News Items from The Kansas City Journal ~ Old News That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

January 1, 1910

DREAMS OF HIS MISSING SON.

Stone Mason Believes This Story

Will Bring Back Show Boy.

After six years of fruitless effort on the part of Guss Solomon, a stone mason living at 805 East Eighth street, to find his son, who disappeared from their home in St. Louis during the world's fair, visions of the lost boy have appeared to him in dreams the last four nights, and it is his belief that the boy will be returned to him through this story:

"We were living in St. Louis during the fair," said Mr. Solomon, "and my boy, then 11 years old, was employed in the picture show in the entrance of the Broken Heart saloon on Broadway. Near the close of the fair he came to me one day and asked permission to leave the next day with a show which had been playing at the fair grounds. I told him that he better stay with his mother and me and took him up to town and bought him a new suit of clothes.

Around 8 o'clock that morning he went out to play with some of the boys in the neighborhood, and I never heard of him since. The show he desired to leave with went East that same night, but I was unable to trace it. I wrote to the chief of police in all the large Eastern cities, but they were unable to find any clew. The boy, if still alive, would be about 16 years old. He was rather tall and slim for his age was light complexioned.

Labels: children, Eighth street, missing, runaway, St Louis, theater

December 15, 1909

BOY LEAVES HOME

TO JOIN HIS DOG.

LAWRENCE HANSEN, PAROLED,

CAN'T BEAR SEPARATION.

Leaves at Night by Bedroom Win-

dow and Is Found Next Day

Playing in Street With

"Jack."

When Lawrence Hansen, 10 year of age, was released three weeks ago from the Detention home, where he was placed after being arrested for "playing hookey" from school, agreed to give "Jack," his fox terrier, to a neighbor. To get Lawrence away from his former bad associates, of whom one was his pet dog, Mrs. Hansen removed to Kansas City, Kas.

For two weeks following his parole Lawrence was a model boy. He attended school regularly and minded his mother. Then came the relapse. The separation from "Jack" could not be borne. Last Monday night Lawrence packed a few of his belongings, lowered them from his bedroom window, stole downstairs in his stocking feet and took $5 from his mother's dresser.

The juvenile officers in Kansas City, Mo., were warned Tuesday to be on the lookout for the boy, but not until yesterday could trace of him be found, when word came that the boy was at 410 Troost avenue where he had been seen playing with "Jack." Juvenile Officer Holt arrested the boy yesterday afternoon and took him to the Detention home.

With tears in his eyes Lawrence was taken before Dr. E. L. Mathias, chief probation officer. "Jack" had been left behind.

"I want my dog," he pleaded with the juvenile officer. "I want Jack."

When told that he could not have "Jack," he cried his eyes red. And he continued to cry for an hour after being locked up in the detention room. Finally, when told that he would never get to see the dog again unless he quit crying, the boy dried his tears and became his amiable self.

"That boy is a proposition," said Dr. Mathias. "When he has his dog he is a good boy, but he will not be separated. I expect that the dog will have to be returned to him."

"Jack" has neither pedigree nor physical attraction. The boy several months ago picked him up on a downtown street and took him home. But for all his attention, three meals a day and a blanket to sleep on, the dog could never take on the polish of society and culture. He is still an unpedigreed mongrel of the gutter, but for all that, the inseparable chum.

Arrested three weeks ago for truancy, Lawrence told the juvenile officers he would not go to school because he couldn't take "Jack." The boy and his dog were locked in the same cell, where they ate the same food and shared the same bed, three days and three nights. They were companions in misery. That disregard of law and the rights of others, engendered into the dog from his own life on the streets, was bred by association into the life of his little companion.

"Who is responsible, the boy or the dog?" is the question that the juvenile officers are asking.

Lawrence will be given a hearing next Monday in the juvenile court.

Labels: animals, children, detention home, Dr Mathias, Kansas City Kas, runaway, Troost avenue

September 27, 1909

TELLS A WEIRD LIFE STORY.

