The Lakeland evening telegram., 1916-07-03
Breaking
The Law
By EDWARD t. STEWART


are not supposed to break the laws our
selves. But l once became a law
breaker. A young woman was held In
the adjoining state under duress, and
I was sent there to find a way to get
possession OF her.
Miss Lucy Schenck, who was but
twenty years old, had no one to look
to but her stepmother's second hus-
band, Shepard, and he availed himself
Of the opportunity Of her confidence In
him to get her fortune into the hands
of those from whom he could have 1t
transferred to himself.
Lucy, finally suspecting that matters
were not as they should be. employed
a lawyer to look into the case. Shepard,
learning of the fact, ran her on into
another state and kept her In hiding.
Her lawyer found out where she was
and was selected to go there and
report some method of taking her away
from Shepard.
I found that he was keeping her I'M
der the pretense that she was mentally
incompetent If her lawyer attempted
to fight him by the law he would likely
run her of to some other place. and
even IL he did not he had the police
force in the town with him and
shyster lawyer who would take any
method TO evade the law. / therefore
reported that the best way was to fight
the devil with fire; that is to take an
illegal course and kidnap the young
lady.
Miss Schenck had a lover, who had
succeeded in getting into communica-
ton with her by Ietter-that is, she had
written him giving him the place where
she was held captive. asked that
this young man, Hastings, should be
sent to help me. He was naturally
very much interested, and together we
laid our plans. The automobile has
proved an excellent means of effecting
such purposes, and we concluded to use
one.
Since Miss Schenck was not permit
ted to go out of the house, but was kept
In 1t under the care of middle aged
woman, we were obliged to take the
captive from her dwelling prison by
force. So far as / could learn she was
guarded only by the woman-her name
was Saunders-but there was man on
the premises, supposed to be butler,
and fancied he, too, was in the pay of
Shepard, whose place of abode was in
house two or three numbers away
from the one In question.
! I dare not take any one except Has
tings into my confidence, SO / must
needs rely on him alone for an assist
ant. Fortunately he was good driver
Of an auto. and this was a great help.
Our plan was very simple one. We
were to take the auto to the house, /
was to ring the bell ana when the door
was opehed was to push In, followed
BY Hastings. We were both to be
armed and play burglar, going through
tScc tc house as Il looking for plunder, but
really lookiSss Tor the girl. As soon as
Hastings saw her he Was to make him.
self known and take her down and out
to the auto, joining him there.
we wished to do the job before the
prisoner went to bed. We had learned
which was her room and after dark
watched for light to appear In it.
This occurred about 0 o'clock. Run.
ming the car up to the house, we began
operations. The butler came to the
door. showed revolver against his
breast, while Hastings dashed past us
both and upstairs, throwing open Miss
Schenck's door Her duenna was with
her, but Hastings frightened her by
shaking a revolver In her face and.
catching hold OF his astonished sweet
hearts arm, ran her down to the auto.
Meanwhile l had taken the key out
OF the front door and put It ON the out
side. followed the couple, locking the
door behind me, so that the butler
would be kept within, but gained moth
ing by this, for the woman upstairs
threw up sash and shouted for helm
While she was doing so the three OF us
We're getting into the auto. Hastings
started 1t, and we wheeled away. the
cries Of the duenna dying In the dis
lance.
AS bad luck would have It, Shepard
was just going into the house in which
ne lived when the woman began her
shouts. Seeing us get into the auto.
ne took In the situation, and as we
dashed or he ran to us and Jumped
on to the footboard. l gave him a
shove that tumbled him in a heap, but
! saw him get up and follow us on a
run. He kept it up till he came to an
auto standing by the sidewalk, got |
into 1t and followed us.
l waited till we came to a narrow
street and a house that was being
built on one side OF 1t; then Hastings |
slowed up just enough to enable me to |
Jump out without being killed. 1 seiz-
plank or a board pile and, resting |
one end on the pile, blocked the way |
or the coming auto. When Shepard |
got out to remove the plank seized |
him, downed him and, putting a re-
FoiVer against his nose, held him fiji 7
heard others coming, then 1 jumped nm
md ran for 1t.
The delay l effected enabled Hast
ngs to reach the state limits before
my telephone message could be sent
out to arrest him. But none was sent
Shepard knew he had lost, and fearing
prosecution vanished.
hastings took Miss Schenck to her
home She recovered the bulk Of her
property, and 1 attended the wedding
between her and Hastings. | have
'ince always been favorite of theirs
md they have done a great deal for
mo and vnv e.-.p- >N 40