Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-15
Second Attempt to Steal
Pretty Child
GERMAN FORTUNE AND CHI
CAG0 BROKER IN STORY
HELEN WoLLScHElD DESERTED
ON FIRST BIRTHDAY
Latest Attempt to Tear Her from
Adopted Parents Frustrated by
Prompt Action of School
Principal

TOR the second time within a
II year an attempt was made
Il to kndnap pretty 8-year-old
Helen Eloise Wollscheid, adopt
ed daughter of a poor shoemaker,
Jacob Wollscheid, of $500 Cen
trail avenue, from the Twentieth
Street school, where the child is
pupil in the third grade, accord
ing to a detailed report made at
the University police station yes
terday afternoon.
The second attempt at kidnap-
ing was made Monday afternoon,
and there are intimatons that a
fortune in Germany and a veal
thy Chicago woman are tangled
up in the attempt.
The latest would-be kidnapers
OF little Helen were two fashion
ably-dressed women, two we'll.
/ dressed men and a little girl
about Helen's age, who drove III
to the Twentieth Street school il
a touring car during the after
noon session.
Big Fortune Hnted At
A remark was dropped by one
of the women during her inter
view with Prof. ] P. Yoder, pria-
cipal of the school, in which she
intimated that little Helen would
soon come into the possession OF
a large fortune from Germany.
This has given a clew to the po-
lice as we'll as the statement OF
the little girls foster mother.
Mrs. Jacob Wollscheid, that Hell
ems mother, who was Gertrude
Holbrooke of Chicago, and was
recently married to William Her
ron, Chicago real estate broker,
has for years attempted through
the eastern courts to regain pos
session of the child.
When the big touring car was halted
in front of the school Monday after
noon the two women occupants and the
child alighted and called at Principal
Yoder's office, asking TO see Helen
Wollscheid. The principal who. had
been warned after the first attempt at
kidnapping, refused to grant the re-
quest and, after vainly pleading with
him an hour they left the building and
entered the automobile, where they re
manned, apparently waiting for the
dismissal Of the school classes.
Foster Father Notified
In the meanwhile the child's foster
father had been notified of the affair
over the telephone and hurried to the
school. AS he passed the machine he
evidently was recognized, for it was
Immediately and shot toward Central
avenue at a high rate of speed. where
it was lost to sight rounding the cor
ner i'm a cloud of dust.
According to j. p Yoder, principal
of the school, in telling the detailed
story, the two well gowned women and
the little girl called at his office I'm
the school building Monday afternoon
and asked for Helen Wollscheid. He
had been warned several months ago
by the girls foster parents that ETA
forts would be made to kidnap her and
it was the custom for either the shoe
maker or his wife to call for the child
every afternoon since the first attempt
at kidnapping November s.
II suspected that something was
said Principal Yoder yester-
day, land asked them who they were.
One of the women said she was Helen's
mother, l said that I knew Helen's
mother and could give the child into
no one else's keeping.
Worn Papers Shown
"For an hour the two women pleaded
with me, using every effort to persuade
me to allow them to take the child
away and even going so far as to
show me bundle of well worn papers.
which they stated named one of them
as the legal guardian of the little
girl.
II refused to let them take the child
away and the two women and their
child companion left the building and
'e-entered the automobile that stood
n waiting at the school gate. The big
machine then stood motionless in front
IF the gate for several minutes, until
Wollscheid rushed up after having re-
,eived hasty telephone message from
he school. AS WOllscheid appeared
he machine suddenly started up and
dashed at full speed down the street
n the direction of Central avenue"
The first attempt to kidnap little
Helen was made November s. She was
1n her way to school in the morning
when woman dressed in black ap-
the child and asked her if SHE
vas the daughter of Jacob Wolscheid,
he shoemaker. Receiving a reply in
he affirmative, the woman said she
lad a pair of shoes for her father to
mend, and asked Helen to accompany
Ter around the corner to her home.
The child had been warned often by
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