Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-21
MARION BLEAkLEY, INFANT OF
81. LOUIS FAIR. y CARRIED
AWAY.
sToLEN FROM MOTHERS
WARD IN TOPEKA, KAN.
kldnapers Fire Upon Youth Who Was
Guarding the Child When He At.
tempted to Interfere - Posse is in
Pursuit-Infant, Which 10 Five Years
Old, Caused Much Litigation.

>,
was kidnapped in sensational manner
from her mother here this morning. The
Two men and women engaged in kid
naping the child secured it only after
IN exchange Of shots, which, however.
went wide of their mark The kid
napers escaped in q buggy. A posse
was soon in pursuit.
Mrs Charlotte Bleakley, who was
awarded the child by the federal courts
two years ago. lived with her mother
In CARTEL davenue. a mile and q half
from the business district. She work.
ed as a stenographer.
Fire at child's Protector.
Marion. who was aged S, has been
guarded carefully In Topeka. This
soap. appeared at the Bleakley home.
She soon left and half an hour later a
buggy, in which were two men and the
same woman, appeared In front Of the
house. One of the men alighted, and
entered the yard where the child was
playing. AS the kidnaper ran toward
her, q young man, in whose charge she
had been left, attempted to interfere.
The kidnaper shot at him but missed.
He then knocked the boy down with
a revolver, carried the child to the
buggy, and drove off.
Beat OF Boy; Escape.
The young man In charge Of Marion
today was Clarence Belknap. Of jack
son, Tenn, . cousin Of Mrs. Bleak
ley. After he had been struck down,
he recovered sufficiently to follow the
buggy, and caught on the rear Of the
vehicle but was beaten off. The kid
napers lashed the horse to a gallop and
drove west on Tenth street. It is sup
posed they are headed for some small
station west Of Topeka, where they ex-
pecE to board . westbound train. Belk-
nap was able to give only q partial de-
scription Of the kidnapers.
The buggy in which the kidnapers
escaped was found at 1 o'clock a, a
point two miles from where the child
was stolen. It has been hired from a
local livery.
Mother Feared kidnapers.
Mrs. Bleak(ey. the mother Of the
child, said this afternoon: :"There have
been detectives and alleged friends
hanging around the house all of the
time and I have feared that such a
thing would happen. Six weeks ago
got wind Of almost the same thing as
happened today but was able to stop
it. and break up the plans. At times
have thought that some Of the most
prominent people in Topeka were in
league with them in order to take
Marion from the state. / have an
idea who they are, but have con-
fidence in the officers ability to catch
them"
Child Has Stormy Career.
Marion Bleakley has had a stormy
career. She was born in hospital in
st. Louis and was placed in one of the
incubators shown at the exposition
there. While there she was formally
adopted by Mrs. James c. Barclay, Of
Moline. Ill.
Mrs. Bleakley signed a release, but
afterwards she sued to recover the
child, and was successful in the Till
nois courts. She brought the little girl
to Kansas, whore the child was kid
mapped from her mother in Montgomery
county but was later recovered. The
fight for the possession of the baby
was fought thru the state and supreme
courts. It was finally awarded to Mrs.
Bleakley. Mrs. Barclay then instituted
suit In the federal court for the pos
session Of the child but was again de-
eeated.