The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-04-07
KiDNhPERS FOILED
Rich Widows Son Was
Saved by Nurse.
MOTHER LIVES IN FEAR
Mrs. Charles L. Spier, of Asbury
Park, Believes She is the Vic
tim of a Plot to Prevent
Murder Expose.

Asbury Park. y. j.. April 5.-Two
men in an automobile made a bold at
tempt TO kidnap Charles Louis Spier.
the three-year-old son of Mrs. Charles
l. Spier. whose husband. once conf
dental secretary TO Henry II. Rogers.
of New York. was shot to death at
Stapleton. S. l.. in 1906
The would-be kidnapers drove their
automobile to the side Of the board.
walk and quickly alighting. accosted
the little boys nurse and endeavored
TO wean the lad away from her. The
colored girl. suspecting that something
was wrong. and having been frequent
ly warned by her mistress to be care
ful of strangers approaching the child.
hurried her charge away from the two
men. who. finding their plan suspect.
ed and not wishing to attract the at.
tention Of strollers on the boardwalk.
jumped into their machine and were
soon lost to view.
Mother Lives In Fear.
Upon arriving at the Spier home. on
Eighth avenue. the girl told the story
TO Mrs. Spier. who said she had no,
authorized any one to call for the lit
tie boy on the boardwalk and take
him TO ride in an automobile. as the
two men pretended she had.
Mrs. Spier was much wrought ur
over the occurrence and consulted Po
lice Chief William II. Smith. who ad
vised her to keep quiet until some
clew could be obtained Mrs. Spiev
decided 20 make the facts public. hop
ing II might Illustrate any other de
sign upon her boy.
Ever since the death OF her husband
Mrs. Spier has been living in constant
fear. She moved from Stapleton tc
Asbury Park. and for the past three
summers has occupied a pretty little
bungalow at Como. where she felt un
der less restrainst.
Receives Many Threats.
Threats. she says. have been made
against her own life and that her child
would be taken from her. These she
has received in different forms. from
time to time. and she has been con
stantly on her guard.
The two men in the automobile wore
long automobile coats. One of them
was described as tall and slender and
or blind complexion. He wore a check.
cred cap and asked the coIored girl
II she was Mrs. Spier's maid. The girl
said she was. whereupon the man said
Mrs. Spier was going auto riding with
them, and that she had sent for the
boy. The man reached for the lad. but
the nurse insisted that she would take
him home herself The little fellow
olung to the maids skirts. With an
unpleasant glare. the two men. motto.
Ing strollers in the neighborhood. ex.
claimed:
"Oh! Well. we will be at the house
when you get there" and departed.
Work to Clear Husbands Name.
Mrs. SpieT regards IL as significant
that the attempt TO kidnap her little
son was made the first time he had
been out without her. which leads her
to believe that she is continually be-
ing watched She believes. moreover.
that the attempted kidnapping and the
threats against her own life are part
OF plot instigated after the death of
her husband and which are the result
OF her energy In securing evidence
to prove that her husband was the vic.
tim of a conspiracy and was not a
suicide. as was said after the finding
Of his body in their Stapleton home.
Mrs. Spier refuses to disclose the
nature of the plot or the names OF
those whom she believes are concern.
ed in 1t, but she is firmly convinced
that IN a short time she will be able
to clear her husbands name and es-
tablish the fact that he was murdered
and did not take his own life.