The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-13
NARROWLY ESCAPED FATE
 ENCOUNTERED BY MOTHER
Bannister Was Formerly Employed In Birmingham-Not Believed To Be In the Clty-Wade Has
 Brother Here.

the mother of the little girl. Argie Wade, who was kidnapped after the murder by d man supposed to be R. c. Bannister, re- yeals a crime of the most hideous cir cumstances, and one which was probably prompted by nothing less than criminal greed for money, although certain circum- stances point to another motive.
 It will be recalled, as printed in yester- day mornings issue of The Age-Herald that the little Wade girl was left at the home of Mrs. Reynolds, s13 North Seven teenth street, Thursday afternoon by a man named R. G. Bannister, of whom nothing more has been heard. Although city detectives have been constantly watching the residence of Mrs. Reynolds since Thursday with the hope that Ban mister would again call, he has never shown up, and 1t Is believed that he has fled to other parts.
 J. M. Young, grandfather. of the little girl and father of the murdered woman, arrived in Birmingham early Sunday morning, having come here to get the little girl and carry her back home. Mir. Young left Birmingham yesterday at noon with the child bound for his home in Terrell, Tex.
 Since she was brought to Birmingham Thursday the little girl has been very re- ticent until her grandfather called for her yesterday morning. For the first time sne told the whole story of the part she played in the sensational case. She told her grandfather that she was brought to Birmingham by Bannister, and that he had told her not to disclose her real name, but to tell people she met that her name was Argie Bannister and that man who is alleged to have committed the dabolical murder of the childs moth CT, the little girl did as she was told, but finally admitted that her name was Argie Wade yesterday morning when she saw her grandfather.
 The information obtained from MT. Young, the little girl and telegraph dis patches, when put together, form a sen sational story of a most horrible crime.
 Bannister Known Here.
 The police have concluded that the Mrs. Riechers was murdered by R. c. Bannis- ter the man who kidnapped the little girl who was brought to Birmingham and left at Mrs. Reynolds residence. It is also suspected that R. G. Wade the first hus- band of the murdered woman, was im- plicated in the crime
 Circumstances lend local interest to the affair The fact that the little girl was found by detectives of the local police department Is the first circumstance. Sec ondly, Bannister, the alleged murderer, was formerly very well known by the Bir- mingham police, having lived here for a number of years, and having borne a questionable character in the eyes of the police R. G. Wade, the first husband of Mrs. Riechers has brother living in this city.
 The circumstances of the murder were told to an Age-Herald reporter by MT. Young. It seems from the information at hand that Bannister, who is a piano tuner, had been boarding with Mrs. Riechers at her home on Kirk street, Hot Springs only a few days when she W 1s murdered.
 Mrs. Riechers was murdered on last Monday afternoon, although the crime was not discovered by the Hot Springs police until Tuesday. It seems that Bannister was engaged Monday after noon In tuning Mrs. Riechers' piano Tuesday morning she was found dead in her parlor.
 ;.l, taI 4a the police was hideous one. Mrs Riechers' body was found by a little boy who happened to go up on the porch Tuesday morning and who, look ing through one of the window shut ters, saw the dead body in the front room. The body was lying face up- ward. The death blow was inflicted with a machinist's hammer, the lick being struck squarely in the middle of the forehead. Having stricken the woman down the murderer secured q large towel which he stuffed down her throat. The towel had been damned down her throat about distance. of eight inches. and 1t was evident that the murderer had used the hammer handle to stuff the rag down, since the mouth was badly bruised and scared and three upper and two lower teeth knocked out.
 Having made sure that his victim was dead the murderer evidently pro- ceeded to rob the house. He took two handsome diamond rings from the fingers of the dead woman and stcte s43O in money which Mrs. Riechers lad in the house. These circumstances lead to the theory of the robbery motive.
 Little Argie's Story.
 At this point information gained from the little girl carries the narrative.
 Little Argie Wade, who is 9 years old, states that she and several play mates were in the front yard wh en Bannister came out of the house Men day afternoon. She says that Bannis- ter approached her and told her thai her mother had gone somewhe ere. and offered to take her and go find her mother. Having gained the little girls consent to go. Bannister invited the other children to go with him to the park, some two miles distant to get some ice cream. This they did and while they were eating the cream Ban