The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-01-13
HE
TOOK GIRLS Def
Tried Abduction to Win Her
Consent to Marriage.
EXONERATES HIS COMPANION
Samuel Sinclair Says He Loves Miss
Steckel and He Tried to Win Her-ln
Romantic Manner. II

Romantic Manner.
Allentown, Pa. Jan. 13.-Accordine
to his own statement, Samuel Sinclair
kidnapped Miss Anna Steckel in cave
man fashion at the practical suggEs
ton of the young heiress herself.
He asserted that the girl had told
him she would never marry a man
without sufficient spunk to take her In
spite Of herself and dc 1t in roman
tic manner.
Accordingly, he says, he boldly fol
lowed her into her home, carried hel
to a taxicab and gave orders to the
chauffeur to drive into the country
The driver was frightened by the girls
screams and drove to the police sta
ton, thus terminating the plan OF the
love-crazed young clubman.
Samuel Sinclair and r. Walter Starr
are now out on $4,000 bail each. on q
charge of attempted kidnapping.
Sinclair made statement regarding
the girl. He declared: /
Il loved the girl" said Sinclair, "and
/ still love her. I made up my mind
that some day was going to have her
but when l proposed to her some
months ago she told me that she would
never marry man who could not
take her. She told me that he musi
do it in a romantic manner, and I de
termined to do it.
Il am sorry that l got r. Walter
Starr, my nephew, into this. The boy
was innocent. He entered the plan
with me simply for lark, and I sin,
cerely hope he does not get into trou
BILE over it."
Miss Steckel, who is the daughter OF
Reuben P. Steckel, millionaire retired
business man. bears slight cut on her
forehead, and her face is scratched
from the struggle in the taxicab with
the two men. Chief Of Police Bernard
says that her clothes were torn when
she was brought into the station house
with the men who tried to abduct her
Miss Steckel, suffering from shoek
as the result of her brief but exciting
ride in the taxicab, was visited by "a
host of her friends and acquaintance,
and received numerous telephone ard
telegram messabes of congratulaticn
on her escape. Her condition Is not
considered serious.
Members Of the family. esQeoG = z
her father, are enraged at the attemat
to abduct her and have determined ao
prosecute as far as the law will per
init.
Sinclair met Miss Steckel at card
party and became Immediately enanh-
ored of her. After that he was fire.
Quent visitor to the Steckel home.
Some time ago, according to init
mate friends of the young social fa.
vorite, she became tired of his per.
sistent attentions and proposals of
marriage and asked him to cease his
visits. Sinclair refused to be deferred
by this. Neighbors say that when his
rings at the doorbell Of the Steckel
home were unanswered he would sat
on the steps for hours at time.
The girl was seized at the door OF
her home by Sinclair and Starr. The
latter is Sinclair's nephew and Is a
son of DR.. Walter Starr, a widely
known dentist, Of 1T South Seven.
teenth street, Philadelphia.
Miss Steckel at first thought. the men
were joking, but when she found that
she was being forced to the taxicab
standing at the curb she tried to
scream.
One of the men put his hand over
her mouth to stifle her cries, and
when she was placed in the car a
blanket was thrown over her head.
Then the chauffeur, C. w. Sherer. OF
West Bethlehem, was ordered to drive
as fast as you can into the country"
Sherer, by this time thoroughly
frightened. instead of obeying orders,
turned his car toward the center OF
the street and drove at full speed for
the police station. At Center square he
saw Policeman Boyle, and, attempting
to stop his machine, drove it into the
soldiers monument.
Boyle went to the girls assistance
and arrested the two men. The chauf
feur says he was hired to attend q
wedding and told to "obey orders"
Sinclair and Starr were released by
Alderman Bower, when DR.. R. Walter
Starr, father of the young man, provid
ed $4,000 bail each for them. They im
mediately left Allentown.