The San Francisco call., 1908-11-05
TRADER ARRESTED
FOR SEEING CHILD
While Nurse Buys Goods in
Notion Store Babe Breaks
Showcase Glass

A girl baby, years old, was held
for ransom yesterday for over two
hours by j. Pommer, the keeper of a
notion store at 1923 Stockton street
because the child, in an impatient en-
deavor to get out of baby buggy.
threw the handle of the buggy into a
show window and broke a small pane
of glass. The child, Frances Smith. is
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Francis
w. Smith, the proprietor of the Kenil-
worth apartments. The child was in
the care of nurse, Miss Louisa Kobelt.
and in spite of her protestations that
the store keeper allow the child to oe
returned to its parents, Pommers held
the infant a prisoner until 1t was res
cued by the police.
Miss Kobelt is in the habit of wheel
ing the child for an airing every day
Yesterday she took as her direction
Stockton street, and stopping al POM
mer's. store went In to buy a shirt
waist. While she was negotiating with
sthe store keeper the child peevishly
attempted TO rise in the buggy and
threw the handle into the showcase,
breaking the glass. The glass is said to
have been worth no more than 81.
Pommer asked $12, and when the nurse
explained that she had not that much
money with her. he seized the child
and would not allow the nurse to leave
the store.
NURSE BECOMES HYSTERICAL
Miss Kobelt became hysterical. She
asked Pommer to send a message to the
child's parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, ex-
planning their position. Pommer was
obdurate. He demanded the money i'm
mediately. Finally the nurse sought a
nearby store and telephoned to Mrs
Smith, leaving the child meanwhile as a
hostage in the hands of Pommer.
Mrs. Smith telephoned to the police.
not being able at that time TO reach
her husband. who was in town on bust
ness.
officer Collins was detailed on the
case. He found Pommer in possession
of the child, with the nurse frantic
and fearful. Pommer had not yet lost
courage and insistently demanded s12
for the broken glass. He met his match
in the officer. however, and was forth
with hailed to the police station, the
nurse and the child being sent to their
home
Smith in the meantime heard of the
accident and rushed to the assistance
of his child. He found that they had
already been released and that Pom
mer was on his way to jail. A glazier
was at work repairing the showcase
He asked the cost and was told So,
which he paid, demanding a receipt
from the glazier.
FATHER DEMANDS JUSTICE
Smith then sought out Pommer at
the police station, his heart disturbed
with the outrage that had been done
his little daughter. He did not find
Pommer, but he gave notice that he
intended to see that summary justice
was dealt out to the store keeper.
1T was nothing but price put on
the life of my child Smith said yes
terday at the Kenilworth. The store
keeper, whatever his name is, hoped to
hold me up, figuring that my love for
my child would blind my sense of JUS
tice and cause me to overlook the
wrong"
Mrs. Smith was very much fright
ened and was not composed until lorg
after her child had been returned to
her
when the telephone message came
to me- she said. that my child was
being held prisoner, l scarcely knew
what to do. Mr.. Smith was away. /
asked the aid Of the police and we re-
covered the childs 1t was an awful
crime to hold as a prisoner a child, who
was unconscious of her act, and not to
allow its parents to know what had
happened to. it or to allow 1t TO be re-
turned m IFS home