Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-22
BY lila
The Kidnaper
Eakins
CHAPTER II.

Tho father employed five men as
detectives. who worked constantly pu'
without success for about one NUM-
The mother and father had aimost
given up hope of ever finding the GILL
dren again. ~ ao,~r oil
this time? w. vor,,
After they had been in New VOTE
the rest of the night sleeping IN .
10 rea hotel as the nieces and nephew
If the kidnapper, he took them to an
old tumble down house ,uo
He told them to follow him Wnlie
they were looking at the qualnt olu
furniture that was lying around hers
and there the man slipped out ano
locked the door after him. They alo
not know he had gone until tney near
him turn the lock- They realized the
truth then. ,o,+
They stayed in the old mouse apoas
three DAYS when Blanche (Who was
never stilD found a window that was
NOT fastened. She did not tell the otn
ers hut after the man had brought thell
sumner and had gone again 1or tne
NIGHT she told them what she hao ulS-
covered. After awhile when every
thing was quiet Blanch opened tne
window and let them all out. Sne TOTO
them to get behind bush until Sic
came.
She went back after some water ano
small amount OF food tnat sue ia.
managed to get unknown to the man
Then she climbed out of the Wlnoo"
and closed it after her. After the!
had gone about block they hearc
some one running after them. Ineo
turned and saw the kidnapper comma
after them. They started to run put NJ
soon overlook them and brougnt tnen
back to the house and Locked every
window and both doors In the mousse.
They stayed there all night put II
the morning when the man came te
hrinp the children their breakfast ne
! FOOL, them away and put them In ar
| old stone house with high tower.
He told the children that the frs
one that tried to get away would Dc
put up in the old tower and have notn
J ing to eat but bread and water. WIZ
! this the man hoped to scare them bu'
| there was no scare in them any more
They did not say anything until the
man had gone and then they all com
! menced to cry but Blanche.
Blanche went around and triec
every window and door to see if any
one was loose. The back door was al
| most worn out and the boards were
thin. Blanche thought she could cas-
! ilv burst the door down, so she calico
tho children and told them what sh'
:, q; going to do. They looked out tn
/ back window but they saw no on
+, watching them. Blanche and three o
the others started to push with all thei
might against the door while the tourtl
| who happened to be Mamie stoo'
! guard at the window which overlooked
an old alley.
| At last the door went down with
bang. Every one stood still expecting
each minute for some one to say, NOV
then every one Of you go up to the oil
tower" But no one said it. They raj
out and started on a run down tn
street.
Meanwhile the kidnaper had sent
| note to each Of the mothers requesting
one thousand dollars for each chile
and they could have them back again
/! Neither Of the mothers had thou
sand dollars to give the man as the.
were poor people.
| The children kept on running dow
the street until they came to the depot
They did not know what to do then be
cause they had no money. They wer
looking around to see if any one wa
there that they knew. There seemed t
be no one they knew but there wer
two men who watched every movement
they made At last one of them cam
to the children and asked them VIII
they were waiting for. He said he wa