New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-08-12
THAT KIDNAPPING AFFAIR
New Light Thrown on the Pecu-
liar Case of the Ranweiler
Child of ST. George.
Bregel of Fairfax Vigorously De-
mics Any Attempt to Commit
Crime.
Says He Had No Idea the Child
Parents Would Misconstrue
His Family's Action.

Anent the alleged attempt at kidnap-
ping the person of little Magdalena
Ranweiler by the family of Frank
Bregel of Fairfax at ST. George two
weeks ago, Mr.. Bregel has made to
the Fairfax Standard the following
plain and straightforward statement:
"Having decided to attend the golden
jubilee celebration of the ST. George
Catholic parish on Wednesday, the
29th of July, my son and daughter:
Frank and Anna, left Fairfax Tues
day afternoon and drove out to West
Newton where they spent the night at
the home of my brother, John Bregel.
Wednesday morning they drove on in
to St. George arriving there about
nine o'clock. Mrs. Bregel and I
drove out Wednesday morning reach
ing st. George shortly after the child
rem. We met Mr.. Ranweiler, the
father of the little girl about ten
O'Clock. We naturally inquired about
Magdalena, and he told US that she
was at home with her mother. Mrs.
Bregel expressed strong desire to
see the babe, and her brother, Mr..
Ranweiler, readily consented to return
with US and get the child. At half,
past ten load, consisting of my wife
and two children and Mr.. Ranweiler,
drove out to his farm to get Magda-
lena. The mother of the child offered
no objections to the child returning to
St. George with US, and in fact helped
to get her ready for the trip. We re-
turned to st. George with the baby
shortly before noon.
'Magdalena spent the afternoon in
company with Frank and Anna.
Between four and five O'Clock the
children got ready to make the return
trip home, and when Magdalena rea-
lied that they were going to leave
her she began to cry as if her heart
would break and begged to go back to
Fairfax with them. Out of their love
for the child they decided to grant her
wish. On leaving St. George they
drove to the home of my brother where
they were compelled to remain over
night on account of the severe storm.
Mrs. Bregel and myself talked with
Mr.. Ranweiler just before we left st.
George and he told us that the baby
had gone with Frank. and Anna. He
did not seem to be angry and did not
intimate that he thought we had tried
to kidnap Magdalena.
"We reached the home of my
brother shortly before dark, where we
also spent the night. We started for
home in good season Thursday morn
ing, reaching Fairfax about nine
o'clock. Just before we reached town
we were met by Mr.. Schaefer and
Jos. Altman, the latter a brother Of
Mrs. Ranweiler. These gentleman re-
turned to Fairfax with lis and took
dinner at our home. Mr.. Altman
stated that the mother was badly
worried, and he wished to take the
child with him. My wife objected,
saying that she would not turn the
child over to strangers. I told them
that did not have any objections to
them taking the baby, but as the
weather was very hot, thought it was
dangerous to take her out, and that if
Mr.. Ranweiler wanted his child back
he himself should come after her.
'Mr. Ranweiler, the father, accom-
panied by Constable George Wager
of West Newton, arrived in Fairfax
Thursday afternoon between three and
four O'Clock. [ was not at home at
the time, and the baby was turned over
to them without trouble or protest.
''Now regarding the price of the al
legged settlement for ST, 900. The sum
is wrong, as the amount paid was $500,
and the stub of my receipt book shows
that this was the amount paid. This
sum was paid by the girls father for
the keeping of the child for five years,
but it has been placed on interest to
her credit and she will receive the
amount with interest added when she
is grown.
"When the settlement was made for
the little girls board it was verbally
agreed between Mr.. Ranweiler and
myself that we should have the privi-
lege of bringing Magdalena to Fair
fax for short visit at frequent inter-
walls whenever my family desired to do
SO. We loved the baby dearly and
were anxious to have her with us as
frequently as possible.
''As the parents of the little girl
were aware that she was in the COM
pany of Anna and Frank during the
day, the two children never thought
that they would be alarmed over her
absence, they taking it for granted
that the parents would know that the