The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-09-11
GIRL IS STILL MISSING
No Trace Found of New York
Bakers Daughter.
Louisa Florentino,
While Walking With Her Brother,
Was Seized by Black Man.

Was Seized by q Black Man.
Nothing has been learned of the
fate of Louisa Florentino, the four
year-old Italian girl who was snatch
ed up and carried away less than an
hour before noon from her brothers
side at the crowded crossing Of
Ninth street and First avenue New
York. If the boys story is correct,
the carrying off Of the little girl was
as daring trick as it was success
full.
Nicholas Florentino, the brother
Of the missing girl, is but seven
years old, three years her senior
Suspecting that his strange story
might be an invention of his to hide
facts in case he had lost his sister or
neglected to care for her, Detective
Caravetta and others questioned him
several times. He stuck to his story
stoutly, repeating again and again
that the mana nera carried off sis
ter in big bakers wagon. ="
The home of the children is at 343
West Eleventh street. Wednesday
not long after II o'clock brother and
sister went out together. Nicholas
was told to keep an eye on his sister.
The two walked hand in hand to First
avenue and down to Ninth street.
Nicholas says that there he became
interested in watching something or
other that was passing. Without
quitting his sister he turned the 9TH
or way for a second or two They
were right at the corner of First ave-
nue. and North street.
He noticed that a wagon which had
been driving slowly along at some
distance behind them came up to the
curb and stopped. He did not pay any
great attention to it. It was, he
thinks, a bakers wagon. As his faith
er is a baker, the boy ought to know.
Without attending. ne noticed that
one of two men in the front seat of
the wagon jumped out.
A few moments later the boy turn
ed around, called by a sudden cry.
His sister was not by his side. He
looked around quickly. His eye just
in time, caught sight Of her. She was
in the arms of the man, who was
climbing back into the covered deliv-
cry wagon. In moment the girl and
her captor were out Of sight. They
had plunged into the inside Of the
wagon. The driver whipping up and
trotted off around the corner.
Nicholas was too small to attract
peoples attention very easily. He
raised a shrill outcry. By the time
a knot of passers-by had stopped to
listen to his story the wagon had had
time to turn several corners. The
boy was taken home. When his par
ents heard his story they felt sure
that they had been visited by the
Black Hand.
The Florentinos nevertheless. went
straight to the Fifth street police
station and told the story to Lieu
, tenant Fenneily. A general alarm
was sent out for the little girl, so
that the police might identify ner
wherever seen. The delivery wagon
in which the kidnapping was accom-
plished was also described as closely
as possible, from the account Of the
brother. Nobody could be found who
had any idea of the direction in which
the wagon drove off on leaving the
corner where the little girl was seiz-
ed.
Fietro Florentino, father of the
missing girl, is suspicious Of the
Black Hand, as also are the police.
He is just snch a one as the black
mailers would pick out for asubject.
He runs a prosperous bakery, en-
ploying two delivery wagons in his
business. Only one thing is against
the blackmailing supposition.
The kidnappers are not in the hab-
it of stealing girls. So marked is
their preference for boy children as
prizes, for which ransom may be col
lected, that according to the police,
this will prove to be the first case of
kidnapping girl, should the fact be
proved that the little girl was taken
for blackmail. Those working on the
case are greatly puzzled because the
kidnappers seized the girl when they
had their choice Of both children and
might haue snatched up the seven
year-old Nicholas, the son of the
Florentino family, with the same
ease as the little girl.
TO TALK MILES AT SEA.