From the November 1, 1901 Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

“Great Falls, Mont.–A twelve year old boy named Southwick kidnaped the six year old son of G.W. Ryan, a prominent grocer, yesterday, and sent a note to the father demanding $1,500 ransom, threatening to put pieces of glass into the child’s eyes and cut his hands off unless the demand was complied with.

Mr. Ryan notified the police, who arrested young Southwick shortly after the Ryan boy had arrived at his father’s store unharmed, having been released by Southwick.

Southwick confessed that he did the deed of his own volition, and that he had no accomplices. He expressed no repentance and said: ‘I would have hit the old man for $8,000 if I thought he would have stood for it.'”