New-York tribune., 1910-06-28
K|DNAPPERS TAKE BOY
AWAY IN AUTOMOBILE
Several Men and Woman Capt
ure Son of Rich BrookIynite
Near Albany.
FATHER RUSHES AFTER LAD
Second Husband of Youngster' S
Mother Expresses Belief
That Child Is in Her
Keeping.

Michael L. Mclaughlin, jr., the eight
year-old son of Michael l.. Mclaughlin,
a wealthy real estate dealer, who lives
at No. 11S Remsen street, Brooklyn, was
kidnapped by several men and woman
yesterday as he was playing on the
lawn of his fathers new home, near AL
bany. and guarded by nurse. The kid
mapping was done in broad daylight and
In sight of the nurse, who was power
less to prevent It.
Wh1ie the boy was at play a large
touring car drove up the road in front
of the Mclaughlin home. which is on
kenwood Hill, short distance south of
Albany. Two men jumped from the car,
ran up the lawn and, after grabbing the
boy. ran back to the car. The lad was
placed in the arms of a woman seated
in the automobile and then the party
drove away.
Some time after the kidnapping the
Albany police were informed Detectives
arrested man. who said that he was
John r. Hatherly. He was identified by
the nurse as one of the men in the auto.
the Albany police say.
Hatherly told the police that he was
employed at the State Department of
Agriculture, and suggested that the case
was one for the civil courts. He was set
free. 1t was later found by the police
that no John R. Hatherly was employed
by the state
Mr. Mclaughlin heard of the kidnap-
ping yesterday when he returned to his
Brooklyn home from a trip to Albany
He left Brooklyn late yesterday after
noon for New Jersey. after receiving in
formation from an unknown source that
he might find his boy in a seminary at
Pennington. n. J.
After a fruitless search for his son in
Pennington Mr.. Mclaughlin returned
to New York late last night and went
to the Cosmopolitan Hotel, at West
Broadway and Chambers street. He
said that he had been in telephone COM
munication with his gardener at Albany
and had learned from him that he
grabbed one of the men in the automo-
bile as it was starting away. The man
was turned over to the police. but not
held. Mr.. Mclaughlin does not know
whether the man captured by the gar
dener was the man who gave his name
as Hatherly or not
Says Mother Has Boy.
The kidnapped boy is the son of Mr..
Mclaughlin by Mrs. Cecilia McLaugh-
lin, who secured divorce from him in
February, 1907. The first Mrs. Nc
Laughlin is now the wife of DR.. Henry
P. Holt of No 2423 Church avenue,
who has given up the practice of medi-
cine to engage in the real estate busi-
ness.
Dr. Holt said at his home last night
that his wife had not been home since
Sunday, and that he had no idea where
she was. He said that he believed that
his wife kidnapped the boy, and said that
he thought she would take the lad to
the Pennington Seminary.
DR.. Holt said that his wife had the
right to the custody of the child by a
decision handed down by Justice Jay
cox, at Patchogue, Long Island, when
the divorce was granted.
1.-The McLaughlins stole the boy from
us about a year ago." said Dr. Holt.
and my wife has not been allowed to
see him I deny the statement that she
has had detectives watching the Nc
Laughlin home in Albany. Some time
ago. however, she had a detective watch
ing them, as her mother love naturally
made her anxious to regain possession
of the child. 1 don't believe that she
will bring the boy to our home. ] be
Iieve that she will take him to Penning
ton. where the McLaughlins will not find
II so easy to steal him.
Says Wife Was Slapped.
DIR. Holt told of a visit which Mr.. and
Mrs Mclaughlin and a man, whom he
believes to have been a detective, made
to his home in Linden avenue, Flatbusl,
about year ago. The party had words
with him and his wife he says, and
Mclaughlin later attacked him in the
street.
He also said that about a year ago
the McLaughlins invited him and Mrs.
Holt to call on them at the Hotel st.
George, in Brooklyn. that a suitable ar
rangement about the boy might be made.
He said that when he and his wife with
apartments, Mrs. Holt was struck in the
face by Mrs. Mclaughlin.
Mclaughlin is enraged at my wife"
said DR.. Holt because she refused to
pay judgment of $4,000 against him. the
proposition being that she would get the
boy If she paid"
Mrs Mclaughlin. who was Leonora
Jackson, the talented young Boston vio-
linist, who was sent 10 Europe by Mrs.
Grover Cleveland, George Vanderbilt and
General Horace Porter, in 1905, said at
her home last night that Mrs. Holt has
no right to the child. She said that by
agreement the boy was to go to Mrs
Holt's mother and sister in case of sec
ond marriage.
Mrs. Mclaughlin denied that she or
her husband had ever stolen the boy
In reference to the affair al the st.
George she said that al the time of their
visit there the Holts willingly surrend-
cred the boy to his father.
Mrs. Mclaughlin and her husband said
that when they received word of the
kidnapping they We're told that when
the two men seized him the boy strug-
.led with all his strength, and was only
euhduad when blankets were put over