The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-06
Eight -Year-Old Lewis e. Skin.
ner Is Lured Away.
Father Is Charged With Steal.
ing Him From Home.
MOTHER GAVE CHASE.
Woman Declares She Saw Her
Husband Take Child.
Police NOtified-City Sacked
Sheriff Norton Helps.

Aureo from his mothers sight by the
promise OF candy, Louis Edwin Skin
her' o-year-old son of Mrs. Charlotte f.
SKINNER was kidnapped from the home
OF MS grandmother, Mrs. E. w. Rake.
4oo Liberty street, shortly after noon
sunday. In violation of an ironciad
restraining order, issued by Judge A.
w. Dana of the Shawnee district court.
Adam Skinner. father of the boy, be-.
ing sued for divorce, lifted the lad over
the yard fence and hurriedly led him
away.
Mrs Skinner, catching sight OF them
block away, gave chase but, unable
10 gain on them, gave up in nervous
pewllderment. Sufficient time eiapsed
Ior the man to make good his escape
WIN the boy before she was able TO
telephone the police and sheriff. who
instituted a search and wired to s1Ir-
rounding towns.
David T.. Gregg, a North Topeka at
torney. whose trial as an accessory re
the kidnapping of Marian RIeakley the
incubator baby, is pending, is the at
torney for Adam Skinner in the divorce
case and is suspected of having known
OF the kidnapping. In the divorce pro-
ceed1ng he filed an answer for the de-
fendant, who is painter, and lives at
Lawrence, thereby bringing the case
to issue and postponing it's trial until
regularly set on the court docket At
the time of the trouble between the
| ch1ld'S parents broke out in a divorce
suit, Adam Skinner, it is said, threat
ened violence and vowed he would kid
nap the child whose custody Mrs Skin
ner had gotten from Judge Dana The
employment of David Gregg, charged
with holding the horse in the incubator
baby kidnapping case, is considered sig
nificant by the officers
Spirited From CITY.
That the boy was taken out of the
| city by Skinner is the theory of the,
| mother and the officers In response
to wire to Tecumseh to watch for the
kidnaper and his charge, a reply was
received that a man suiting the dis
! cr1ption of Skinner with a small boy
dressed in short pants, white blouse
and, dark cap, was seen driving a rig
rapidly through the town at dusk.
/ Axel Peterson, timer who lives at
HOY East Sixth avenue, and who knows
| Skinner well, reported to the mother
| that he had seen him with the boy
crossing the Melan bridge south at 3
| o'clock in the afternoon or about tive,
hours after the boy was taken. They
were walking at the time and it has
not been learned where he got a team.
Other Son Held.
| Charlotte Skinner, the mother, and
her attorney, T. D. Humphreys, arc
pushing the search today with renewed
| old, who has been with the father, was
taken into custody at Lawrence to be
| held until the father is found. The di-
vorce case was begun March T. 1910,
Mrs. Skinner alleging extreme cruelty
and abandonment. In asking CUSTODY
of the younger child she claimed her
husband no fit person to have charge
of him because of violent temper and
bad habits.
''Since the suit was brought" SAID
ATvc
come to places where 1 have been
at work. trying to get a chance to grab
my child. I am positive it was Dave
Gregg who kept him posted as to my
whereabouts. 1 have had to work all
winter to support myself and the boy
and that's the reason 1 wanted a di-
vorce.
"I have tried to keep from having
| trouble The older boy, Alfred, is awful
nervous and to keep from having him
kidnapped and worried to death, I let
Mr.. Skinner have him. tried to treat
him like a gentleman in spite of his
conduct but he has treaed me like a
| dog.
Ignorant of Law.
Pm ignortant about the law of these
| things and l forgot to ask the sheriff
what they would do to him if he was
caught. Would they send him to the
| penitentiary No, he would never go
there. I know he wouldn't. He would
kill himself first OH hope they can
| keep Alfred from hearing about this.
| It'll drive him crazy. I tried so hard
! to keep things quiet for his sake"
Mrs. Skinner, who is at the home of
| her mother, is broken down as a re-
suit of the taking of her boy. Her
chief grief seems to be for her older
| boy, a sickly lad. who has been with
the father Chief of Police Jenkins is
doing his best to find the kidnapped
son, If in the city. while Sheriff Norton
| -
state and to Kansas City, thinking an
attempt will be made to get the boy
| into Missouri