Waif Picked Up by Police Gives

Account of Himself.

To justify his presence in Kansas City, Theodore Kautz, 14 years old, picked up yesterday by the police in an alley between Walnut and Main streets, Tenth and Eleventh, and placed in the Detention home, told a weird life story of melodramatic interest.

While the family, consisting of his parents, his baby sister and himself, lived in Coffeyville, Kas., eight years ago, Theodore said, a woman nurse left in charge of the baby, angered because the child would not sleep during the mother's absence, shoved it into the oven of the kitchen stove, put on her bonnet, left the house, and was never heard of again.

The mother, he said, drew the baby out of the oven alive, but it died after a few days., and the woman within a year was a maniac. The father, he said, placed her in the asylum and disappeared, leaving the boy to drift.

Coffeyville officials, he said, sent him to the Christian orphans' home in St. Louis, where he lived until a short time ago when, dissatisfied with the treatment, he ran away.

Theodore told the police he rode most of the way from St. Louis to Kansas City in the caboose of a freight train, coming in here on top of the cars. He was ill clad and suffering from cold and hunger. Mrs. Joan Moran, the police matron, gave him an overcoat.

Theodore says he came to Kansas City because he heard his mother was here in an asylum. Probation officers will investigate his story.

Labels: children, Main street, police matron, runaway, Walnut Street

September 6, 1909

THINK BOY FOLLOWED CIRCUS.

T. B. Baldwin Reports Disappear-

ance of 7-Year-Old Son.

T. B. Baldwin, 2115 East Thirty-fifth street, reported to the police yesterday that his 7-year-old son had disappeared from home. They boy's parents believe he has run away and followed the circus which was in town yesterday.

Labels: children, circus, runaway, Thirty-fifth street

August 29, 1909

YOUTHFUL RUNAWAYS

WALKED 10 MILES.

Journey in Hot Sun Made Them

Long for Home.

Three foot-sore and weary runaways arrived in Kansas City last night by rail from Valencia, Kas. They were Uhlen and Juanita Templeton, 16 and 18 years old respectively, and Helen Duncan, 16 years old. The trio left Kansas City Monday morning by the Rock Island and rode as far as Topeka, Kas. When they left, their intention was to get to Stanley, N. M., where John Templeton, father of the Templeton youngsters, has a mining claim.

HELEN DUNCAN.

Their money gave out in Topeka and they decided to walk the rest of the way to New Mexico, working at intervals along the way for "lifts" by rail. Monday was a hot day and the ten miles they walked to Valencia all but exhausted them. Uhlen would not allow his sister or Helen to carry a suit case in which were the trio's belongings. After a few miles it was decided to throw the grip away and "hoof it" without burdens.

FOOT SORE AND WEARY.

They arrived at the depot in Valencia, hungry, penniless, their feet blistered by the walk over the railroad ties in the blazing sun. Their presence, unaccompanied and without baggage created suspicion. After several offers had been made to them a young man named John Moore, a "good Samaritan," took them to his mother's home for the night. Tuesday morning a council of war was held and a collection was taken up by the Ladies' Aid Society of one of the local churches and they were sent home, after the matron at the Union depot had been wired to be on the lookout for them.

JUANITA TEMPLETON.
Mrs. Elizabeth Cole, 3712 East Twelfth street, grandmother of the Templetons, has had the care of them since the death of their mother more than a year ago.

Promising that they would "go straight home," the trio were allowed to leave the Union depot, after the fact concerning Mrs. Cole's residence was learned. They went to the home of Helen Duncan 632 Fremont avenue. When a short distance from that address, Uhlen balked, saying he didn't want to stay there. He left the girls, saying he intended to make his way to his father in New Mexico.

