Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-04
SEIZE BOY FROM
ARMS Of MOTHER;
ESCAPES IN AUTO
Woman Faints When Her Son Is
Taken, Starts for Lawyers
and Does Not Return
MATRIMONIAL MIX INVOLVED
Mrs. EngeIbraCht Claims the Lad
Taken Previously by Father
but Escaped

Two men, claiming to be detectives,
caused wild excitement in the vicinity
of 221 East Seventeenth street at 2
o'clock yesterday afternoon by forcibly
taking Elmer Engelbracht, aged
years, from his mother, Mrs. Theodore
H. Engelbracht. She fought them and
screamed at the top of her voice. When
they thrust her aside, lifted the boy
into an automobile and drove away,
she tainted. Neighbors carried her
into a drug store. After being revived
she started into the city to see her
attorney, H. H. Appel. She had not
returned home at a late hour last
night and her friends are alarmed.
Theodore H. Engelbracht, formerly
cigar salesman in the employ OF the
Ellis Cohn Segar company, Is respon-
sible for the forcible seizure Of the
boy, according to the frantic mother.
1t was the second seizure within
week, and the men said, according to
Mrs Engelbracht that they were act
ing for the father. The couple have
been living apart for some time.
On the former occasion the boy was
taken from his home, but yesterday
the alleged detectives, growing bolder,
snatched the child from his mothers
arms as she was about to board
Maple avenue car at Seventeenth
street and Maple avenue, and, hurry
ing him into waiting automopile,
spirited him away before bystanders
could lift a hand to interfere. Since
that time he has not been heard
from, and late last evening the mother,
Mrs. Engelbracht, was still missing.
The neighborhood around seventeenth
and Maple avenue, especially those
who witnessed the tearing of the boy
from his mothers arms yesterday
afternoon, are up IN arms over the af-
60 Ninlnn0Q Tn the men
If they again appear there.
Not content with taking the boy,
| draymen, with orders from Engel-
| bracht himself, it Is said, appeared at
| the mothers residence yesterday dur
| ing her absence and carted away all
| the furniture in the place, including
her personal effects and piano which,
! 1t Is said, she had bought and paid for
with her own money.
Two MEN SEIZE BOY
Mrs. Engelbracht, accompanied by
| Elmer, left the house about o'clock
| Yesterday afternoon. AS they neared
| the corner of Maple avenue and Sew
enteenth street they were approached
from behind by two men, who grabbed
the boy and started to make off with
him.
Mrs Engelbracht clutched her boy
with the courage of despair, at the
men, roughly brushing her aside, hur-
ried around the corner to a waiting
machine and escaped.
Mrs. Engelbrecht, realizing that her
boy was gone, tainted, and in the ex-
element which followed no one Sc
cured much of q description of the
kidnapers. She was carried into a
grocery store nearby and soon revived.
Later she took car up town, stating
| that she was going to her lawyer. II.
| H. Appel to consult with him. Since
then her friends have heard nothing
more of her. Before she left friend
asked when she expected to returns
and she replid, perhaps never"
| Elmer was first taken last Thursday
night About 11:30 that night Engel-
| bracht, accompanied by two men who
| represented themselves to be detec
| tives, appeared at the home and de-
manded admittance. Mrs. Engelbracht,
| thinking that 1t was her husband re
| turning home alone, went to the door
to admit him, but on seeing two oth-
! ers. protested against their admit
| tance because she was attired only IN
| her night clothes. Engelbracht, how
| ever, it is claimed, insisted on then
entering and as his wife rushed, to 4
| back room to secure q kimono to rug
! around her, the two men stepped to the
crib where the boy was sleeping and
| gathered him up, carried him out intO
| the cold night with nothing but his
pajamas on him and disappeared.
CHILD RETURNS m MOTHER
| Yesterday the little fellow came
| stumbling home. He told strange
| story of escaping from his captors
during the morning and finding his
| way back to mamma. He said that ae
had been with friends of his father,
but could not tell where they lived.
This first attempt put Mrs. Engei-
bracht on her guard and she scarcely
| let the boy get out of her sight during
| the entire day On one occasion she
noticed two men lurking about the
house, and the boy, when asked who
| they were, identified them as the two
who had first carried him away.
When she started for town yesterday
| afternoon Mrs. Engelbracht took her
son with her for fear of his being taken
while she was away She did not dream
1 of his being attacked in broad day
light, and was not looking for the sud
den attack when it came.
According to neighbors, the two men,
| accompanied by several others, had
been in the neighborhood for some time
and had been seen in the company or
Engelbracht shortly before the boy was
| taken Both are described as large,
rough appearing men, and one OF them
wore a badge which he claimed was
| detective star.
Mr.. and Mrs. Engelbracht have been
married about eight years, but for sew
en- years have been living together only
part of the time.
Neighbors state that Mrs. Engel-
bracht was dumfounded by the first at
tempt, Thursday evening, to take the
boy from her, explaining that up until
that time Engelbracht seemed always
willing to let her keep and support the
boy.
1t is said that she is destitute, and
has mother here who is in a hospital.
Engelbracht worked for several years
for the Ellis Cohn Segar company in
the capacity of clerk, but about year
ago quit that position. 1t Is rumored
that his family is in good circum-
stances.