The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-08-26
Boy Rescued From Gang
Who Would Make Him
Second Oliver Twist.
FOUND IN AN ASYLUM
Parents Recover Lad in Toledo
Had Been Dragged
and Gagged.


Is years of age. 1870 West One Hundred
and Ninth street. who owes his es-
cape to the wit of a Toledo woman
who rescued him from a street Fagin.
His reports Of an attempt to kidnap
boys in Roseland and Kensington, have
alarmed residents of that section, and
convinced them that an organized band
OF kidnappers has been working in that
vicinity. 1t is their belief that the
band. the members of which are coll
ored men. desire to lead the boys in
10 a life of crime.
This theory is substantiated by the
narrative of young Seeholm, describing
how he was compelled to beg and or
dered TO steal by his captors and of
his meeting other boys who, he was in
formed, were a part of the gang that
had their headquarters in Detroit. Mich
Seeholnl, is a son of John Seeholm,
member of the Swedish Mission Sun
day school at One Hundred and Elev-
enth street and Indiana avenue. A
week ago last Monday he disappeared
under circumstances which left no
doubt that he was kidnapped or met
with foul play. For three days the
residents OF Roseland hunted all over
the woods nearby and for miles around
and no trace could be found of him.
He was given up as dead when a
message came from Toledo. O.. inform
ing the anxious parents that their son
was safe in the St. Nincents orphan
age there. where he had been taken by
Mrs. George Miseher, 1918 walnut
street, of Toledo, who had saved him
from the colored man. His father
found him there, terrified child. who
/ ed m friu xxyha 01l cd nd of
recognize his parent at first.
Since then, care, food and sleep have
brought the lad back to his normal
state. He is now at his home waiting
on the mother, who gave way under the
strain caused by the disappearance of
her child
Seeholm told the following story:
1T was a week ago Monday" he
said. Il had gone to West Ninety
ninth street to look for iob from a
farmer there. He had no work
for me to do so 1 started for Ninety
ninth street and the Illinois Central
railway tracks, where there was an
other farmer for whom 1 have worked
before. l had got to Michigan avenue
when a colored man stopped me.
Where are you going?" he asked.
II told him / was looking for a job"
What do you want to work for?" he
asked
I'll show you how you can get along
without working. Come with me"
Il told him 1 would rather work
Then he got nearer and nearer to me
and before 1 had any time to defend
myself he had me almost choked, and
had a handkerchief showed into my
mouth. Then he picked me up and
carried me into the high weeds near
by. After we had hidden there for
about an hour, he took out a big piece
Of cord that he had and fastened it
around me. Then he walked with me
down the railroad tracks. We went
through Fernwood, and there he told
me that if l yelled he would kill me.
He said that he didn't care If there
were any people around or not. He
said he would kill me and then kill
himself"
Il was scared and cried and he made
me quit that. We walked until we got
10 the stockyards. There in one Of the
stalls we met two other boys Il don't
know what their names were They
were called John and Frank. The col
ored man told me If I wanted to call
his name it was Bill.
while we were at the stockyards the
colored man told me that I would soon
meet plenty of boys. We were gong
to Detroit he sair and there we would
find others. Then the four of US got
into a box car and the colored man
whipped me- He had a short whiI
that he carried in his hip pocket that
he used to hit the boys with when they
cried. The freight train stopped and
we got OF. Then we caught passen-
ger train and rode blind baggage
When the train reached Waterloo, Ind.
the other boys left us and then we got
off and then the colored man made me
, beg.
The co1ored man took me to house
and made me ask for suit OF ole
clothing which 1 received from the
woman that came to the door. The
same night we were arrested and spent
the night in Jail. The next morning
we started for Dunno Park, Ind. Tha
: night in a box car the colored mar
pulled out a needle and plunged 1t int
my arm. 1t did not hurt very much
as I think it contained morphine Of
some other poisonous drug.
The colored man rtied to make m,
drink but I refused and then he bea
me. but when we got away from tn
2 saloon he forced it down my throat
South Bend and then Crown Poin
! were visited but the boy did not &c
7 any chance TO sneak away on him a
the colored man had him tied to him
. Once while in Crown Point some gen
] tleman passed a remark about III
I white boy being with the colored mar
: but made his getaway right away. AT
3 ter visiting a few more Indiana town
: we got on freight and made our wa
ito Toledo. o. II didn't get any slice
: when we got on the freight becaus
: 1t made SO much noies I felt kin
I of queer and dizzy. I didn't remem
Der the day of the week it was. III
eoIored man told me my name was t