The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-09
FATHER WATTS UP
WITH BIG PISTOL
N EABLY MORNING. cArrUrEs
TWO MEN HE ALLEGES
ABUSED DAUGHTER
Girl. TEL S STO r Y
PICKLE FACTORY IS SCENE AID
OTHER ARRESTS ARE EXPECT
ED ToDAy-MOTHER IN
SERIOUS CONDITION.
GIRL TELLS STORY

Holding Herman Meseoe and j. j.
Anthony at the point of a pistol after
they had brought his sixteen year
daughter home in the early morning
hours, Charles X. Cannon, one of the
operators OF the signal service of the
police department, yesterday morning
telephoned to Detective Gordon Smith
and had them arrested in his home
ter, Grace b. Cannon.
1t was after / o'clock when the trio
arrived. Mescoe and Anthony,
brother OF Arthur Herman Anthony.
now under heavy bail for an alleged
similar criminal offense, were ad-
mitted into the house. Cannon COW
cred them with a revolver, and made
them take seats In the front parlor.
He had been sitting up. waiting for
them. Then he telephoned to Acting
Detective Gordon p. Smith, who lives
at 3S04 East Broad street.
II am In trouble, Gordon he said.
Come as quickly as you can" When
Smith arrived he was met by Can
non. and was conducted into the par
Tor. The girl was m another room.
on the verge OF hysteria. Leaving
the young men in the charge of
Cannon. the detective talked to the
girl. and soon unfolded story which
so shocked the girls mother that she
was Frustrated, and had afterwards
TO be attended hy-Dr,@W William I'll.
Parker.
Tells Story TO Detective.
But Ii took, the detective nearly
two hours to uncover the girls story.
She told him that sae mad been out
In an automobile ride, that she had
been around the new pump house
with her friends, and that the machine
had broken down five miles out In
the country and that she had been
forced to walk home with her two
companions.
She denied at first that there had
been anything wrong in the trip. and
her story was corrohorated by the
young men. But certain admissions
were made, and in great trspidation.
1t Is said, the young men turned to
Mr.. Cannon, and told him that no.
tortety would only make bad case
worse and that he could not afford
to have the affair made public. Mr..
| Cannon became so enraged. it is said.
that Detective Smith feared he would
kill Mescoe and Anthony, and had
some difficulty in restraining him.
Mrs. Cannon, mother OF three
daughters and one son, was SO over
come that 1t Is feared she may die.
The girl broke down, and >wept bit
terly Her first story was that she
| had taken an automobile ride out into
the country, and that the machine had
broken down and that she had been
forced to walk to car line, which
explained the lateness of the hour
when she arrived home. The same
story was told by Mescae and An
thony.
- Put Under Arrest.
But both men were arrested by De-
tective Smith on suspicion of having
committed a felony, and were taken
to the First police station. Arrived
there Detective Smith telephoned to
Detective Sergeant Wiley, and met
MIN at the Second station, where G.
long consultation was held They de-
cided to make further investigation.
Cannon's daughter was visited
again yesterday afternoon. and, after
long questioning, admitted that her
i1rst story was not true. She said 1t
is stated. that she went Saturday night
to the Richmond college grounds in
".
| Then she went across the street and
across the street car tracks to some
place she had never seen before The
TWO detectives say that it was the
KIDD Pickle factory. Continuing her
story. the girl stated that she was
forced into the nfiice-af the bailding-
She ayerred further that she was sub
jected TO indignities by both her com
panions. Pressed for further details,
she declared that three other couples
were admitted at yne same time into
the pickle factory. Mescoe, who is
foreman in the factory. she declared.
admitted them. Some time was spent
in the office, and then the couples
took different cars home
Others Are Implicated
TWO of the other young men men
toned in the girls final story are
now at liberty under heavy bond
for alleged criminal offenses against
young girls. Two of them are
under bond OF s2,5oo for their APP
pearance before the Henrico county
court. They are alleged to have COM
lnitted g. like. offense Saturday night.
Last night the father of one iof
the girls implicated sat-ap with a
gun In his hands for the home
coming Of his daughter and her com
panion. Detectives Sergeant Wiley
and Detective pjmith visited him. II
tried to shoot that man one night"
he said brokeniy but my girl got
in the way He told Of how his
daughter had been driven up in an
automobile, and of how he leveled
his. gun. AT the dsvseE. ]: when liis.
daughter lsprang between them.
But I'll get him yet,' he said; and
the detectives left him in fear that
he would carry out his purpose. He
is a widower. and is the father Of
eight childreS.
One of the other girls mentioned
In the case is the child OF widow.
Another is the child OF people In
poor circumstances. One OF the girls
In said to be seventeen years OF age;
one sixteen. and two are but little
more than fourteen years old.
Further Arrests Expected.
Further arrests may be MADE to-
day. One OF the girls was away
from home when the detectives
called last night The parents of
all We're Wild with grief and with
indignation. But, as none OF the
girls Ia less than fourteen years or
age, the law can make but futile
effort against the offenders. Under
one charge they n.ay be fined; but
under charge of abduction. il 1t
be possible to prove abduction. the
-punislasnesst is more severe.