The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-01-13
FORTUNE TOPUN|SH
ABOUCTORS OF
HIS DAUGHTER
Reuben E. Steckel of Allentown
Pa, Will Aid Prosecution
SINCLAIR AND STARR OUT
Young Men Implicated in Attempt to
Carry Away Young Woman
Out on Bail.

Allentown, Pa, Jan. 12.-Declaring
that he is willing to spend half OF MS
fortune and the remaining years OF
his life to the end that the abductors
of his daughter, Anna E. Steckel, may
he punished, Reuben p. Steckel, faith
er of the. girl spoke freely OF the case
today. He said:
81 saw my daughter being dragged
out of my home by these two men
and the only answer l received to my
protests was command to smut up.
81 am too old to have been able 10
cone with them, but will spend nan
nv money in an effort to have them
punished. have perhaps only Few
wears to live at the most, but II can
see justice done in this case VIII
die happy" ia 40
Mr.. Steckel, who is 80 years Old de
nounced the proceedings early today
which ended in the the release OF the
men.
Samuel Sinclair, Jr., SUPERVISING
Inspector of State Highways aiieseu
principal in the kidnapping scheme'
and r. Walter Starr, Lehigh uni
yersity student( who was his accom-
Mice. we're each admitted to S5,Oou
hail at | o'clock this morning ana
left at once for Philadelphia.
They will have hearing heA'
Thursday afternoon at o'clock. Dr.
Hone r. NJ Ritter of this city and
prof. r. Walter Starr of Philadelphia
father of one of the defendants, be-
came the sureties.
District Attorney Rupp today sald
that the alleged abductions VIII De
prosecuted under the act OF l9ll'
which was passed following the KID
manning of Willie Whitla at Oil CITY
pa and which fixes the penalty Tor
| lridnapping at from twenty years 10
life Imprisonment
Miss Steckel is unnerved by her ex
nerience. and she bears seVerai
wounds. one over her left eye, anoth-
err on her face and third on her
arm.
Sinclair was a member of the Lee
high Country Club, at the head Oh
! which Is Charles Nj. Schwab. and OF
Rible class at the First Presbyter-
ian Sunday school taught by Judge
Frank NJ. Trexler of the local courts.
II is alleged that he tried TO be at
tentive TO Miss Steckel for weeks
after he had been forbidden to enter
her home and even followed her to
Philadelphia and New York.
Charles Boyle, the policeman VINO
rescued the girl, said today that when
he was called by c. w. Sherer, chauf-
feur of the auto, to take charge OF
the party he found the girl on the
aoor of the car covered by blanket
I Only her hair was visible. The po-
liceman at first thought that chilu
was being kidnapped. Sinclair mad
his hand tightly clasped over her
mouth TO prevent an cutlery, Boyle
said.
ct the police station Sinclair made
an effort to be near the girl and II
required the efforts of two policemen
TO keep him away 1t was learned
that Sinclair and Starr had followed
the girl all the afternoon and that
when they saw her nearing her home
they got there ahead of her, hiding
until they saw her enter her house
when they grabbed her
Sinclair sticks to his tory that Miss
Steckel was in the scheme, but weak
ened. Several of the girls friends
who knew of her recent dislike tol
him. say they do not believe his sid'
of the case. Starr refused to talk ex
| l,,f hn mnna flt
scapegoat of what he says he though
was only a friendly adventure.
Il had absolutely nothing to az
with this affair."" said Miss Steckel
sinclair has been logging my foot
stems for months. We met at a carr
party some time ago and since thei
| have been unable to appear on tn
streets but ! met him. rebuf1e'
him and did everything in my powe
! to show that ] did not desire his al
, tentions. don't know what to do.
3 Samuel Sinclair. father of tn
? young supervisor. arrived in Allen
town today and met the father Q
Young Starr. They called on IN
father of the young woman. Mr. 81
! clair told Mr.. Steckel that his SO
9 really was desperately in love wit
e ! Miss Steckel and that he was sur
Z the kidnapping plan was arrange
e only so that they might be togethe'
. Mr.. Steckel appeared to be sorr
for the two fathers, but he refused |
make them any promises that b
would withdraw the charge or tbs
Miss Steckel would refuse TO appes
4 against them.
Sinclair exonerated Starr as muc
7 as possible for his part in the e
e capsde. He said that Starr went !
= | 40 Z. throuOh friendship. Starr va