Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-29
TRY TO KIDNAP
WOMAN IN BIG
ALIENATION SUIT
MRS. HARRIS IS RUSHED TO
AUTOMOBILE
ATTORNEYS SAY DEEPLY LAID
PLOT WAS FORMED
Detective Alleges Five Persons Con
spired to Abduct chauffeur's Wife
Who Has Sued Wealthy Pas
adenans for $4,000

WHAT is alleged by her attorneys
wv to have been an attempt to kid
W nap Mrs. Jane Harris, the plain
tiff in the $150OOO alienation suit against
Mrs. Grace e-Harper and her hus-
band, Stuart Harper of Rock Island
Ill, and Pasadena, was frustrated last
night by Goldberg and Nelly, attor-
news for Mrs. Harris, and B. l.. Nor
gan, a detective employed by them to
safeguard Mrs. Harris interests.
Who instigated the supposed plot to
kidnap the woman is not known, put
the attorneys who have charge of her
case of course attribute the move to
Mrs. Velie- Harper or to some OF her
friends.
Two weeks ago Mrs Harris left the
Hotel Orena, where she had been stop
ping, and took apartments at the VIII
helm on South Grand avenue. Inc DAY
she arrived there man representing
himself as a correspondent of a chicago
newspaper called on her and asked ner
a number of questions, to answer Whlcll
would have been to make known all
the plans she had formulated and all
of the evidence which she possessed IN
support of her case against Mrs. Haf-
per. Mrs. Harris refused to answer the
Questions put to her, and within two or
three days a woman who gave the
name of Mrs. Burke came to the VIII
helm and secured a room.
Acquaintance Cultivated
She became acquainted with Mrs.
Harris and assiduously cultivated her
acquaintance, talking repeatedly of the
damage suit and endeaVoring, accord
ing to Mrs. Harris, to learn all she
could about the plans for the suit ana
the evidence in her possession.
Mrs Burke, as the woman gave her
name also invited Mrs. Harris to go
automobiling with her several times,
hut the latter refused to go, giving as
the reason that after her days Work
she was too tired to leave the house.
Yesterday, according to 4lrs. Harris,
the woman again importuned her 10
take an automobile ride with her, ana
after communicating with her attor-
news. Mrs Harris, by their advice.
finally consented to go with her, the
destination being named as the fire
works display at Fiesta park.
Shortly before o'clock the two
women left the Grand avenue house
and walked to the corner of Seventh
street. where Mrs. Burke said they
would get a car and after the show
was over take an automobile and go
riding At the corner Mrs. Burke Was
Joined by a man, whom she introduced
to Mrs. Harris, and a moment later
a second man walked up and was in
troduced.
Drinks Ordered
At the solicitation of the two men,
the women went with them to a res
tauraht, where some drinks were or
dered, Mrs. Harris demurring to going
to the place. She drank a glass of
lemonade, and the party then left the
restaurant and took a Grand avenue
car for the park.
AS they boarded the car one of the
men signaled two others who were
standing on the sidewalk and they
boarded the car Immediately behind
the party and crowded close to them.
In the meantime Goldberg and Nelly,
with Detective Morgan, had been
watching the movements of Mrs. Har-
ris and her woman companion from the
time they left the house. They also
boarded the car, and on the arrival at
the park intended to follow them in
side if it was the plan to go inside.
AS Mrs. Harris and her companion
left the car the four men rushed them
through the crowd to a point below the
entrance to the gate and to where a
number of automobiles were standing.
Whether 1t was the intention to place
the woman in a machine and speed her
away is not known, as Detective Nor
gan, fearing to lose sight of her in the
crowd, called to Nelly, and they too
broke their way through the crowd un-
til they got to the other party when
Nelly called to Mrs. Harris and turned
her over to Goldberg, who had followed
closely behind.
Detective Says Plot Was Formed
The attorney and the detective then
accused the woman, who had given her
name as Mrs. Burke, and the four men
of trying either to kidnap Mrs Harris
or to place her in a compromising po-
sition, and ordered them to let her
alone in the future
Detective Morgan, who has been fol-
lowing Mrs. Burke and two of the men
for the past week, alleges to have evil
dence to show that a plot has been
formed to get the woman out of the
way until after the case is called for
trial, when its dismissal could be Sc
cured for failure of the plaintiff to APP
pear.
By the action of Judge Hervey yes
terday in sustaining a demurrer to the
complaint of Mrs. Jane Harris, who
sued Mrs. Grace Velie-Harper of Pasa-
dena for $150,O00 on account of alleged
alterations of the affections of Mrs.
Harris husband, Mrs. Harper has won
a temporary victory.
The demurrer was sustained on the
ground the husband was not Joined
with Mrs. Harris as plaintiff in the
action. Ten days were allowed Mrs.
Harris attorneys in which to file an
amended complaint.