The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-12-22
ABDUCTED

"A Miss Hattie Bailey. daughter Of
prominent English manufacturer, had
taken quarters at a sanitarium among
the L.l,s OF Scotland to be treated for
a nervous disorder. One afternoon.
after being in the place for week o.
so, she walked up the road about
ilile. accompanied by her maid. They
sat down in the shade Of large rock,
and after perhaps half an hour Miss
Bailey fell asleep. and the maid got up
and began gathering bouquet.
AS they left the sanitarium a wit
less yokcl named Adair was moving
weeds in field up the road. but
neither Of the women observed him.
lie followed after them, keeping in
the fields and determined to take adj
vantage Of any opportunity. The maid.
Sarah. was not over 200 feet away.
though out OF sight of her mistress,
when Adair crept up to the sleeping
girl, passed his folded handkerchief
over her mouth and tied 1t, and by
the time she was awake he was carry.
ing her off in his arms.
she naturally enough cried out and
struggled, but her cries were muffied.
and her strength was taken away by
the surprise of the moment. Adair
carried her across an open field forty
rods wide, and yet boy at work at
the north end of it and only forty
rods away did not see him. A sports
man at the south end. about as far
and yet he was as blind as the boy.
The maid returned to find her mis-
tress gone, and. though surprised at
the fact. she argued that Miss Bailey
had returned to the hotel. She took
her own time about getting there. and
It was 6 o'clock before there was any
general inquiry, and after dark before
any one was sent out in search.
Something had happened during the
interval TO deepen the mystery. Miss
Bailey's room had been plundered of
her trunk and clothing. The maid
occupied room adjoining. and yet
some one had come by night and re-
moved the things without raising the
slightest alarm. Most Of the cloth
ing was hanging up. The garments
had been taken down and placed in
the trunk and the trunk carried down
pair Of stairs, through two halls and
out Of a back door.
Until the father arrived 1t was gen.
erally believed that the girl had fed
with lover who had followed her to
Scotland He soon dispelled that be-
lief and stopped all gossip, and then
a professional detective was told tC
go to work He was soon satisfied
that the whole thing was the work OF
some daring villain, and as Mr.. Bailey
was a very wealthy man it was nat
ural to conclude that his daughter had
been abducted in order to eXtort large
sum of money. The man who carried
her off was also the one who carried
her trunk from the sanitarium II ht
was not going to hold her seyera
weeks somewhere, why was the neet
of the extra clothing? And yet thu
idea Of such a crime being perpctratet
in Scotland almost paralyZed the Of
ticer and made him doubt his own con
clusions.
Meanwhile. how Jared 1t with th,
girl? AS she was being carried acros!
the field She recognized Adair as NJ
employee of the sanitarium. Though
greatly surprised at his actions, sh,
Fri ;rl.
ing he had made mistake and seizet
her in place of some country girl IL
talked to her as he hurried along, say
ing he meant her no harm, but wa
only trying to win wager made will
q friend. On the far side of the clear
Ell field Miss Bailey made such q figh
that he had to put her down, and sh
also got the handkerchief clear of he
mouth. Then he threatened her witt
death it she raised an alarm, and sh
walked the rest Of the way to q cav,
about two miles distant. He had fur
nished TIE opening with rude bu
stout door, and as soon as she wa
safe inside he put up the bar and re
turned to his work without his nh
sence having been noticed. That nigh
he returned TO the cave aud informe,
the girl that he had fallen in love wit
her and would keep her prisoner unit
she agreed to marry him. 1t was h
who carried her trunk out of the hote
Adair visited the cave but once Il
twenty-fonr hours, and that was a
about O'Clock in the evening. He Pre-