The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-09-22
Carried Away BY Two Men He
Met on Road.
Taken TO a Large City; Com
PEELED TO Commit a Crime.
Released, Found Himself in
Front of Own Home.
Especial to The Free Press.1

NelIOi NchIti- NoSpl. w. - N'i''h6N
and very interesting story comes from
Ceresco township, this county, regard
ing the experience of young boy, who
lives in that neighborhood.
The lads name is Byron johnson, an
adopted son of Mr.. and Mrs. George
Johnson of Ceresco. He was adopted
bv them when he was a small child. His
age now is about seventeen years. He
has always been considered an exceed
ingly bright boy and was very studious.
He had recently taken two minor prizes
given by the w. c. T. L. in Demorest
contests and was preparing his grafton
to compete for the last grand prize.
On Saturday evening, September 2,
the young man had been invited to the
home of neighbor, Mrs. Rask, to eat
watermelon with the children of her
family and other young people of the
community. So after attending to his
duties about the house young Johnson
donned some clean clothing, including
a new suit of underwear and started
for the Rask home. He carried with
him in a paper sack small quantity
of coffee which his mother had Dor
rowed from Mrs Rask.
The evening sped by and the boy did
not return home. Morning came and
still he was not there. Inquiry at the
Rask home revealed the fact that John
son was not there. neither had he been
there the night before-a surprise to
those who had sent him the invitation.
Boy Does Not Return
His parents and the neighbors became
alarmed and a systematic search was
instituted for him, which continued for
several days yet with no satisfactory re-
suits and the boys absence became a
perplexing mystery. His friends could
in no possible way account for his mys-
terious absence. There was no known
reason why he should leave home. His
foster parents idolized him, his home
associations were happy and all his sur
roundings congenial and pleasant.
The days went by and the lads
friends had about reached the conclu-
sion that he had deliberately gone away
and left them, having some reason of
his own for not apprising them. But
their anxiety was relieved last We'd
nesday morning. At three o'clock that
morning the Johnson's heard someone
rapping on their door. Upon opening it
they found standing on the steps none
other than their son, Byron. Being ur-
gently questioned as to where he had
been and why he went away, the young
man recently told the following story:
Says He Was Kidnapped.
s'You may think / deliberately went
away and left you, but l did not. |
stubble field that evening and was about
halfway on my way to Mrs. Rask's.
when two men suddenly appeared before
me. Both of them had revolvers and
before | had talked to them any OF
could run away, one of them struck me
on the back of the head and l at once
became unconscious. Then | must have
been drugged for when | came to some
considerable time must have elapsed and
/ was in what appeared to be quite
a large city. When l gained conscious
ness, and realized my surroundings, the
men removed all my clothing and sup
piled me with clothes they had pro-
vided. Then under threats of torture
and possible death if failed to do what
they demanded of me / was induced
to aid them in the commission of an
awful crime and then, under penalty
of death l was commanded to never
utter a word about it to any living
mortal. / was kept a few days longer
and then my captors took from me the
clothes they had given me, and re-
turned to me my own. Soon after
again became dazed and knew nothing
about what was transpiring until | woke
up and found myself lying upon the
ground out in front of our house. When
I realized where / was | Immediately
got up, came to the door and raped
for admission. Oh, you may not believe
me but ! insist swear that all
have told you is the solemn TRUTH"
Returned With Clean Clothes.
Some features of the case point to.
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