BOY FEARED A SCOLDING.
"He was afraid to go to grandma's," said Juanita at her grandmother's home, "for fear he would be scolded by our brother, Lester. When we were in Valencia, Mr. Moore, who was so kind to us, told Uhlen that if he did not like it at home for him to go back up there and he would see that he was cared for. I believe that he will try to beat his way to where pap is, however.."

UHLEN TEMPLETON.

The police have been ordered to look for Uhlen Templeton, who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds He has dark hair, dark blue eyes and a fair complexion. When last seen he wore a dark blue serge two-piece suit of clothes and a light shirt. He wore a dark, soft hat and dark shoes. The missing boy, with his brother, Lester, 19 years old, has been working for the Pittsburg Paint and Glass Company, Fifth and Wyandotte streets. His fear of being "roasted" by Lester is said to have been the cause of the sudden departure.

Mrs. Cole, the grandmother, is greatly worried over the absence of the boy, and his sister, Juanita, was in a serious condition from hysterics last night. She said that she had been the cause of Uhlen's going away, and, in her temporary delirium, she believed he had been killed.

"Both of the children are headstrong," said the grandmother. "Uhlen has never left me before. If the police can get Uhlen back for me I believe that both will have been cured of running away."

"It was our intention to work our way to papa in New Mexico," said Juanita, when she became quiet enough to talk. "We had but little money, and after we had been in Topeka a short time it was lost. Then we set out on foot towards the West, Uhlen carrying the grip. After we had walked several miles the brave little fellow nearly gave out, and as he would not allow either of us to carry it, we threw it away. The section hands tried to find it later, but they couldn't. My feet are all blisters, and Uhlen's are worse. I know that I am going to stay right here and never go away again."
Helen Duncan is now safely ensconced at home. The girls had been directed to a boarding house in Valencia where they would be allowed to do housework, while Uhlen did the chores, when they were discovered by Mr. Moore, who took them to his mother.

Labels: charity, children, clothing, Fremont avenue, runaway, Topeka, Twelfth street

July 26, 1909

STRANGE ADVENTURES

OF TWO SMALL BOYS.

SAW SIGHTS AND FRIGHTENED

THEIR PARENTS.

Johnny and Tommy, 10 and 8 Years

Old, Respectively, Had High

Time While Folks Had

Visions of Kidnaping.

TOMMY BEELS.

Without permission of their respective parents, Johnny Sinclair, 10, and Tommy Beels, 8 years old, took a day off from home and spent the whole of Saturday night and Sunday in wandering about the towns and parks surrounding Kansas City, much to the consternation, grief and anxiety of their families.

When the boys were missed Saturday night it was learned that they had gone with an employe of Electric park. Mont Shirley, 29 years of age, who has a longing for the companionship of small boys, being evidenced by his having led other urchins on several days' tours of the surrounding country on previous occasions.

Johnny Sinclair is the only son of Aaron Sinclair, janitor of the Boston flats, 3808 Main street. Johnny's father gave him a dollar Saturday noon and told him to do what as he wanted with the money.

BOYS WENT TO PARK.

Barefooted and without his coat, Johnny looked up his younger friend, Tommy, youngest son of H. T. Beels, 107 East Thirty-ninth street, and proposed a trip to Electric park. Tommy was willing and thought it best not to go into the house for his hat and coat, for his mother might thwart their schemes. So the boys left the Beels home about 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon.

When 5 o'clock came Mrs. Beels missed her son. Within a few minutes, however, he telephoned his mother that they were at Electric park and were going to take a boat ride with a man whom they had found congenial. Mrs. Beels told the boy to come home immediately.

Tommy had other views in the matter and when Shirley suggested an extensive tour of the city, to include Kansas City, Kas., Lansing, Leavenworth, Forest, Fairmount, Swope and Budd parks and all at his own expense, the boy readily fell in with the plan. Mothers were not interviewed.

Dire thoughts of drowning, kidnaping and disaster beset Mrs. Beels when her boy did not materialize at supper time. Persons in charge of the park were questioned and it was learned that the two boys had gone away from the park with Shirley. None knew where.

