Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-06-23
MUTH KIDNAPPER
RUSHED TO JAIL
J. J. Kean Sentenced to Twenty
For the Crime.
HOW THE BOY WAS RECOVERED

Philadelphia June 20.-Twenty years
OF hard labor in solitary confinement
III the Eastern penitentiary was the
sentence pronounced ON John Joseph
kean the abductor of little Freddie
Muth The enormity OF the man.
crime. which had aroused the whole
city, stirred the officers Of the law
TO quick action, and the swlftness with
which Justice moved has never been
ralled in this community. Kean
into the clutches of the law Mon.
s. afternoon about the time the
courts were closing Promptly at 10
o'clock Monday morning he was pho
tographed and measured by the Ber-
tillon method Twenty-Five minutes
later he had been arraigned before
magistrate and committed 10 court
without bail The grand jury quickly
found true BILL and al ll.2O a. m.
he was In the criminal court awaiting
his turn 10 face Judge Sulzberger Tie
pleaded guilty. and shortly after IL
O'Clock the Judge passed sentence
upon him. and at 1870 the great iron
doors OF the penitentiary closed be-
hind him In his quick trip from lib.
erty TO the solitude of Cherry Hill
no friendly hand or voice was raised
in the prisoners behalf II he behaves
himself his sentence, under the law.
will be reduced to IL years and three
months The court had the power to
give him a life sentence
Much sympathy is expressed for the
wife and three children Kean leaves
without means OF support Mrs. Kean
IS Frustrated by the shock and disgrace
that the abduction has brought upon
the family She Will break up her
home here and remove to New York.
whore she has relatives.
From the day of the kidnapping
until the arrest Kean had kept the
child In three vacant houses in West
Philadelphia Meantime the entire
detective and police force of this city
were conducting an unremitting
search. and the authorities of other
cities had been furnished with a de-
scription OF the boy and his captor,
with instructions to keep lookout for
the pair.
The first information that Kean and
his captive were in the vicinity In
which the arrest was eventually made
came from Joseph Sager. 4 baker at
60th street and Haverford avenue.
who told policeman last week that
he had seen man and boy answering
the description OF the pair in an
oyster saloon al 60l3 Haverford ave
nue. shortly after midnight last We'd
nesday Special Officers Glare and
Vale were Immediately detailed upon
the case and instructed 10 remain in
that neighborhood until further or
dcrs They Immediately began
search Of all the vacant buses in the
ncighborhood. and their search led
them TO the very house occupied by
the abductor and the child The
dwellings were so constructed. how.
ever. that by means OF rear shed
Kean was able TO elude the police by
climbing into the back windows OF
two adjoining houses. which were also
unoccupied a second investigation
resulted in the recovery of the boy
and the arrest OF the kidnapper
Special Officers Glare and Vale
again instituted search OF the VA.
cant houses in their district and they
paid another visit to the dwellings
423. i25 and 427 North SD street
When Vale reached the third floor
of No. 425 he observed Freddie Muth
standing on the rear shed OF No ~
He called To him. saying: Hello
Freddie"
Fired On kidnapper.
Freddie said Hello" and imme-
dlately began TO cry Vale leaped
through the window and stepped across
the roof 70 the adjoining house He
was Just in time 10 see Kean hurrying
down the stairs. Drawing his revolver
no fred at the fleeing man. but missed
He crawled through the window and
followed. catching up with Kean as the
latter was making for the front door
The policeman again pointed his re-
volyer at the kidnapper, who threw up
his hands, crying: Il surrender" The
child in the meanwhile had followed
the pair and reached the first floor as
the arrest was made The kidnapper
and his captive were FASTENED to the
nearest police station and from there
taken in a patrol wagon to the city
hall
with the boy. he was taken into
Mayor Weaver's office. and the mayor
Immediately communicated by tele-
phone with Mr. Muth. who FASTENED 10
the Mayors Office. and the meeting be-
tween father and child was most affect
ing. When his father had ceased to
hug and caress him. Freddie drew sew
eral small coins from his pocket and
Slowed them to Mr.. Muth saying in
his childish way that the man had
given them To him.
Was Not ~ Treated.