The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-28
RAN ! !. !
WITH. II L N.
Mother KidKaps Her Children.
In sHenrlCO.
'A LAWYER AND Al DEPUTY.
Persued the Fleeing Family and Let
Them 60 After They Caught
Them legal Proceedings
n Y. ~ to Be Outcome. Sls

IL With q cons table and nm attorney flying
behind her In pursuit, Mrs Charles M.
Davidson, Of Henrico county. kidnapped
two OF her own chidren yesterday aftor-
noon and made her way into Richmond,
where she has taken up her resldence
pending the decision In q suit for divorce
Instituted some months ago by her hus-
band. "A 5.i8 4 81 III x III
III .rhe affair created quite stir In the
county and It Will In all probability
suit In court proceedings on the part Of
the father to recover the poss ession Of
his children. Just what steps will be
taken cannot now be said definitely. but
Mr. H. Nj M. smithp$ Jr., counsel for the
husband, said last night that the matter
would certainly be followed up. neither
a petition will be filed or habeas corpus
proceedings set afoot, or some other such
move made Is a matter he could not de-.
eide until he had had an interview with
his client. 81 III f5 " A ~
AIN THE DIVORCE CASE.
Mr.. Davidson Is h a son Of a Henrico
farmer, and has made his home with his
father, which Is some twelve miles down
In Yar1nag District. Some years ago he
was married to q Miss Fletcher, Of Rich
mond, and three children sprang from this
union One Of them Us q girl about eight
years Of age;$ the others are boys, about
three and six respectively. y nth the Irlgg
Shipyards closed down Mr.. b av wilson was
engaged in work there More recently, It
is understood, he has sought employment
in Petersburg. q. a. a
!. About Ave months ago. ut Is alleged
Mrs. Davidson left her husband and came
to Richmond to i've. She took With her
the elght-year- old girl, but left the two
little boys behind. Suit for divorce was was
shortly afterwards Instituted by MI. Da-s
wilson. who charged sdesertion. He also
filed q petition asking for the custody
OF the child the woman had taken with
her. He did this upon the ground that
she was not a proper pers SON.. me 7, ollls
were filed In the Law and Equity court :; our.
or Richmond, and dispositions are now
wilson is Mr.. Harry NJ. Smith, Jr.. Of
Richmond; the interests OF the defendant
IN the suit are being looked after BY MI.
Robert 8. n Ives, Of Manchester, u 4 q.
ay RAN AWAY WITH THEM.
a few days ago Mrs. Davidson instir
tuted detinue proceedings to recover
some personal property she had left at
her husbands house, and yesterday az
ternoon about 2 o'clock she set off from
the Henrico courthouse to Identity the
property for the officer who went to
serve the attachment She was accom-
panied BY her niece and her attorney.
Mr.. Rives. The three droyeB down IN
the same buggy, In another buggy went
Deputy Sheriff John Voegler with 1.-The
attachment. X A .53t
e When the house was reac hed "A 1t was
found that Mr.. Davidson was away from
home, Nobody was there but his aged
father and the two little lchildren.A
careful list was made Of the goods
claimed by the woman, and the officer
Meanwhile the niece OF Mrs. Davidson
was In the yard playing with the children,
giving them candy and nuts and other
things children love. IA III 81
The upshot Of the thing was TINT the
little ones were gotten into the buggy,
The next thing Deputy Voegler, saw was
cloud Of dust in the distance and a IA p
idly moving vehicle containing the niece.
Mrs Davidson, the two little Davidsons
and Mr.. Rives' overcoat. II.
SET OUT IN PURSUIT. g55
Without further ado the officer and
the attorney fell into the remaining
buggy and turned the horses head full
In the direction of the retreating mother
and her children. The race kept up un-
til, near Richmond. the woman was over
taken. Mr.. Rives rescued his overcoat.
which had. Of course. been carried off
by mistake in the hurry, but Mrs David
son and her two children went on and
came to Richmond After he had caught
up with them the deputy was In doubt
OF any legal right on his part to arrest
them or take he boys away. and he de-
AS soon as they came into town, Mr.,
Voegler communicated with Mr., Smith,
counsel for Mr., Davidson, and Mr., Rives
went TO see him. The Manchester at
torney manifested the liveliest regret at
tho occurrence, and made 1t plain that
he had had no hand In It. He went
down merely to see the attachment
served, never suspccting the sequel i
E2s$se WHAT MIR. SMITH SAYS.
W. When seen last night at his residence
Mr.. Smith said he regarded the affair.
as a high handed and unwarranted pro-
ceeding, He had not yet seen his client.
but expected to hear from him as soon
as he learned OF the loss Of the children.
Until he did see him ne could not say
Just what would BIO done.
1t was very positively stated by Mr.,
Smith, however. that proceedings OF some
sort will be Instituted at once, The ground
for them will be. as In the case OF the
girl, that Mrs. Davidson Is not the prop
er person to have the custody OF the chill
dren. The legal step In such a matter.
said Mr., Smith, would be petition In
court, hnbeas corpus proceedings or some
thing OF the like. Any Of these courses
may be adopted by Mr., Davidson,
RPOADUS-M MEMORIAL.