The Cairo bulletin., 1910-07-30
TWO STRANGERS TRY TO CARRY
OFF YOUNG BOY IN CASO-
LINE BOAT.
TRAMPS AID HIS ESCAPE
Dragged Him From Commercial Ave
nue. to River Bank---Men Es-
\. capped in Their Boat
R When Foiled. 4 ~ (

An attempted kidnapping took
place yesterday afternoon at 4:30
o'clock on Commercial avenue at the
foot of Sixteenth stree,. Marion Lee
Atherton the t2-year-old son of Mrs.
Atherton OF 26l4 Sycamore street,
was the victim.
The boy Is pretty little fellow
and bright. He is employed as office
boy at DR.. Stevens office at 7l2 Com
mercal avenue. He was en- route
with message from DR.. Stevens to
the Cairo Ice and Coal Co. When
passing along the east side of Com
Nercial avenue opposite the Illinois
Central round house two men stop
ped him, one grasped him tightly by
the arm and the other clapped his
hand upon the boys mouth to prevent
him from making an outcry
Kicking and struggling the boy was
dragged through the freight yard of
the Illinois Central to the river front
The boy said he did not see anyone
but his captors as they dragged him
along. Even if the trio had been
noticed, they would probably not
have been interferred with as the
suggestion would naturally present
itself to any observer that the boy
was obstreperous and the men were
his relatives trying to get him home,
When the men reached the river
front they made directly for gaso.
line yacht which bore the name "Buf-
fer" One of the men Ieft the boys
side to unite the boat. leaving the.
other man to place the boyonboard.
Young Atherton realized that he was
to be carried away and terror lent
him strength. He struggled violently
and by an extraordinary effort sue.
ceeded in wrenching himself from the
grasp of the villain who held him.
He ran screaming up the river bank
the man in hot pursuit. The man was
gaining on the boy rapidly and would
have recaptured him had not two
men appeared at the top of the levee,
attracted by the boys cries. They
were evidently tramps from the de-
scription given of them by the boy;
but they interfered with the kid.
napers and aided the boy to escape
conducting him back to Commercial
avenue whore he boarded a car for
GtnUnnC' afYfa0 n1 to ctC
DR.. Stevens went to police head
quarters secured two policemen and
went to the scene of the attempted
kidnapping. The boat was gone and
not to be seen up o% Gown the river.
The party searched the bank of the
river as far up as the Singer factory
thinking the boat might be hidden
against the bank or behind a boat or
barge. AT the Singer landing the in.
formation was given that the boat
had passed up the river a short time
before, but being a rapid little craft
it was probably near Mound City at
that time. TswMw
Mayor Parsons was told of the case
and promised efforts would be made
to apprehend the men
Young Atherton said that from the
time of his capture by the men up 70
his escape not word was spoken to
him by either man. The boy was so
badly frightened and nervous over his
experience, that he could not eat his
supper although ordinarily having al
ravenous appetite.
The boy could not give much of a
description of the men. He said ne
could not get good look at them
while they were dragging him along
and was too badly frightened to no
tice how they looked or how they
were dressed.