Belding banner., 1909-04-08
HUMAN MONSTERS
DESP|CABLE PLOT
THE BODY or HAROLD MOON rs
FOUND IN THREAD
LAKE.
FOIL EASY MONEY PLOT,
Heartless ScoundreI Attempted to ex-
tort Money From the Grief Stricken
Parents, But Failed.

The mystery surrounding the disap-
pearance of Harold Moon, the 1O-year-
old son of Mr.. and Mrs. Luman N,
Moon, five weeks ago. was solved sat
urday morning when the body or the
missing lad was found in Thread lake.
In order to facilitate the search which
had been in progress at the lake Tor
several days, the sluices were re-
moved from the dam and the water
was lowered 10 depth of two or
three feet.
The discovery of the body was made
by Bert Robson, one of the members
of the searching party, who was in
the boat alone. He Immediately notl-
fed the other searchers, and after
the inanimate little form had been
taken from the shallow water, it was
placed in an undertaker's wagon and
conveyed to the morgue.
While the search was being made
Luman n. Moon, the father, had been
lured to Delavan. Wisconsin, by a
scoundrel who professed to be kid
naper holding the boy for ransom,
whose blackmail letter follows:
"Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Moon, these
few lines tell you in brief how you
can get your boy Harold returned to
his home before the week is at the
end. The boy will be in the vicinity
OF this town the rest of the week,
and | do this at his request as he Is
tired of this life and wants TO come
home If you don't comply with this,
you will not see him soon. This
needs no reply, and if you tell any
person or make any attempt at arrest
you surely will fail to get him alive.
"This is what you are to do. On
next Friday night at $50 or 9 o'clock,
you fix it so you can get here at 7:3O
p. m. that night At time stated by
yourself go to a street called Wal
ward avenue TO a place with small
cannon in the center. 1t is across
from the Hotel Delavan. Put $500 in
the mouth and return TO Hotel Della
van and inside OF an hour your boy
will be there o. K. 1t is all off il
you fail 10 do as asked. Dictated by
your SON."
Mr. Moon at once left for Delavan.
On his arrival in Chicago he consult.
| ed with detective agency, telling
| his story and showing the anonymous
| letter he had received. Then, accom-
| panied by Detective Charlesworth. he
| hurried to the Wisconsin city. In
stead of leaving the money in the can.
non as directed in the letter Mr..
Moon prepared the following note:
81 know not, ,wlfe you are. hut if
YOU have the boy write the names of
his brothers and sisters, the name of
book received at his last birthday
and who he sleeps with when at
home, will produce the $500 and no
questions asked"
This was placed in the cannon
mouth and City Marshal Fleming and
! Detective Charlesworth stationed
themselves where they could watch
unseen. About $50 o'clock large
man darted up to the cannon, seized
the letter and vanished into the dark
ness.
Acting on the orders of Mr.. Moon
the officers made no attempt to fol
low him, as the frenzied father feared
such action might be discovered and
result in harm to the boy.
The officers got good look at the
man, however, and are confident ol
his identity.
What charge may be brought
against him is now being debated by
the authorities. Though he sought tc
extort money he did not, and cannot
be charged with abduction. What tC
do in the case is a puzzle to the auth
critics.
Immediately after receiving the
news of the finding of his sons body
Mr. Moon left for home.