Amador ledger., 1909-08-06
BASEBALL MAN
ARRESTED IN JACKSON
Charged With Failure
to Support Child,
The Woman in the Case.

DdsoDdll pihyer DblOIBluB W bub JdCh-
son team Kraft ia but new conner
here. lie arrived from Stockton,
where his relatives lived, and where
his home had been prior to his advent
into Amador county, early in July,
before the celebration. lie secured
work at the Argonaut mine, in handl.
ing the logs. He proved good
worker. steady and attentive to busi-
ness. lie was also good baseballist,
taking the position of catcher, and
looked upon as a valuable acquisition
to the home team. On Sunday, July
25, young girl arrived here, and the
pair took apartments at Mrs Parker 8
on Main street, boarding at the
National hotel. OF course, it was
assumed that they were man aud
wife. There was no attempt on part
of Kraft to conceal his identity, by
assuming another name. lie was
Fred Kraft in Stockton. and the same
here. Sunday Kraft played III the
game at the Zeila park between Jack
son and Folsom teams. That evening
he was taken into custody by sheriff
Gregory on message from Stockton,
on charge of failure to support his
minor child, the Stockton court hav-
Ing made an order that he pay his
divorced wife $40 per month for
the child's support. 1t is alleged
that he neglected to furnish the
money. The deputy sheriff, Ii. G.
Strucke, came up from Stockton
Monday, and Tuesday morning de-
parted with his prisoner to the
slough city. The girl IN the case
also left by the same stage. No
charge is preferred against her, as she
is of age.
AS the story is told. Kraft's wife
secured a divorce from him a short
time back also, an order of court re-
quiring the defendant to pay SO per
month for the support of the minor
child. Kraft claims that he has paid
the $1O every month, and can show
receipts for the same. He has not
paid for July, as the month is not up
until the 18th. Besides, he had not
received his pay at the Argonaut, as
the mine pays off on the 18th of each
month, so that he could not he in the
position of deliberately disobeyiug
the order OF court. Before leaving
Stockton for jackson he furnished
bonds for the payment of the sum
ordered by the court; the bondsmen
were his relatives and responsible
parties. 1t is said that the motive
behind the complaint is not so much
to punish Kraft tor failure to pro-
vide, as to secure the return of the
girl IN the case to her home.
The girl with whom Kraft had been
living is said to be Dora Armstead,
of prepossessing appearance, IL years
of age, She came here on Sunday,
July 20, nearly month after Kraft
reached here. She was employed as
clerk in the Stockton bag factory.
Before leaving she mailed a note, to
her mother. with special delivery
stamp, which read as follows:
"Dear Ma.-Goodby; I'm going to
San Francisco. Dora
The design of this was evidently to
mislead the mother as to her desti-
nation. The mother reported to the
police department to search for the
truant daughter, but without result.
The Stockton bail team played with
Jackson at the fourth July cele
bration. Kraft was we'll known to
them. The general opinion is that
when the girl lett her home, the fact
soon leaked out that Kraft. with
whom she seems to be infatuated. was
in Jackson, and 1T was assumed that
she was with him. Kraft under the
charge can be prosecuted for either
misdemeanor or felony. The last
legislature changed the law in this
respect, so that failure to support
minor child is punishable by i'm
prisonment in state prison or county
Jail. Inc gIIl was given an order TO
draw the money that was due Kraft
from the Argonaut Company, and was
seen to give him money Just before
getting on the stage Tuesday morn
ing, while waiting on the National
hotel porch.
Kraft was promptly discharged by
tho court, upon producing the
receipts showing that he had made
the payments for the support OF his
.g,I