New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-06
Jumps Through Window to
Rescue Daughter from
Man in Taxi.
MYSTERY IN PLOT
TO ABDUCT GIRL
Chauffeur's Refusal to Start Car
Foils Daring Attempt-Polioe
Free Driver.

plurciuc through an open window INTO
the street after her four-year-old daush-
ter Madeline who had been kidnapped
from her moment before and was being
thrown into A taxicab at tho curb. Mrs
Margaret Dunn yesterday rescued me
child and caused the arrest OF one OF the
kidnappers
The attempt At child stealing was the
loldest and most exciting that has oc-
CURED ir the city for years. Only the
refusal Of the chauffeur 20 speed up his
machine prevented the successful carry
ina out of a daring plot.
Tho mother. who is a widow. opened
the door Of her apartment on the ground
floor Of 80. 2ls East 10Th street yester-
day 10 admit one Of the hdnappers. dis
guised as an Italian fruit pedler The
child was clinging TO her skirts
Suddenly the "pedler' stopped and
seized the child. dashing through the door
which he slammed after him.
With a shrek Mrs Dunn ran 70 the
door. but found il stuck. She reached an
open window in time TO see the kidnapper
pass the child 10 some one in the taXicab.
Then Mrs Dunn jumped through the win
dow.
The kdnapper fed down the street as
Mrs Dunn ran 10 the taXicab. The man
inside was crying 70 the driver to start
but he, seeing something was wrong
refused TO bulge
With q curse the man inside opened the
door Of the machine and flung the child
at her mother. jumped out himself and
ran away. keeping his face covered by
his hat
From the other side Of the machine an
other man leaped out and ran.
Waiting only moment 10 assure her
self her daughter was unhurt, Mrs. Dunn
started in pursuit OF the ''pedler." Her
cries had attracted a score Of women
some Of whom took charge Of the child
while other Joined in the chase.
The 'pedler" was a block away cross
ing Third avenu. when the cries OF those
in pursuit reached Patrolman Crepe. He
caught the man and held him until the
excited women arrived and Mrs. Dunn
seized him. Then. protecting him from
the crowd, the policeman led his prisoner
back TO the taxicab. The chauffeur
Charles Weber. insisted he was not
party TO the plot and offered his unWiH-
ingness 70 start the machine as evidence.
He and the "pedler" were taken 20 the
East s7th street station, where the chauf-
feur was released.
Frank Deldeccio, twenty-four years old.
of No $50 East 18TH street, was the way
the arrested italian described himself He
finally told the police he was hired by
xpb he rather
70 attempt the kidnapping for S.. Cap
tain Sullivan sent detectives 20 an ad-
dress in l2ith street, where the prisoner
said the kidnapper lived. Breaking into
the fat the detectives found II empty.
Magistrate Corrigan, in the Yorkviiie
court held Deldecclo in $500 bail.
The reason for the kidnapping is mys-
terry Up 10 a few weeks ago the child
was in a boarding house kept by Mrs.
2 p. Morrison, Of No POI West l46th
street She had been there since she was
four months old, when her father died
Recently Mrs Dunn found she had money
enough to make home for herself ano
daughter. II was said at the police sta
ton that when she tried TO take her
daughter away Mrs. Morrison objected
The child was a great favorite with the
boarders, particularly with man whom
the police are seeking