Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-13
CHILD, OBJECT
Of LEGAL FIGHT,
IS KIDNAPPED
David Murray Is Spirited Away
from Home of Wealthy
Foster Parents.
ACCUSE REAL FATHER
AND MOTHER 0E ACT
Disappearance of Boy Saturday
Night Is Kept Secret
Until Today.

Extraordinary mystery enveloped
the kidnapping of 5-year-old David
Murray. who was stolen from the front
piazza of his wealthy fostor parents
home, at SO Warrington place, East
Orange, early Saturday evening, and
whom the police of half dozen cities
have been searching for futilly today.
The case is the stranger from the
fact that St. Mary's Orphanage, of
Providence, r. l., has only recently
won an action In the Chancery Court
giving 1t back the custody of the child
though 1t once consented to his adop-
tion by Mr.. and Mrs. Murray. The
Murrays say that the real father and
mother of the boy have brought about
the kidnapping because in their anxiety
they could not await the result of an
appeal that had been taken to another
court The boy was known in the
asylum as Kenneth Williams.
kidnapping Is Daring.
The kidnapping was daring In the ex-
treme. For weeks, since the Chancery
Court had awaraed the custody of the
child to the asylum again, private de-
tectives had been seen about the hand
some home of the Murrays in swarms.
No one could discover who employed
them, and they deferred their act 80
long that even the Murray family grew
unsuspicious.
Saturday evening Mrs. Murray says
she sent David TO the letter-box to post
some mail, and then to the Lacka-
wanna station to meet his foster father
who is a writer, and was coming il
from New York. No one molested him,
tI1a 20 P1lt /
return that he was permitted to go ou
upon the front piazza and play-an in
dulC snoe that had not been grantee
him since the Murrays first found spies
about
Mrs. Murray says she sat for fifteen
minutes watching the boy running
about with the family dog then left to
attend to some household duty and
came back to find him gone.
She and her husband secured the
street and the neighborhood without
avail; but for some reason they did not
inform the police until this morning
when general alarm was sent out
No Trace of Child.
The Murrays say they have not the
least idea of the identity of the per-
sons who stole their fosten son, nor
can they give a good description of the
private detectives" whom they say
have been haunting their home. The
police are even further in the dark.
for there is absolutely no trace of the
child. No one who has yet been found
saw him stolen, nor did anyone see the
kidnappers carrying him away The
Murray5 say the boy was devoted to
them, did not know his own parents
and was much grieved over the de-
cision of the Chancery Court, which
gave him back into the custody of the
Providence orphanage.
1t appears from the records that he
was adopted by the Murrays about
two years ago, during visit of Mrs.
Murray to the institution in Providence,
where she saw him and found he had
been left there when mere babe.
No record of his parents identity came
up at that time, or even in the suit
which was brought by former Judge
Raymond, of this city, in behalf of the
asylum on the ground that Mrs. Muir
ray was not a proper foster-mother for
the boy. She won stay of the order
taking him from her by appealing to
the Court of Errors. 1t has been since
that stay was granted, she says, that
someone interested III the CHllu mas
had her home watched by day and
night
other Attempts Made.
She told reporters today that this
successful attempt was not the first
attempt that had been made to kidnap
her foster son. A year ago men came
upon another child playing in tho
vicinity of the Murray home and took
him away, in the belief that he was
David. Then twelve hours later, when
they discovered their mistake, they
brought the youngster back and set
him down on the Murrays' steps.
Mrs. Murray told the East Orange
police that the "spies" must have had
an intimate knowledge of her family
affairs, because they evidently stole
the lad in time to prevent the family
from taking him with them to the new
home they are going to live In at