Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-14
OFFICERS To BRING
ALLEGED K|DNAPER
BACK To ATLANT IA
viii Leave Monday for Biz
mingham, Where Gypsy
Chief Is HeId-GirI Also to
Come Home

Fulton county officers expect to
leave Monday for Birmingham, Ala,
to take into custody Dick Peterson,
head of rowing gypsy band who
has been indicted by the Fulton
grand jury, charged with kidnapping
Mabel Stevens, fifteen-year-o
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. George
Stevens, of Buckhead.
., The officers also expect to bring
back to Atlanta the Stevens girl,
who is alleged to have stolen 1928
and valuab pie diamond-set pin
from the home of her parents on
the night Of her departure with the
gypsy band. Mabel Stevens disap-
peared from the humble little home
January 80, just few weeks after
the death of her oldest brother.
Her relatives say she took with her
funds which had been borrowed to
defray the funeral expenses.
The warrant for the prosecution
of Mabel was issued at the instiga-
ton of her mother, after the lat
ter's return from Birmingham, where
she went in an effort to persuade
her daughter to return home, hav-
ing learned through federal Off
GERS that the gypsy band was en-
camped at Irondale, near Birming-
ham. She does not hold her daugh-
ter responsible, but believes the
girl was unduly influenced by mem
bers of the nomadic band.
Couple Married
Investigations made in Birming-
ham revealed that the girl was mar
ried to Steve Peterson, son Of the
tribal chief, at Rome, Ga, while the
band was making it's way to Biz
mingham. Peterson is said to be
fifteen, the same age Of the girl.
Both are we'll developed physically
and are said to appear much older.
The gypsy band, which had
camped near Buckhead several
weeks, consisted of Dick Peterson,
the leader; his wife, nine children
and Minnie Stanley, fOurteen-year-
old girl said to have been kidnapped
in Pennsylvania by Peterson.
Upon information forwarded to
him Wednesday by George Stevens,
John Stanley, of Darby, Pa Min
MES father, went to Birmingham
Thursday and located his daughter,
who had been missing from her
hoYoo cipOo noonn0hpT. II
Had Mabel given you any trou-
BILE before she went away with the
gypsies?" Mrs. Stevens, her mother,
was asked. Mrs. Stevens was seat
ed in the downtown office of an at
torney to whom she had gone for
legal advice. She is native
Frenchwoman, small, high-strung
and of nervous temperament.
Always "a Good Girl
INC! oh, no! She was a good girl"
she answered without hesitation.
"She never went out at night, al
ways stay at home. She bought
groceries for me. 1 trust her with
money. Only when she go to store
some time, Gypsies stop her and
talk"
When she learned that her daugh-
ter was with the Peterson clan near
Birmingham, Mrs. Stevens prepared
to go after her and try to rescue
her from the gypsies. Taking her
eight-months-o baby in her arms,
she boarded southbound train. 1t
was her first trip to Birmingham.
Undaunted by the tremendous diff
ficulties confronting her upon her
arrival in Birmingham, the little
mother bravely set out to find her
daughter. At o'clock Sunday morn
ing, in a pouring rain, she sought
the gypsy camp at Irondale. Her re-
ception was not warm one. Dick
Peterson ordered her. to go away,
threatening her with arrest in an eff
fort to intimidate her. He gave her
gold pin, set with a diamond,
which she recognized as belonging
to her dead son. The gypsies de-
clared Mabel had stolen it.
Then the mother caught sight of
her daughter. "She was in bed with
Minnie and the two little gypsy
boys. 1t was very early morning,
scarcely light. Mabe! was smoking a
cigarette. 1t was too much. L faint
ed" Thus Mrs. Stevens, a sob in her
voice, her hands fluttering restless
ly, described the scene.
Girl Runs Away
when l know myself again, try
to talk to her. She turned her back.
She put her hands over her face and
run hide. She would not speak to
me. My heart broke. I cried. Then
come back to Atlanta. I could get
. help in Birmingham. The police
paw no attention to me"
"'he Stevens family live in a
small house, a combination tent and
wood structure. George Stevens,
her father, is recovering from
nervous attack brought on by the
shock of his oldest sons death and
the disappearance of his daughter.
He is a livestock dealer.
The family came to Buckhead a
little more than a year ago from
Cincinnati. Both Mr., and Mrs.
Stevens are of French extraction,
having migrated to America when
they were children.
What will you do with Mabel if
you can get her back to Atlanta?"
Mrs. Steven Was asked.
PUT her to school. She is too
young to be married. She is too fine