The sun., 1903-11-25
FOUGHT FOR RUNAWAY GIRL.
ABDUCTION CASE FOUND IN
UNUSUAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

West Fifty.nrst Street Folks Help Mother
TO Get Back Her I5.Year-Old Daugh.
ter-TwO Women and q Man Under
Observation-Disclosures Accused, Too.
There's case OF alleged abduction Of
little lame girl now pending in the West
Side police court which recalls District
Attorney Jerome's stories OF two years
ago about the brass checks and the rec
lights of Allen street.
Edna Whalen, who lived with her mother
at S24 West Thiry-fourth street, is the girl
who strayed away from home. She is
Is years old but looks as II she might be ls.
She is cripple.
Edna was found In fiat at $40 West
Fifty-first street, occupied by woman
who calls herself Mrs. George 8. Sprague.
speculator.' The Sprague woman, Thorne
Thomas and young woman named
Dolly were all arraigned yesterday in the
West Side police court
Dolly was sent to the House Of Detention
as witness and the Sprague woman and
Thomas were held in 81 500 bail each for
examination on Friday.
Edna left home just after supper on elec-
tion night. She told her mother that she
was going over to Madison Square to see
the crowds and read the returns.
That was the last her mother saw Of her
until Monday night, when Mrs. Whalen
caught the child just as she was going into
the Sprague woman's fiat.
Ihe girls own story to the police and her
mother is that in the election night crowd
she met man who asked her to go with
him and have some ice cream.
He said his name was Miller" continued
Edna. He bought some ice cream and
then we walked around awhile till got
tired and said | wanted to go home. He
took me to hotel. The next day he took
me to Mrs. Sprague's to board, and lived
there till mamma grabbed me last night"
The girl also siad that several men came
to the house to see her and Dolly, and paid
money to the Sprague woman.
Mrs Whalen hunted the Tenderloin for
her daughter for three weeks. She finally
learned Of Edna's whereabouts on Sunday
from young man, friend OF the family,
who said that he had seen her going into
the apartment house at $40 West Fifty first
street.
The mother went there on Monday and
learned from the neighbors that her
daughter had gone out. Mrs. Whalen
took up her station in a vestibule half way
down the block.
The mother kept her post for six hours.
At O'Clock in the afternoon she saw Edna
limping through the street from Ninth
avenue. The house in which the Sprague
woman lives was between her and her
mother.
The two reached the step at the same
time. Mrs " halen held out her arms. but
the girl rushed by her and had one hand
on the door knob when her mother sprang
forward. seized her by the waist and dragged
her back to the sidewalk.
Edna continued to struggle till lot OF
neighbors, who had been wat ching all the
time from the windows. came out and
offered to help the mother. Then Edna
consented to go home. AS a matter Of
precaution Mrs. Whalen took her to the
Gerry society.
Then the det ctve went around to the |
house and arrested Mrs. Sprague, |
Thomas and Dolly on Mrs. Whalen's com
plant They had lived there about two |
Dolly admitted 10 Magistrate Ommen
that she was an abandoned woman and |
told what had occurred in the Sprague
apart n1ents.
The Sprague woman said that she was
specplator and was downtown every day
quot at ions. 50 didn't know what
her boarders might do in her absence. |
She declared that she was not guilty OF |
keeping q disorderly house
Thomas described himself as a specu-
lator 100.
He said that Edna Whalen was brought |
TO the house by saloonkeeper who paid
her board in advance.