Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-04-25
SUPPOSED K|DNAPP[R.
Intense Excitement and ! Lively
Chase After a Man and
Child.
Are Overhauled and the Girl Re.
turned to It's Mother. Mrs.
Anna Banks.
Kidnapper Proved TO Be the
Child's Father and Was AL
lowed to Go.

For a time Wednesday evening 1t APP
ipeared that Marshalltown was to have
full-aedged Kidnapping. case, and the
residents of North Second street were
out in force to join in chase after the
kidnapper and his prize or to enlist the
opments proved that the child whom the
skidnapper was making away with was
Ihis own daughter, and after being over
hauled at the river. the child secured
and the father brought back TO town, he
was released.
The capture was effected after live.
~ and exciting chase and by the use of
the telephone. AT a few minutes before
. O'Clock a man driving a team attached
TO buggy was seen to lift a girl into
his vehicle a point midway between
Estate and Grant streets on Second, and
immediately whip his horses into a run
companion of the girl, Who claimed
10 be sister. commenced screaming
and started after the team. Her cries
attracted the attention of residents
along the street and of passers-by, and
she told every one she met that her SIS
ter had been stolen by the man in the
buggy. Mr.. ID. w. Norris. Jr., who saw
the episode at a distance and supposed
the man was drunk and abusing his
children. telephoned TO the Benson mill
and suggested that the team be stopped
and the matter investigated. In the
meantime number had started in pur-
suit, including Mail Carrier Dick Pat
ton, on his bicycle. and MIR. j. r. Kirk,
who took the other girl into his buggy
and followed at rapid pace. Other
telephone messages We're sent to the
mayors office and to the water works.
and at the river bridge the supposed
kidnapper was stopped, a hay wagon
having been driven across the approach
to the bridge on receipt of Mr.. Norris
message.
When MIR. Kirk arrived at the bridge
with the other sister he took the girl
from the supposed kiinapper's buggy.
The latter did not resist, as the older
girl. who seems to know considerable
concerning the ways of the world, said
Mr. Kirk was the sheriff. All the man
said was that 1t was not right In take
the girl from him. The, girls said their
name was Banks. and that their moth
w H'Aas's piei RESULTED III tilt IDlu
brick residence adjacent To the railway
tracks on South Third street. Mr.. Kirk
took both the girls to that place and
delivered them to the mother. The story
the girls told was to the effect that the
man, who proved to be John b. Banks.
had coaxef them to North Second
street. with the assistance of a man
named Could, and that there the
younger one had been seized By her
father. This relationship was not
known to exist at the time of the chase,
otherwise it is not probable there would
have been no interference
Mr.. Patten accompanied Banks up
town and turned him over to the Off
GERS who. after obtaining his story. let
him go. Banks was a former employe
of the Pilgrim hotel. where he worked
as fireman. He has separated from his
wife and desired to obtain the custody
of his child. The older girl who gave
him such lively chase and caused his
capture is step daughter. Banks is
now living in the country, it is said.
During the excitement along Second
street every mother who heard the
story rounded up her children to make
sure that none of hers was the stolen
child Some of the people who did not
know of the relationship of the man
and girl were in humor to lynch
RANKS