The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-31
FOR FORGERY and ABDUCTION
CHARGES AGAINST ~. r.. COOHBS,
M SBiND or ELSIE DAVIS.
She Is .. and Her Father. George ~. Davis.
says He Abducted Her -t'oOunbs said
10 Have Passed had Checks at sherry's
N Hotels Father Has Daughter Vow.

anu H0tele -futUcF fthH Duukrter NbWs
Howard l.. Coombs. a dapper young man
who said he was a companion Of Harry X.
/ Thaw before he began a s~ojourn in the
Tombs. was locked up at Police Head
quarters last night on u charge OF cashing
a bad check for SIS at Sherry's. A charge
, Of abduction will he made against Coombs
! by George II. Davis. a soda manufacturer
of 90 Wall street. Coombs ran away and
married Mr.. Davis's seventeen-year-old
daughter Elsie about a month ago After
"A months chase Davis got back his daughter
on Thursday night. Coombs says he will
have no trouble in showing that he did not
abduct Miss Davis.
Coombs was arrested yesterday after
noon at Broadway and Chambers street by
Detective Russo of the District Attorneys
office. With Russo at the time was William
Eaton, cashier for Sherry's. who knew
Coombs by sight. Coombs has been posing
as a solicitor or agent and Eaton knew he
would " Walk up Broadway about 4 o'clock
in the afternoon.
"utl iNuFro FtoBlVu bii'
he protested that he couldn't be arrested
unless the detective had a warrant. Russo
told him that handouts might help in drag
ging him away and then Coombs made no
further objection.
Russo o o Coombs to the District At
torney's Office. where Coombs was ex-
amined by Assistant District Attorney
Mott. Mr.. Davis, who was very excited.
was there, and something came out about
Coombs running away with Mr.. Davis's
young daughter. All that Mr.. Davis
would tell MIR. Mott was that he had found
his daughter in this city on Thursday night.
put her in a cab and taken her TO his home.
As to how he accomplished this he wouldn't
tell Mr.. Mott or the reporters, although
he wal very angry and wanted to make a
charge Of abduction against Coombs.
After Mr.. Mott had found out that Coombs
had run away with Mr.. Davis's daughter
from Rockville Centre. l.. l., where she
was visiting friends, he told Mr.. Davis that
If a crime had been committed IL was in
Nassau county and he would ave to make
the charge there. Mr.. Davis left the Dis
trict Attorneys Office saying that he would
do that to-day.
Miss Davis is said TO have disappeared
on August I. Mr.. Davis employed detec-
tives to find his daughter and Coombs,
who is well known around Rockville Centre.
They learned that Coombs and the girl
spent som time in Patohogue. Lynbrook
and other Long Island towns. For a few
days they we're at the Waldorf-Astoria
Mr.. Davis kept detectives after them, and
finally found his daughter on Thursday
night. His home is at Hanover Neck. M
At the District Attorneys Office Coombs
admitted that he was arrested three years
ago tor forgery in the second degree. He
pleaded guilty. and Judge Foster in Gen.
eral Sessions let him of with a suspended
sentence.
The bad check which Coombs is said to
have passed at Sherry's was made out on
an old form Of the Home Bank Of Brooklyn.
1t was dated July II and signed q. +. Bow
man. On the back Of it was Endorsed Harry
F. Allen and H.. l.. Coombs. Coombs is
said to have passed several bad checks on
a number Of hotels. The complaint against
him was made to the District Attorneys
ONCE about three weeks ago.
When Coombs was taken to Police Head
quarters Lieut.. Kelleher remarked that HI
was a pretty young man to be passing bad
checks.
III beat that abduction charge" said
Coombs.
How did you come TO forge the checks?"
asked Kelleher.
.0h. I got into bad habits a long time
ago." he said. when / was travelling with
the Bedford avenue gang in Brooklyn"
The Bedford avenue gang has had some
notorious members.