The San Francisco call., 1903-12-12
Candy Lures Boy and
Firearms Scare
ReSCuePS,
Bold Strangers Seize Son Be
fore Eyes OF Startled
Mother.
They PrOWl Like HighbindsrS, Then
Quickly Clutch Victim and Drive
Away in ROt Haste.

The Seven-Mile House, just below
Colma, was the scene of a sensational
abduction at 5 o'clock last Thursday
afternoon. Two strange men seized
the two-year-o son of Ida f. Pierson,
in plain view of a dozen people, hurled
the shrieking little one into top buggy
and dashed up the road to San Fran
cisco. with a crowd of enraged men in
vain pursuit.
The deed was accomplished by a dis
play of firearms and dire threats.
Sandy Ferguson, the pugilist, almost
prevented the abduction. butts was
forced to relinquish his hold on the
horses at the point of a revolver. The
police authorities of San Francisco
were notified of the occurrence as soon
as possible and detectives were imme-
diately placed upon the case. The
mother of the stolen child is frantic
with grief.
No one seems to be able TO give much
Of description of the man who re-
mained in the buggy. His companion
is said to have been we'll dressed, short
in stature. of prepossessing appearance
and with a curly black. mastaelle..
Mrs. Pierson has recently come to
this section of the State from Corona.
For several weeks she has been living
at the Seven Mile House as the guest
of Jack Sutton, the proprietor. Her
little boy, Billy" has been a great IA
vorite of Ferguson and his followers,
who have been living at Sutton's place.
Wednesday afternoon the smaller Of
the two abductors drove up to the
Seven-Mile House and hitched his
horse. He then strolled into the bar
room and purchased a few drinks He
finally turned the conversation to the
subject of Mrs. Pierson and her child
and casually elected the information of
which he was in search. The barkeeper
and the hangers-on were entirely un-
suspicious and after the stranger had
made the acquaintance of Billy" he
drove away in the direction of San
Francisco.
Shortly after noon Thursday. the
previous days visitor drove up again
with companion. He walked into the
barroom as before and bought drinks
for the crowd. and one which he car
ried out to his companion. Soon he
asked after the child, but it was ex-
planned that the little fellow was up
stairs with his mother. Hour after
hour the two strangers waited pa
tiently, the one in the barroom and the
other in the buggy. At about o'clock
the little boy appeared in company with
his mother.
The stranger smiled and held out
some candy. The child followed MIN
delightedly. Finally the candy was
dropped over the rail on the porch and
the youngster ran down the steps to
secure it.
Suddenly the stranger picked up the
boy. threw him into the buggy, and
jumped in himself. The mother
screamed and the child gave terrified
shrek. Sandy Ferguson leaped from
the piazza where he had been sitting
and grasped the horses heads. Tie
man who mad remained in the buggy
whipped out a revolver with an oath
and shouted to Ferguson to let go and
the others 10 keep away or some one
would get killed. The pugilist jumped
back and the abductors were soon fly
ing up the road.
Teams were secured and a free pur-
suit commenced. The strangers had
the fastest team. however. and easily
distanced their pursuers- The local po-
lice authorities were informed by tele-
phone from Colma of what had taken
place and an attempt was made to
head off the fugitives, but in vain. The
abductors knew what they were doing
and took a roundabout course. as was
shown by the subsequent investigation
of the detectives.
Mrs. Pierson has recently separated
from her husband and as he was very
desirous Of securing their child she is
inclined to think the husband is at
the bottom of the matter. AS Pierson
is known to have been in San Francis
co and to have left for his mothers
home in Missouri with his child yester-
day afternoon it is not out Of the
range of possibility that Mrs. Persons
surmise is correct.
She is known as Mrs Pope and has
resided at 40 Bush street recently. Her
husband has commenced an action fer
divorce in Riverside County. He is su-
perintenden. of the Corona Power
Company.