The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-03-15
CANE NEAR GETTING
WHAT Ne DESERVED
An Incensed Father Takes Several Shots
at the Man Who Tried to Kid
nap His Little Daughters.


It's cold day when there isn't a SEN
sational case sprung in the Yakima
courts. but as a rule all do not end SO
quickly as the last one did. 1t came
from Zillah. and the main facts in con.
nection with it are as follows:
The first of last week an aggrega.
ton of white and colored men blew in
to the county, stopping at Zillah with
the intention of giving minstrel show.
They did give some kind of an exhibit
ton on Tuesday evening of last week,
which was attended by a number of
people, especially the younger element.
One of the troupe or company met the
two little daughters of j. J. Dawson,
aged l3 and IA years, respectively, and,
it is alleged, persuaded them to Join the
company and become actresses. They
were induced to go with the men, and
plan was laid which would enable them
to evade their parents and get away
without attracting the attention of any
of their acquaintance. The girls went
to school as usual on Wednesday, but
after the session was over joined the
man, Charles Lorlensky, whose ac-
quaintance they had made, and left
with him in buggy for Wapato, where
an exhibition was to be given Wednes-
day evening. This was at noon, and the
failure of the Dawson girls to return to
their home prompted the father to 60
out and look for them. Learning that
they had left the schoolhouse in COM
pany with the show people, Mr.. Daw-
son only tarried long enough to arm
himself and then started in hot pursuit,
arriving in Wapato about dusk.
Here he found the company camped,
some of them in tents. He made for
the first one he saw, and with for.
midable gun display, demanded the re-
turn of his children. They We're not in
the tent, and he was informed that they
were in house nearby, in company
with a white man, who was one of the
troupe. Dawson ran into the house
without waiting to knock or announce
the object of his visit. Going almost by
intuition to the upper part of the house
he entered the very room in which the
children were located. and found with
them the man Lorlensky. Without a
word Dawson opened fire on Lorlensky.
shooting to kill and aiming at his head.
OF the several shots fired. two or three
just missed Lorlensky and one went
through his left ear.
| Realizing that he was up against the
real thing, Lorlensky darted past Daw-
son and attempted to escape from the
house Running into the kitchen he Sc
creted himself under a table. and was
overlooked by his pursucr. who was
close upon his heels The shooting had
attracted "A large number of persons. to
the scene, and there were immediate de-
mands for the lynching of the fellow.
The wiser counsel of the cooler ones pre-.
vailed, however, and Dawson and his
daughters departed for their home.
Sheriff Grant was sent for, and accom-
panied by Deputy Edwards, went ut once
to Wapato. Lorlensky had left after
the excitement died down little. and
the sheriff followed, overtaking him at
the bridge across the Yakima. He sur
rendered on being informed who want
ed him, and was brought to this city
and placed in Jail. All of the rest of
the show company We're brought up and
detained here Lorlensky was found 20
be heavily armed. He declared that he
had no evil intentions in regard to the
girls or either of them. and intimated
that he wanted TO marry the older of
the two. and would have done so at the
earliest opportunity.
The authorities naturally expected
that the father of the girls would pros
ecute the fellow to the limit of the law,
and were greatly surprised at his re-
fusal to do so. He simply stated that
he had taken the law into his own hands.
had punished the fellow enough for
good and long to-be remembered lesson;
besides. he stated, he had had more no.
toriety now than he liked in connection
with the case, and therefore he would
not prosecute. The sheriff had no other
alternative but to turn Lorlensky loose,
which was done Saturday, very much
against his desire.
One hundred thousand acres of fine