A DIRK
MaCl.oughln
money and on August l last she went 10 board
with Sarah McNTanus at No. 547 East Fifteenth-st
About this time Blair. il is said instituted pro
ceeding in Blauvelt 10 have Ellen duff adjudged
insane. and she her lawyers advice went 10
board in Far Rockaway with Margaret J. Kessler,
an old friend Mr.. MacLoughlin declares that last
Tuesday he to Mrs Kessler's house and
found that she and Ellen Duff had disappeared
He says he does know where she is but be-
leyes that Blair some person acting for MIN
has abducted the woman. t5e further says that
Blair has fled an answer in the action admitting
that he received 1865 belonging 10 Ellen Duff and
has spent $500 Of it for her benefit
In an affidavit sworn TO by Ellen Duff she says
that she came 10 this country from Ireland wheS n
she fifteen years old and learned the art OF
scientific cooking. She had been employed by poth
Bensett, ir s = r. Gruger. solomon P Chase
Governor William Sprague and Vanderbilt Alien:
House on the night OF june : 1900 because having
faen detained un1 a late hour in preparing dinner
for a large party she had been locked out at her
home and she did not wish 10 incur the expense
She was brought before supeTintendent Blair. who
demanded she should sign some papers he had pre-
afraid she would be sent to the Island
Mr.. Blair made a statement yesterday, in the
course OF which he said that the woman had
wandered into the lodging house about two years
f+jend Si' When her Clothes were disinfected it
was found that several hankbooks Were in her
tsr line She had tod him tbat sba wa living in
q lodging house in East Twenty-second-st.. and
that she wanted the city take OF her. as
everybody was trying to get her money She had
given him the power Of attorney. which he still
held He said that September s last the woman
had been placed in the insane pavilion in bellevue
Hospital for inspection. She had been found by
the police Of the East T|enty-secOnd-St. station
IL East FifteenTh-st. on September 2 she dis
charged from Bellevue as sane He further said
that Mrs. kesser had come to him few days
ago and requested him TO take charge Of Ellen
Duff, she had had her for a long time and had
received the pay MacLoughn had agreed 10
give her. He had then taken the woman and
placed her N a private hospital where she was
being carefully cared for. He would not tell where
the hospital for fear Sfle would De abducted
He declared that every step he had taken had
been after he had consulted Mr.. Keller and the
lawyers Of the department He believed he had
acted throughout in accordance with the law