The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-21

! R ~
Mrs. Charlotte e. BIeakIey, the ChiId's
Mother.
| door. I went to see what she wanted,
| but before I found out, a large man
/ with heavy black mustache pushed
| by her and ran through the room. My
aunt knew at once what was up, and
| grabbed the baby. 1 tangled with
| the man. and he pushed a Colts A
revolver in my face and ordered me
| to keep out. My aunt ran upstairs
and locked the door behind her.
| Where the second man got in I do not
| know. He was in the fight when L
was knocked in the head by the larger
| man, and later in the rush against tho
door behind which my aunt had taken
| refuge with the little girl. Things
were badly mixed for a while. I was
partly unconscious from the blow on
| the head, and the furniture was upset
| in the struggle for possession of the
child. I fought them all the way to
| the. alley. where they got into top
buggy with two horses hitched to it.
A man with a gray mustache was
holding the team: He looked at me
and then walked north through the
alley toward Tenth. 1 am sure he was
in the game, but he tried to play in
nocent, and didn't hurry as he walked
off.
81 grabbed the back of the buggy
as the men drove away, and they
couldn't hit me on account of the
buggy top. They had stuffed some
thing in the baby's mouth to stop her
cries. They did not drive fast, but I
was weak and dizzy and fell down.
Getting UP 1 tried to chase the buggy.
and managed to keep them in sight
for some time. I called to several
people who came out of houses and
asked if / could get a horse. short
distance west of here, they crossed a
street car line, and a car was coming.
] got on the front end of the car. and
told the motorman to catch them.
They evidently saw me get on the car,
for they turned south. and got away"
The whole fight.sin the house and
Mr.. Be'inap's second encounter in
the alley, must have consumed no
more than three minutes Neighbors
heard the disturbance, but did not
awaken to the situation in time to
render any assistance. The flight
through the alley did not attract spe-
cial attention. The only man who saw
any part of the alley fight, said he
thought a patient had escaped from
the Christ's hospital cottages.
Mr.. Belll1nap says he could identify
the man with the black mustache who |
struck him with the revolver, and the |
man with the gray mustache who was J
holding the team in the alley. He can
the third mantle one who assisted
in stealing the child and later drove |
the buggy. He did not get good look |
at the man before he was knocked
could not see him for the buggy top.
Boldness of Deed.
The boldness of the kidnapers' at
tack was what brought them at least
temporary success. Everyone in the
Eeighborhood knew the history of the
child and of the many attempts made
to steal her. Had the alarm been rails
ed in the night, dozen men would have
rushed to the rescue. The mother
would have been at home and on the
lookout. For months she has slept each
night with d strap around the baby's
waist and buckled tightly to her own
wrist. Sne has looked upon all strang-
ers with suspicion, and not without
reason, as a dozen sneaking attempts
have been made to seize the baby
In choosing daylight hours for the
theft, the kidnapers displayed good
judgment. The men of the neighbor-
hood were away at work or on busi-
ness. Many children were playing in
the street, and their shouts and noise
made the cries of Mrs. Thompson and
the little girl indiStinguishable from
the other tumult. That the kidnapers
were determined and prepared for a
fight was demonstrated when they
knocked Mr.. Belknap in the head The
fact that they took the child away in |
a buggy in bread daylight, leads to
the suspicion that they had an auto |
mobile handy and used the buggy for
a blind. 1t is also evident that the |
police, who gave chase half an hour
later, got on the wrong track, or they |
would have overtaken the kidnapers !
within few miles.
Neighbors in the vicinity of the scene
Of the kidnapping. are universally in
favor OF life Imprisonment or hanging |
as a punishment. for the lxidnapers. The |
baby is of a sweet dispo- |
sition, and had endeared herself to all |
the neighbors.
Persons who saw the alleged soap |
peddler, are confident that she was
Mrs. Barclay, the foster mother of the |
baby, She disappeared suddenly while |
the fight was in progress and no one |
thought to watch her movements. The |
mysterious elderly man who was hold |
ing the team in the alley, has also |
faded from view. He overdid his at |
tempt at an innocent front by the |
cool manner in which he greeted Bel
knap, who was bleeding from a cut in
his head and calling for help as he |
ran.
At 1 o'clock this afternoon, the rig
used by the kidnapers was found tied I
at the corner of Fifth and Fillmore
streets, a futhe.- boost for the auto
mobile theory. The team was rented |
from 0. S. Perkins livery stable on
West Fifth street this morning.
Mysterious Woman.
About two months ago a mysterious
woman appeared at the Topeka State
Journal office late in the afternoon
and asked for the reporters room
stating that she sought information
concerning Mrs. Charlotte Blakeley.
the woman in possession of the in
middle age. rather inclined to be
stout, and was accompanied by a lit /
tie girl three or four years of age,