The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-06
TRUTHFUL THOMAS KIDNAPPED
SUNDAY SCHOOL BOYS ADVENT.
IRE RIGHT IN NEW YORK.
yeracious Tale Showing That II Isn't
Safe for Lads OF Twenty to Walk
Through Fulton street at No0ntime-
A Perilous Trip to Darkest jersey.


Through Fulton Street at Noontime-
A Perilous Trip to Darkest Jersey.
People who read stories OF young men
who are kidnapped In busy streets Of New
York in broad daylight and don't believe
them should hsTe a talk with Thomas
Harry Male. an apprentice in w. j. Bormay
4 Co.'S lthographing establishment at "a
Fulton street. Thomas told to the police
Yesterday story OF how he was kidnapped
by four men little after noon on Thurs
day.
Thomas is 20 years old. and has worked
with the Bormay company for three years,
during which he was never known to tell
a lie He lives with his parents at "a
Charles street, Rosebank Staten Island,
is member Of St. Johns Church and
Sunday school there and is a member OF
the Grace Chapel Athletic Club. at Second
avenue and Fourteenth street.
The boy was often sent by his employers
with checks to be deposited in the Nassau
Bank, at Nassau and Beekman streets
On Thursday at 1890 o'clock he left the shop
for lunch without putting on his collar and
started for a restaurant In South street
Then the strange things happened. This
Is how he tells about 1t:
Il was in the restaurant in South street.
near Fulton. for about twenty-five minutes
Then | came out and walked up Fulton
street When I got to Front street at the
back OF Fulton Market two strange men
stepped up to me. A coach, pulled by one
horse. drove up. Then. quick as a fash,
before l could make an cutlery. the two
men grabbed me from behind and pushed
mo into the coach. in which we're two other
men, one of whom had opened the door.
Before I had time to yell for help the
two men who had grabbed me got in and
the coach drove away at q rapid rate. 1
was pushed to the floor and one man
held his hand over my mouth Another
took band Of cloth and wrapped 1t over
nv nose and mouth, gagging me so that
could not utter a sound and making it al
most impossible for me to breathe.
II could not tell which way the coach
was going The men kept silent, except
when | struggled. Then one Of them
would say:
IF you don't stop that I'll punch you
an a little while l heard a gong and
knew l was going on a ferryboat. To the
best of my recollection we were on the
boat about twenty minutes. Then we
landed and continued the drive, first over
rough cobblestones and then on dirt roads.
was nearly st1ed by the bandage which
bound my nostrils.
AT last the cab stopped and the man
who was sitting on me all the way over
turned to me and said:
There are five Of us here to do you II
you try to squeal on us. We will shoot
YOU and throw your body into the river
" you say one word Of what we have done
BY the fifth man l suppose he meant the
driver.
.The man who threatened me had red
nair and red mustache, and would know
man went through my pockets and took
all they found there-Sl so in change, some
receipts and my membership card in the
athletic club.
Then they pushed me out OF the coach
after taking the gag from my mouth, and
Nv that was out in the country beside
a narrow stream. A green fst-bottomed
rowboat was moored TO the bank and
thought the men were going to take me out
in II and drown me, 80 made a dash to get
away
TO my surprise the men didn't try to
stop me. but yelled: Run as fast as you can
or we will shoot Needless to say, ran.
road track. | walked along that for a
time, when a freight train came along and
stole a ride on 1t to the freight yards in
Jersey City. I begged my. way across
once one in New York got back to Staten Isl
and with ferry tickets which had in the
watch pocket of my trousers
Il never saw the men before. They were
all dressed in dark. clothes. and though
they were not rowdies they did not look
like gentlemen. They were all middle
aged The man with the red hair was some
what shorter than the rest. One Of the
others was rather thin and ! noticed that
half Of the thumb on his left hand was
Young Male said he, knew some people
would doubt the story. but he swore that he
was telling the truth. He had no enemies
that he knew Of, and the only theory ne
carrying money to the bank.
The boy told the story OF his adventures
to his parents when he got home, and yester-
day morning his father who ia shoemaker
with shop in Front street, went with him
and told his employer about 1t.
Mr.. Bormay Immediately called up an
evening newspaper to tell all about the
could be trusted. and then sent him to the
Oak street police station to report it..
Thomas told the story to Roundsman
Mulhall and Detective Sergeant Stafford.
and though they made him tell it over
and over again, they didn't get a1y con.
10 look over the ground and came TO the
conclusion that the kidnapping could not
possibly have taken place:
At the place where the boy said the cab
drove up there are a numper OF poolhs III
which people who sell things can see the
street. No one could be found who saw any
scuffie or any cab, and according to the
detectives cabs stop 30 seldom in that part
OF the town that one certainly would have
been noticed.
Young Male was somewhat elated that
the detectives were not able to shake his
story.
"fhey made me 60 over it about twenty
times, but l never changed It Bit, ne
said. Then with true dramatic instinct he
added: "And this ia New York! This
happened In New York;
A u n