Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-22
(By Associated Press.)

U oPEKA. Kas, Aug. 21.-Marion
Bleakley, the St. Louis worlds
Il fair incubator baby, who was the
cause of litigation extending over sew
eral years, was kidnapped in a sensa-
tional manner from the home of her
mother at 1927 Garfield avenue at III
o'clock this morning.
The little girl, who is years old, has
been carefully guarded in Topeka, and
has been~constantly attended
This morning a woman appeared in
the neighborhood ostensibly selling
soap. She visited Mrs. Bleakley's
house. A half hour later a buggy in
Which were two men and the same
woman appeared in front of the house,
and the kidnapping followed.
Mrs Charlotte Bleakley. who was
awarded the child by the federal courts
two years ago, lived with her mother.
She worked as a stenographer. Today
the child was left with a boy of the
neighborhood. A buggy in which there
were two men and a woman drove up
before the house. One of the men got
out and entered the house where the
child was playing AS he ran toward
her the boy interfered and the kid
naper shot at him, but missed.
chiId's History Stormy
He then knocked the boy down and
carried the child to the buggy and
drove off
The police were Immediately notified
and posse is now in pursuit.
Marion Bleakley, the kidnapped child
mas had stormy career. She was born
In hospital at st. Louis and was
placed in one of the incubators shown
ct the exposition. While there she was
formally adopted by Mrs. James 3.
Barclay of Moline, III.
Mrs. Bleakley signed a release, but
she afterward sued TO recover the child
and was successful in the Illinois
courts. She brought the child to Kan
sas, where the baby was kidnapped, but
later was recovered.
The fight for the possession of the
baby was carried through the state
courts and the supreme court finally
awarded the custody to Mrs Bleakley.
rs. Barclay then instituted a suit
in the federal court for possession of
the child, but was again defeated.
Woman Detective Appears
The Beakley home is located on the
west side. eighteen blocks west of the
business district and in one of the prin
cipal residence sections.
A month ago a strange woman visit
ed the newspaper offices. making in
quiries about the whereabouts of Mrs.
Bleakley. She claimed to be a friend,
but 1t is supposed her business was to
locate the little girl.
All the railroad stations in the vicin-
ity of Topeka have been notified, and a
sheriff's posse in automobiles has left
for the west, the direction taken by
the kidnapers.
The young man who was in charge of
the kidnapped child was Clarence Bel
KNAPP of Jackson, Tenn, a cousin of
Mrs. Bleakley, and who is visiting at
her home. After he had been struck
down he recovered sufficiently to fol-
low the buggy, and caught on the rear
of the vehicle, but was beaten Off -
The lxidnapers lashed their horses to
a gallop and drove west on Tenth ave-
nue. 1t is supposed they went to a
small station on the Rock Island rail-
road, six miles west of Topeka, where
they could board westbound train.
The buggy in which the kidnapers
escaped was found abandoned at
o'clock this afternoon in the street at
Fifth and Fillmore streets, two miles
from where the child was stolen. 1t
was hired from a local livery stable.
Clarence Belknap the young man
who was assaulted, gives a meager de-
soription of the kidnapers.
He says the man with whom he
fought for possession of the child was
large and had black mustache The
second man was smaller and wore a
gray mustache. He can give no de-
scription of the woman.