The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-26

At $50 last night, after the police
had been searching for the child for
several hours, Mrs. c. E. Raper, who
lives west of town on the Seventeenth
street road, drove to the police station
with the missing child. She had seen
an account of the abduction in the
State Journal, and when the little girl
wandered into her yard she recognized
the description given.
The girl was badly frightened, and
seemed unable to give an account of her
| experience with the brute who enticed
her from home.
voting story to officers, while the
detectives started out to search FOR
We1ch. They learned that he had been
living with a married daughter two
blocks west and a block north of the
Washburn ball park.
The daughter said that she saw WEIGH
twice about 2 or 2:30 in the afternoon.
The first time he came to the house she
saw the child standing on the street 2
short distance away, waiting for him.
Half an hour later he returned without
| the little girl, stayed a few minutes
and then hurried away.
From the story told by little Miriam
Merritt it was gathered that the old
man told her to wait while he went in
the house, and after returning, led her
to a lonely ravine- Welch then told the
child to tell no one, and left her. She
wandered around about six hours be-
in a buggy by Mrs. c. E. Raper.
The police spent the entire night in
searching for WEIGH, in buggies and au-
tonobiles, and resumed the chase today.
Welch is a tall man with sandy gray
mustache. He was dressed in slouchy
black suit and blak hat
Mrs. Peter Merritt. the little girl's
aunt was almost prostrated with ex-
citement and apprehension after the
disappearance of the child.
Mrs. Merritt is suffering with heart
trouble and it was feared that the
shock would kill her. She spent the af-
ternoon in driving about the outskirts
of the city in a buggy in search of the
girl The little niece is mentally weak
and an easy victim. She is the daugl1-
ter of Samuel Merritt, formerly of To-
peka, and now in Washington, who left
her. together with a young sister in the
care of Mrs. Peter Merritt. She was
not seriously injured.
Welch came to the little girl while she
was playing near her home at O'Clock
yesterday and enticed her away with
promises of car ride.
The child went in the house. changed
| her dress and boarded a Sixth avenue
car with him. They transferred to the
Washburn line, and from the end of the
track walked west along Seventeenth
| street
Welch was seen hanging around the
Merritt home last winter. and the little
girls were warned against him.
Welch was brought TO the police
station and charged with the crime
prevaricated frequently and was
caught up on his statements by Coun-
| ty Attorney Hungate, who questioned
him.
WEIGH claimed that the little girl
had followed him away from her home
against his will, and that he had re-
peatedly urged her to return.
He said that she had ridden to the
| end of the Washburn line with him
and then started away in an opposite
direction while he went to the home of
his daughter, two blocks west of the
ball park.
around the home of his daughter all the
afternoon, but the officers knew bet
! ter than that. as they had been to the
house three times in search of him.
He was taken to the county Jail, and
| then Chief Goodwin and Detective
Pavey went to the home of his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Anne Caylor, and took her
statement Mrs. Caylor said in an
swer to questions:
ssIt was after / o'clock when he
came to the house l remember near
| ing the whistle blow. I haven't seen
him since he said he was going away.
He called and asked if the children
were here. Then he turned and went
away. The little girl was not close
enough so I could tell who she was or
what she looked like. He came back
later and ate a lunch. That was be-
| fore he said he was going away My
| husband came home last night and ]
was Drostrated.
1.-The children went down town with
their grandfather about 9 O'Clock in
the morning. He didn't say where he
was going when he left here in the
afternoon, and I didn't ask him. He
was away about three months and has
been back only two days. We used to
live at 80 Polk street before We