The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-15
KIDNAPPED GIRL RESCUED
FOUND WIN HER ABDCCT0R
IN q BACkWOODS SHANTY.

M44m A-4feM away EfWm NE@~or8M ~
Her Uneae-Forecd 10 walk Nearly
ThaTty Mues AMI 70 sleep N naFn'
NEwbuRoa. April iL-ChArgsd With
kidnapping twslve-yVar-old Asenath
Cooper. dlughtsr % Mr. and Mrs. John
Coop@r OF Mitldlehops W. n SpsrTy. q
years cid. Ia in iaii IN tins city He vas
arrosted soon after midnight in the little
shanty Of HIS brsther-in-Aaw. Stsve
Kine. a hackwoOdsman. In the MOnGAup
Valley. town of Lumbsrland. sullivan
county The arrest was made by Chief
Of PoGico WillSin Of Port Jervis and Deputy
Sheriff Henry q. Porter os Orange county.
with the ass.stansn Of the Rsv Edward
l. Campbell. assistant pastor u the First
Pres byrterian Church 40 this city. whose
persissenos nd On the apprshsnniOn Of thu
alleged ab,.'lctot and tho recovery Of the
little girl
Hanslcufed TO an ofscsr Spery arrived
IN NcwburGil about O CLOCK this morning
on the Same train which carried LITTLE
Asenath, wi q irears the marks Of the III
treatment ~ tho hands az her abdnctor.
Soon after she arrived az the homo OF her
foster parents. Nv and Mrs John Nc
Cr,mRacn, In this city. from which she was
AIKEN j,iSt q week ago to-day by Spsrry.
tho httle girl told q remArkatle story
Cowed by her abducsoT. she declared
thai she was Obliged to walk fully thirty
miles since she was spirited away from
home The first night, a raw night. she
vas obliged 10 Sleep in a harm in the
vicinity ~ Mon Gomery, y. r.. and did
not receive morsel Of food until
late Friday. when her first meai COO
sisted of soiae cold beans and q piece ot
hard breed winch SpcTry had begged At
a farm house On Friday little Assnath
said she was compelled 20 ualk twelve
miles into the Hakes- Nest Mountains.
a hwless wilderness in tho MOngaup
Valley. where Sperry had boen hiding
since last Friday night Sporty had the
little girl ia bed with him when the ofiscers
forced an entrance into the hou~s. The
little girl was promptly taken Awev from
sperry. Tho abductcr spent the NIGHT
IN q Port Jcryls Lookup, while tho little
girl vas taken n . hotel.
This morning az the homo OF her toetev
parents. Asenath displayed marks ON her
arm which she said were inflicted BY
Sperry holding her 90 tightly when she
attempted TO get away from him. sperry
xivcs an entirely different version. and
insists that he forced her To 90 with him
Asenath, said he made her waik twelve
miles lest Friday.
Tomorrow. she added. IL things had not
turr.cd out as thcy did. a. Sperry said he
vas going e. Pennsylvania to-day.
Sperry evidently vas headed for Penn
sylvania WHERE his SISTER lives. He was
ARRESTED Close 10 the Pennsylvania line
-. A. - veiallw vartnSsh re-
markabIs story told ny Mrs Eta storms
Of 7Ol North Water street. who .ays abe
u positive that Sperry - IN reality Sohn
Ste nbEckCr. who married his present
wifc's sisIs r. Ahcc Cooper, about twenty
i've years ago. end has since married
three other women. two Of whom died under
suspicious circumstance. Sperry VIII
be ezra gncd bcfore Recorder hyndman
en- fucsy morning
During the d-y both the girl and the
kicnaPpcr gave versions oi tne case
Asanath Cooper. the giri. Gaid:
wanted 70 20 To school that Thurs
day afternoon when Mr.. SpeTTy came to
the house but he wanted mo 90 80 Tor a
walk with him. We sent down water
street 10 Hart's store and therc he wanted
to have note ssnt 20 the school. but
would not take H. We then went for a
walk up around Downing Park. and then
when I wanted To 60 homo he told me he
vas going away and would never como
back he said that he wanted me 90 go
with him. and when ] started to cry he
caught ne bv the wrist and dragged me
along When I started To call out he
said he would nat me IN the mouth " !
did not keep still and como along and
was afraid not To do 90. We vent along
up by the car tracks to where they turn
OF and then started TO walk O1t the road.
This was undoubtedly the turnpike
We went q long ways before a three mule
wagon from the creamery came along.
The driver knew Mr.. Sperry; He said
Hello. Bill. and be gave ~ a ride.
-On the road I tod the man | did not
want to 90 away. and ! cried. but be sat
there without saying n word, and Sperry
told me To keep still. We went 90 the
village OF Montgomery. they called e.
and there We got on the wagon. We
went on until We came 20 a church and
there We went into the shed and slept that
night II was awful cold. The next
morning We started To walk again AMI con-
tinued on and on.
We finally reached HuRISenot, whore
We rested a day OF two. Up to that time
We bad nothing TO eat He kept hold q
and blue marks. When we got ready 70
start on again NE got in a wagon, rode
Co Port JerVls and from there TO the place
where they found ls- After We got thsre
the woman cut my hair and banGs-
am glad to get back home and hope l VII
never have another such experience.
Sperry says that the girl n not telling
the truth. He did not compel her TO 20
anywhere; he did not walk her the fifty
miles and they had plenty TO eaa along
the road.
Il took her. said Sperry. because she
wanted 20 20. wanted 10 take her badly
enough. for I love every inch Of that
child. have loved her since she was q
tiny little baby. The Lord knows there
IN no one IN the world OF whom I ever
thought 50 much. ! would NOT harm her
oF lot her come 20 harm II there was any
way in which I could protect her. ]
would have liked 20 have had her with
mo. but was afraid to take her
-On Thursday l was going away. but
I had not thought to take her. She
begged me TO do 30. She told me that her
pMpa and mamma did not love her and
that no ono loved her. that they all hated
her. and she wanted me TO let her 20
with me. ] was afraid 90 take her. hut
did want the child. and 80 her tears
broke my will and took her.
1t IL not 20 that we did not have any
thing 10 eat along the road. purchased
stuff TO ss' and we ate u. We got rides
which took Us most % the distance.
IL was hard 70 walk Der across noun
latns. bat | had TO do Il. I don't know
how far Il was. but II might have besn
Twelve miles We vent from Belle
sicBride's TO steve kings II vas wrong.