The sun., 1901-04-03
af.erthousht to supply more specific details
as 20 leaving the money. read a. follows;

afterthousht TO supply more specific details
as to leaving the money. read as follows
dear Sir forgot in the letter van to come
at ay and T. 1855 NJ The square pail is n the
large boiler on Northeast corner and do not
come before y IN tonight q.
your truly ,,,,
Kid
At the northwest corner of lS5th street
and Third avenue. which Ia a vacant lot with
a high board fence about H. there lie two
new steam boilers. both on the i36th street
side, and the smaller one close to the corner.
In the longer one there IL a great iron scoop.
square dredgs scoop, its end outward
toward the open end Of the boiler, which il
about flls
When Mr. Mccormick got these alarming
letters he took them TO the police. and Capt.
had placed IN the scoop. Il was wrapped in
red cloth. a. directed, and Detectives BroNn-
ell and O'Leary were detailed on Monday
night TO watch H. They had a dreary time
Of IL in the strong biting wind. and did not
even get 40 much as nibble their bait.
Nobody Of the hundreds who passed mani
tested the ali lightest interest In either OF tho
boilers
Coming on top OF days OF anxiety and many.
sleepless nights these letters 80 .prostrated
Mr. and Mrs McC Cormick that both OF them
yesterday were under doctors care. Yes
terday afternoon Mrs, Mccormick was still
In a semi hysterical condition, while MI
Mccormick at last got some sleep BY the
doctors orders no one save members of the
family were admitted TO the house All who
called were met at the door by two of Mr.
Mccormick 9 daughters, who briefly explained
the situation. The familyoid not know Of tho
receipt Of the letters until Yesterday. as Mr
Mccormick thought Y advisable to say moth
ing about them until the police had taken
action.
had really sent the letters what would sur
yh.Nh haU Lnf,t hr
during the u or eight years that he has lived
at High Bridge would be that kidnappers
should seiect man In his well-known financial
straits "a a victim from whom TO extort
money. The house In which he lives, alt though
rather shabby for lack Of paint. II rather an
impoing one for that locality. standing on
knoll high up from the street and with rather
spacious grounds about IT, But IL Is notorious
that Mr. Mccormick Is In rather worse than
straitened circumstances. He lived IN New
Jersey some years ago and there had sue
ceS~iul b 'S"e>s n a florist
Subs aQuentlv he opened store In i25th
street and lost ali he had, Last summer he
went through bankruptcy proceedings and
In the ENHANCEMENT landed in Ludlow street
Jail, remaining about six months. The IN
terest he holds in the house where he lives
is Of the slenderest and he has been sup
ported very largely by the exertions Of his
daughters, two Of whom are teachers In the
public schools, while two Others are engaged
in Othe employment. That anybody should
select him as a mark for extoTtOn. therefore,
seems Incredible - most OF the people about
q.
among others, tie police put little fslth IN
the kidnapping theory.
There - however. another view Of the
case growing out Of the very fact Of Mr
might suggest possible motive tor innlct-
Ing upon him the terrible blow Of abduCtng
a child well knOwn - be the dearest 20 him.
perhaps, of all his family of twelve children
japt Cannon said last night that V was well
known thar Mr. Mccormick r business failure
had brought quit" heavy losses To number
In. ,tn lt i'm t.4F
enemies With the view to getting revenge
II was quite conceivable. capt. Cannon said.
that somebody might have stolen his child
With this view the mpludramatiC letters
might be only a blind to put Mr Mccormick
and the police Of IN" rral rail
capt Cannon although he would not com
init himself seemed Yesterday somewhat in
clinad to fear that he had a genuine case ~
kidnapping TO deal with There were some
among the ncghhor~. who Ind no Doubt In
their minds that the boy had been stolen
Among them Is Oscar NilgeroGt OF Ogden
avenue and l6lst street: 2 near neighb"t OF
Mr. McCornick Nr Willgerodt called at
the High Bridge police station last evening
and told Capt Cannon that he wished - ufer
| "A reward of 81 ,Do for the return ~ the child
and no questions asked
He said that his motive in doing This was
that his own little boy and Willie Mccormick
We're close irl"nds and playmatcS When
Capt Cannon informed him that IL was i'm
possible 10 give his sanction n police ofi"er
10 an ofet Of reward accompanied by 4 prom
ise of immunity 10 the criminal or criminals.
Mr NUlgeTOlt tuTltO lb lilt newspaper
reporters and requested them 10 make public
the fact that his Ofrr OF 81 900 reward and
no questions asked for the safe return 70
his parents of Willie Mccormick still held
good
When Mr. Mccormick, at his home last
evening, was informed Of this. he, expressed
himself with much emotion rs being deeply
grateful TO Mr. Willgcrudt. adding that ne
Himself could not even get together the $500
demanded In the letter, TO say nothing Of
paying n reward of $1,000.
One serious feature Of the case IL M" widely
different opinions held as 10 the missing
boys character and disposition BY his
family he is described a. being uncOWmonly
timid for a boy Of his wears II is said of
him that he was afraid t. sleep in his room
at night without the door open into room
oCCInied by two Of his listers.
He was afraid Of bugaboos. explained
johnny Jones one Of Nillies boy playmates
Yesterday and once last summer when we
were playing ball and II got dark he cried
and was afraid TO 90 home alone. 50 we went
with him.
On the other hand a young man VIII" knew
Willie well said that he was frequently in
the streets until 10 O'Clock a. night and could
and did whip most boys Of his age Father
Mullen of the Church Of the Sacred Heart,
which the Mccormick boy attended, said
Will" was wild bOy Father Mullen
made no secret II the fact that h" took little
stock IN the kidnapping theory and believed
that Will" had simply run away.
The MrCOTmick~. M explaining their
belief that Willie had not run away. said
that he had no money There wa q pocket