WRONG BOY FIRST
TWO ATTEMPTS IN ABDUCTION
OF LITTLE CHARLES M'NEESE.
GRANDMOTHER UNDER ARREST.
REFUSED TO STATE WHEN LAST
SHE SAW DAUGHTER.
Theory of Police That Lad Was Kid-
naped Grows Stronger as Evidence
of Hack Drivers Is Brought to
Their Notice -- Three Persons
Said to Be Involved.
Mrs. Annie L. Sadlier, grandmother of Charles H. McNeese, 2305 Brighton avenue, who disappeared on his way to the Ashland school last Friday, was arrested at her home, 1522 McGee street, by Detective W. H. Bates and Thomas Hayde yesterday afternoon. Though Mrs. Sadlier denies any part in the affair, she was positively identified yesterday afternoon by two hack drivers, one of whom said he hauled her twice while looking for the child and another one who says he drove the very carriage in which little Charles was taken away and that Mrs. Sadlier was a passenger as far as the Ashland school. Charles M. Howell, attorney for Mr. McNeese, said last night that an information would be filed against Mrs. Sadlier this morning, charging her with kidnaping.
There is still another hack driver in the case who has not been located and the police think that he will come forward and assist in identifying the woman under arrest when he learns that no charge will be placed against him. This is the man who drove the hack to the Irving school Twenty-fourth and Prospect, a week ago today, when Garrell Ash, the 6-year-old son of Mrs. Lou Ash, 2413 East Twenty-third street, was taken away protesting. Charles McNeeese used to attend that school and the kidnapers evidently made a mistake. Garrell was taken to a house at 1522 McGee street, questioned for a long time and then sent home on a car. It was this incident, given the detectives yesterday, which led to the first clue, as at that number lives the missing child's grandmother -- mother of McNees's divorced wife. Ash pointed out the house and will be given a chance to see Mrs. Sadler today.
MRS. SADLIER IDENTIFIED.
"Tink" Williams, a driver from the Jackson livery barn, 1309 Walnut street, at once identified Mrs. Sadlier. He told the detectives that he had hauled Mrs. Sadlier and a younger woman with a baby on two occasions and that both times they drove out around the schools on the East side when the children were going to school.
Charles Burch, a negro driver for the Eylar Bros.' livery barn, who also identified Mrs. Sadlier readily, said that it was he who drove the carriage the day young McNeese was stolen. He told of the same two women, one elderly, the other young and with her a baby. He drove them last Friday morning to the Ashland school, Twenty-fourth street and Elmwood avenue.
"I was told to wait about a block form the school," said Burch, "as both women got out. Presently the younger woman and a man returned, leading and dragging a little boy, who didn't seem to want to go. This woman was still carrying her baby. I never saw the older woman until today at police headquarters."
When they got in the cab again Burch was told to drive post-haste to Armourdale, where he was dismissed as the quartette boarded an electric car. They are believed to have transferred so as to reach the Leavenworth electric line in Kansas City, Kas.
Mrs. Sadlier, when first arrested, told Detective Bates that she had seen her daughter, the former Mrs. McNeese, only last week. At the station she denied the statement and said she had not seen her in three years, but heard from her eight months ago in Montreal, Canada. She then said one of her nieces was at her house last week and followed that with a denial, saying that she had seen none of them for eight months.
WOMAN MAKES STATEMENT.
Her statement, taken later in the day, reads in part:
My name is Annie L. Sadlier. My daughter's name now is Mrs. Annie Evans. She married Charles C. McNeese eleven years ago and they had one child, Charles Hiram McNeese. She and McNeese were divorced about four years ago and he given the custody of the child for one year by Judge Gibson, when it was to be given to its mother if she proved herself worthy. She married Bruce Evans afterwards and on March 1 three years ago moved away from here. Don't care to say when I last saw my daughter, if not compelled to answer now. Was home all day Friday, April 5, and not out of the house from 1 to 4 p. m. Don't remember anyone that day at all and don't remember when my brother got home. I am not going to answer the
question whether I saw my daughter Friday and will say no more until the
proper time. I positively declare that I was not in a hack last week at any time. Was not at any liver barn last week, either. I positively declare that I had noting to do with the kidnaping of Charles McNeese last week.
