The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-07
Breaking
The Law
By EDWARD T. STEWART


after those who break the laws. We
are not supposed to break the laws our
selves. But / once became law
breaker. A young woman vas held in
the adjoining state under duress, and
was sent there to find 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
u lawyer to look into the case. Shepard.
learning OF the fact. ran her of 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.
found that he was keeping her I'M
der the pretense that she was mentally
incompetent. II 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. l 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 lover, who had
succeeded in getting into communica-
ton with her by letter-that is, she had
written him giving him the place where
she was held captive. l 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
a house two or three numbers away
from the one in question.
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 a 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 and when the door
was opened was to push In, followed
by Hastings. We were both to be
armed and play burglar. going through
the house as IL looking for plumber, but
really looking for 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 1t.
This occurred about 0 o'clock. Run
ming the car up to the house, we began
operations. The butler came to the
door. showed q 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 a sash and shouted for help.
While she was doing so the three of us
were 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 1t, Shepard
was just going into the house in which
he 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 1t up till he came to an
auto standing by the sidewalk. got
Into it and followed us.
| | waited till we came to a narrow
street and a house that was being
built on one side Of it; then Hastings
slowed mp just enough to enable me to
jump out without being killed. seiz-
a. plank or board pile and, resting
one end on the pile, blocked the way
for the coming auto. When Shepard
got out to remove the plank 1 seized
him, downed him and, putting a re-
volver against his nose, held him till /
heard others coming. then / jumped up
and ran for it.
The delay | effected enabled Hast
tngs to reach the state limits before
any telephone message could be sent
out to arrest him. But none was sent.
Shepard knew he had lost. and fearing
criminal 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
since always been favorite Of theirs,
and they have done a great deal for
me and my family.
/ -