The Washington herald., 1907-03-17

| Dover, Del, March l6-In a black
hulled sloop which tackled up and down =
in front Of Kits Hummock Beach this
afternoon for over half an hour. finally
heading toward the Jersey shore when
/ the signals Of white and black flags dis
/ played from the masthead were not an
! swered, detectives believe that four-year-
old Horace y. Marvin jr., kidnapped
thirteen days ago. Is held prisoner by
MS abductors.
/ Concealed in tall marsh grass bordering
/ the shore a score OF detectives lay all
day, watching for the sloop. which con
firms the runors that the authorities have
entered into negotiations with the kid
nappers. and that the boy is TO be re-
turned TO his father within the next forty
eight hours
Children on Beach as DecOyE.
While the detectives secreted them
selves, Rose Standish. the siE-year-Old
cousin of the boy. who was playing with
him at the hay stack on the day that he
was stolen, apd John Marvin, his six
year-old brother, wee used as decoys 10
/ lure the men in the boat TO LAND. For
hours the children romDed up and down
drew in sight, they kept on playing. as
\ if nobody was around. but the occupants
/ OF the boat evidently grew suspicious
when their signals were unanswered, and
sailed away.
] Since the sighting Of the sloop late this
} afternoon the headquarters Of the detec-
4 tives here has been the scene on much ae-
tivity Sieuths in groups Of two and
] NsF... s.ar.
! kept secret Three of the men boarded
an express train for New Jersey. where
they viii stop the boatmen if they make
an attempt 10 land there.
search on Hay Meadows Shore.
At. daybreak to-day the detectives
/ slipped quietly out Of town. They went
first to the bay Meadows farm OF DIT.
Marvin, where they picked up Rose
Standish and the elder brother of the
kidnapped boy. From there they hur-
riedly drove 10 the farm OF Harry Nir-
den, near Heighbor. and one OF the last
persons to see She dimiEutive boy PLAYING
around the f.aystack
At full speed the party went 10 kits
! Hummock Several hcurs after. the de-
tectives thoroughly searched every shack
and house on the beach front, II one
crusts OF bread and badly torn paper
( cracker boxes were found on the floor.
No Importance, however. is attached 10
this discovery.
Reception Party iH Tall Grass.
While the men ransacked the houses.
tearing up floors. sticking long poles up
the chimneys. and grsppling down the
wells, the children played on TIE beach.
positive instructions for them 70 romp
about on the sand until they were told
to return having been given them by the
detectives
Several hours after the detectives
reached Kits Hummock they were re-en-
forced by a corps of reporters and news
paper photographers. ordered by the de-
tectves. they, too, We're compelled &c lie
at fun length in the wet marsh grass for
a stretch Of six hours.
You fellows got to hide, said Detec-
tive Simmons, who was in charge of the
party, 'Or something might happen.
From 10 o'clock until 4, the party lay
Isecreted. A few minutes after O'Clock.
with their powerful marine glasses. the
sieuths were able 70 make out the faint
outlines Of the alleged kidnappers' boat.
kidnap Boat Draws InshOre.
Everybody quiet now" cautioned Sim
mons: wen land them this trip and set
the boy"
Closer and closer TO the shore the boat
sailed. When about 800 yards of, the
sloop was caught by a strong southeast
erly wind and nearly capsized while
tacking in the shallow waters.
Glasses were leveled at the boat but so
careful had the occupants screened them
selves with strips of canvas from the
range Of eyesight that the detectives
were able but once To get a glimpse Of
them. AS the boat careened on one side
and the rail dipped under water. Sim
mons. with his long telescope. saw the
tarpaulin hat on the helmsmaH.
/ When the sloop drew Up a hundred
yards from shore. opposite where the de-
tectives and newspaper men lay secreted,
the sails were lowered. Immediately the
white and black flags were raised to the
short peak Several times these fags
were raised and lowered. At last they
were left at the masthead for five min
utes. The glasses on the boat were lev
eled at the shore, as If the boatmen were
watching for some signal For fifteen
minutes after the pennants had been left
at the masthead, the boat drifted in front
OF the beach.
Apparently frightened by the signals 60
ing unanswered from the shore. the OccU-
pants of the boat hurriedly raised the
sails and. caught by strong wind, dashed
away toward the Jersey shore. Unable TO
reach the boat, the detectives left for Do
yer, leaving man TO remain 10 watch for
a possible landing tonight. He was re-
enforced later in the evening by three de-
tectves.
/ Asked Cor an explanation of the strange
antics of the boat and the failure TO an
swer its signals. Supt Dimaco. Of the Pin
kerton force. refused point-blank TO dis
cuss the matter.
Thinks He Sarr Hnnnr- Mnr.-in