New-York tribune., 1920-06-17
lNyack " oman
Seized I'm Hut
As kid,laper
Trailed Into Mountains,
Where. Guarded by a
Gigantic Negro. She Held
a Ten Year Old Girl
Posse escues Child
Black Flees After Fight,
and Mrs. Sarah S. Whalen
Is Held ;,out Bail

NYACK, \. V, June 16-Mrs. Sarah
Summers Whalen, of this place, is
under arrest tonight at New City on
b charge of kidnapping, having been
found at midnight, it is alleged, in a
leg hut in the Businesses Of ;he Ram
apo Mountains. where a ten-ycar-o!d
girl, who disappeared from her home
here the preceding day, was discovered
by giant negro.
The girl. Saran Gagiione, has been
restored to her parents. Mr.. and Mrs
Steven Gaglione. of 1a3 Burd Street.
Last week she and her brother, who is
SIX years old, ran away from home.
They were found at the home Of their
grandfather. in Plermont, n. Y, not far
away, and said they had run away be
cause they were i'll treated at home.
Father Suspects
Because Of tho story the children
told. the case ws.; brought ineo cou.
here and their accuse tions became pub
lie. According to Mrs. Gaglione, tine
FIRST apparent interest of Mrs. Whalen
IL the matter was yesterday afternoon
when she called at the Gaclione home,
saying that she was an agent of a
charitable organization and had come
for Sarah. Mrs Gaglone declared that
Mrs. Whalen demanded IS for the
chiids board for Z week and 81 as a
fee.
Apparently convinced that the caller
represented charitable society. Mrs
Caglione surrendered Sarah, but her
husband was not satisfied when he got
home and visited Mrs. Whelen's hou5a.
Sarah was there. &c said and he asked
Mrs. Whalen why she had not taken
the. Cirl to an institution if she had
authority to do so. Mrs. Whalen s
merely was keeping Sarah overnight
and would make arrangements to in
stall her in the institution the next
day.
From Mrs. Whalen's home Gaglone
went to the police to satisfy doubts
that still fingered in his mind. Police
Justice Haas informed him that no
commitment had been issued here for
Sarah and policemen were assigned to
accompany Gaclione on a second visit
tc the home Of Mrs. Whalen Neither
Mrs. Whalen nor Sarah Gaglione was
to be found when they arrived.
Their trail was followed TO West
Nyack, then to Spring Valley then to
country, and finally to Manwai, \. j..
a gateway to the recesses c[ The Rama
pos. Thence it was found that a woman
and child had headed strairht for the
heart Of the mountains craggv,
thicklywooded area in which dwellings,
are few.
Follow Tracks in Road
Chief of Police Hunter, of Ma}wah,
l.. ~.
cial policeman. At every house they
make inquiry concerning a wandering
woman and girl. Time after time they
halted their automobile to examine
tracks beside the road.
At midnight they came to a stop at
q wooded road winding up hillside.
There were tracks in tne forest muck
apparently newly made, which aroused
,ne interest cf lhe nursuers. Detach-
ing an automobile lamp, they moved
stealthliy up tae road.
Near the summit Of the hill tho
came suddenly upon 1amshackle
cabin, built of logs. AS the hgnt OF
their lantern glinted on its slabs a
Giminutive figure darted around the
corner Of the structure, while that
Of huge negro arose from 9 sitting
posture at the door.
Seen anything Of woman and a
little girl?' demanded Chief Hunter,
eylng the negro suspiclously.
The negro protested that ne had
seen no one, that no one ever used
that road. Thereupon Hunter hailed
the child whose figure mad fckered
around the corner OF the cabin az the
Nrst CLEAN of his lantern. A white
Face peeked timorously around the
angle of the building and the ncxt
moment Sarah Gag,ione's small body
followed it..
Negro Escapes
Hunter and his Companion flung
themselves at the Goo9 the negro
interposcd MS body and there was a
short, hot struggle, in the midst of
which the negro twisted loose from the
grasp Of the policemen and vanished
IN the woods. Hunter and mis- com
panion entered the cabin. Mrs. Whalen.
Trey said, was sound asleep on cot
IN the corner. Otherwise the building
was empty.
Bunding the woman and the girl
into the automobile, the polcern en-
drove to New City, where Mrs Whalen
vas held without bail this morning TO
answer 20 charge of kidnaping
sarah then was brought home to her
parents.
Mrs. Whalen's case will be pre-
scnted to the grand jury in New York
City Monday. One OF the witnesses
Will be a taxicab driver whom she is
saio 70 have engaged at West Nyack to
take her to Mahwah, tellin- nm, il is
alleged, tina. she Represented the
law Beyond statement Mrs. Whalcn
rs sad to have made that sne wanted
20 take Sarah to Hohokus. n. j., and
give ner Z good home. no motive for
the alleged abduction has been fonnd
80 lar as can be learned Mrs. Whalen
mas no relatives or friends in Hohoxus
Sh~es ID