The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-03

Hodgman had wired ahead of
their coming, and the bankers
limousine awaited them at the
station. Fifteen minutes later
they were at Mr.. Stapleton's resi-
dence. on Fifth ave.
Stapleton greeted Duvall with
a nervous handshake.
Mr.. Hodgman has explained
my reasons for sending for you,
Mr.. Duvall?" he inquired.
Yes" Duvall nodded.
THE devils! l wouldn't care
II they were to steal my property
money, securities. anything
like that. lean fight them-on
that basis. But my child! What
ever | do must be done secretly.
No one must know that you are
in my employ or your object in
going to Paris. You see that?"
Most certainly. But first
must ask you, Mr.. Stapleton, to
give me some account of the af-
fair. No doubt you have learned
by this time how the thing was
done"
"The affair, as cabled by my
wife, is preposterous-absurd!
My boy, who is 6 years old, has
been in the habit of driving, each
morning, accompanied by his
nurse, from my house in the
Avenue Kleber, to the Bots de
Boulogne. On arriving in the
Bots, it has been their habit to
leave the automobile, and spend
an hour or more walking and
playing on the grass. l have ins
sisted on this, because the boy
needs exercise, and he cannot get
1t driving about in a motor car.
"On Wednesday the nurse took
Jack to the Bots as usual. She
played about with him for prob
ably an hour. Then she sat down
to rest. Jack was standing near
her, playing with a rubber ball
She says-and, gentlemen, my
wife cables me that she solemnly
swers to the truth of her state
ments-that she turned away for
moment to observe passing We
hicles in the road--turned back
again to the child-and found
that he was gone.
How? That's the question.
Here is this woman, sitting on
the grass, with the child, hun
dred yards from the road, in the
middle Of large lawn. No one
is within sight. The nearest per-
son, from her testimony, is the
chauffeur, 800 feet away, in the
road. The woman turns her head
for a moment, looks about-and
the boy Is gone. Do you wonder
that l call 1t preposterous?"
Hardly" remarked Duvall.
"The woman must be lying"
81 cannot believe the woman is
lying. My wife cannot believe 1t.
She has been in our employ ever
since the boy was born, and is de-
voted to him. Mrs. Stapleton ca
bles that she IL Frustrated"
rs the nurse a young wo-
mani" the detective inquired.
About 80, / should say"
IAN Americana"
Eyes. OF Irish parentage. Her
name is Lanahan-Mary Lana
han. She comes from Paterson,
N. j. Her people live there"
Have you any reason to be-
lieve, Mr.. Stapleton, that the kid
naping is the act of persons from
this side of the water? Have any
such attempts been made in the
past?"
81 am a rich man, Mr.. Duvall
"A very rich man. Men in my
position are constantly in receipt
of letters of a threatening nature
l have received many such let
tiers, in the past"
WAS the child mentioned in
any of them"
There was one such letter"
The banker rose, went to a
heavy rosewood desk, drew open
one of its drawers, and took out
a package of letters. From these
he selected one and handed it to
Duvall.
The letter was inclosed in a
cheap white envelope and was
roughly printed in ink on sheet
of ruled paper. 1t said:
1--WE demand $4,000, to be
placed in thousand dollar bills in
side a cigar box and expressed to
John Smith, care Express COM
pany, Paterson, N. j., next Men
day afternoon. The man who Will
call for the package on Tuesday
will know nothing about the mat
ter, and IL you arrest him you
will find out nothing. Keep this
to yourself and do as we say, IL
you value the safety of your
child"
There was no signature. Duvall
read 1t through and then turned
to Mr.. Stapleton.
you have observed, I suppose,
that the place to which the money
was to be sent, Paterson, N. j., is
the home of your child's nurse,
Mary Lanahan."
Mr.. Stapleton started. ri con-
fess l had overlooked the coinci-
dence," he said. What do you
infer from it,"
THAT Mary Lanahan knows
more about this matter than she
is willing to let on. must make
some Investigations In Paterson.
Do you know Miss Lanahan's ad-
dress there?"
at racnlIacf having heard thu