The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-01
A Woman S
Wit
By EDITH v. ROSS


get the fresh air. She put on his over,
coat and his toque and his gloves and
took him out on to the stOop Then.
giving him a kiss. she told him to run
years old, and his mother, who was a
self reliant woman, had discharged his
nurse.
Jimmie did not return. and his moth
er went GU to look for him. He was
not OIL the stOOp or on the sidewalk
Indeed, he "a not In sight. His moth
err walked hurriedly up and down the
street, expecting every moment to
catch sight Of him, but she did not.
Finally she asked some children play
ing lear by. and they told her that
they had seen a little boy-describing
Jimmie-go off with a man.
Then Mrs. Garland knew that her
boy had been kidnapped. BY a strong
and questioned the children closely as
to the appearance of the man. They
described a small, poorly dressed per
son, his trousers patched and his el
bows in rags. His hair was what
they called brown. This ia all they
could remember.
Mrs. Garland, though in agony abou,
her boy. being an unusually self o
tanned woman, very o brought her.
self into a condition to think what she
should do. When a child is kidnapped
it is usually for money. The parent is
Informed of the fact and negotiations
opened for payment. Mrs Garland,
who was a widow. made up her mind
to await the kidnaper's demand before
taking any action.
And yet n can never be certain
when a child has disappeared that he
will " be heard from. There are
many disappearance that remain for
ever mysteries. 1t is therefore the
more remarkable that this mother
should have contained herself and act
ed In a way that would afford the
greatest number Of chances for getting
her boy safely back. She reasoned tina,
T the boys loss were published in the
newspapers the kidnaper would read
t and, taking fright. might remove her
boy to a distance. If no notice were
taken Of the matter he would write.
On the third day after the kidnapping
the postman handed In a letter which
as oon as Mrs. Garland looked at it
she knew was the one expected. 1t
was addressed simply to the street and
number and written In English as an
italian would write English. The kid.
naper demanded 5000 for the return
Of the child. An Italian name was
signed, the writer stating that a reply
could be sent to the general delivery
at the p~ostofice, but whoever called
for it would have nothing to do with
the case.
Mrs. Garland determined, IL possible,
to win the confidence q NE kidnaper.
So she replied that her only wish was
to her child. She could raise
but $1,000. which she would be glad
to give II the person would instruct
her where to make the delivery. She
also said that she had not reported her
loss to the police and had no intention
OF doing DO. She preferred to pay and
recover her boy.
/ The kidnaper wrote that he would
accept the 5000. On a certain avenue
between two streets was a vacant lot.
At or near II O'Clock on q certain
night Mrs. Garland was to leave the
money In q cracker box she would find
In a corner farthest from the street.
Within two days after the receipt of
the money the boy would be placed on
the street lear bis home. Mr.. Garland
wrote back that the conditions were
accepted, except that her boy was to
be returned within twelve hours after
the depositing Of the funds. A letter
came agreeing to this stipulation.
Now. on this last letter Mrs. Gar.
land noticed a stamp that had evident.
" been placed on another envelope
and removed. The stamp val soiled.
indicating that some one with dirty
hands had endeavored to make it stick.
Mrs.. Garland took up 4 magnifying
glass and discovered thumb marks.
Thus far no notice Of the KIDNAPPING
had appeared in any newspaper. and
the police were ignorant Of Mrs. Gar.
lands loss. On the appointed night
she went to the vacant lot and de-
posted bills to the amount Of $1,000
The next morning at dawn there was
4 sharp ring at the doorbell. Mrs.
Garland raj downstairs and opened
the door, and there stood Jimmie. He
said he had been left there by 4 girl.
Having got her child back safe and
well. Mrs. Garland went to the office
Of ~ police and informed them of the
easA stating that she had obtained
from United States treasury officers
$500 in captured counterfeit ten and
twenty dollar bills. Since they had
been paid to an ignorant Italian be
would not likely know that they were
counterfeit and he might be caught
trying to pass them. Instructions bear
ing on the case were vent out. and a
girl wal spotted Offering one Of the
bills. She was followed to a squalid
nrsnrn In = tnnnnn~~% h.,H1Ax>- 80 49,