SEARCH PARTIES ORGANIZED.

Mrs. Beels, at midnight, went to the Sinclair home and inquired there for her son and learned that Johnny Sinclair was also missing. That was the first idea of Johnny's whereabouts which the Sinclairs had. Search parties were organized and the park secured.

Yesterday morning a young man went to the Sinclair home and told that he had seen the two boys and Shirley at the Union depot and that they were going to St. Joseph and H. L. Ashton, a friend of the Beels family, who is well acquainted with the mayor of that city, called him over long distance 'phone and had the town searched for the runaways. Then came a telegram that the three had been seen early Sunday in Leavenworth.

Meanwhile Mrs. Sinclair and Mrs. Beels were beside themselves with fear and anxiety for their children. They secured the promise of the park authorities to drag the lake in the park this morning, and the search for the missing increased in strength and vigilance each hour.

Shirley's family had been notified of the disappearance, and Charles J. Blevins, Shirley's brother-in-law, hastened to Leavenworth, hot on the trail. He returned empty-handed.

TELL OF JOLLY TIME.

About 11 o'clock last night the boys returned home, dusty, wet and tired. They had a wonderful story to tell of their trip and adventures. They had been through every park in the city, and seen the National cemetery and Soldiers' home at Leavenworth from a car and had a jolly time in general. Saturday night was spent in Kansas City, so Tommy Beels says, and the three went to a rooming house. He did not know the location. Late last night Shirley gave the two boys their carfare and put them on a Rockhill car at Eighth and Walnut streets and left them.

Shirley is said to have a habit of giving young boys a good time at his own expense. Two years ago, it is claimed, he took two boys to Leavenworth and stayed there for three days, after which the boys returned safe and sound.

Shirley works in the park and every Saturday he has been in the habit of spending his week's wages upon some boys whom he might meet. His brother-in-0law, Mr. Blevins, said that Shirley is nothing but a boy himself. When he was 4 years of age, according to relatives, Shirley fell upon his head, and he has remained stunted, mentally, ever since. Shirley longs for the companionship of children, and he is attractive to them since he plays with them and talks with them as though he were 9 rather than 29 years of age.

INTERVIEW CUT SHORT.

Johnny Sinclair, nervous, excited, scared and tired, last night told a clear and fairly consistent story of how Shirley and Tommy Beels and he passed the time between Saturday at 2 p. m. and 11 o'clock last night, when the boys returned home.

In the main details Johnny clung to his story. He fell asleep while being questioned by his father, and that ended the questioning. In substance, he says:

"Shirley invited Tommy and me to go to Swope park, while were were at Electric park, where he was working. We went to Swope park with him and in the evening we went down town and went to several nickel shows.

"Then we went out to Swope park again, but late that night. Shirley wanted to go down town to cash a check. When we got down town the saloons were all closed, and we finally went to bed at a place near Eighth and Main streets.

SAW LEAVENWORTH SIGHTS.

"The next morning we had a nice breakfast of beefsteak and potatoes and coffee, and then we went over to Kansas City, Kas., and there we took a car for Leavenworth. We saw the penitentiary and the Soldiers' Home from the car, and the National cemetery, but we didn't stop there.

We went to Leavenworth and spent the time just running around. That's all we did. I was never there before, and it was fun. We had a dinner of bologna sausage and cheese, and about 8 o'clock we started for home."

Besides the fright which was occasioned the two families of the boys no harm was done, except one of the boys was forced to take a hot bath and swallow a dose of quinine after he reached home. Johnny's original $1, which started the trouble, remains intact. Shirley stood the expense on his pay of $12, which he drew from the park on Saturday afternoon.

Shirley lives one block southeast of the park.

Labels: amusement, children, Electric park, fairmount park, Leavenworth, Main street, missing, runaway, St.Joseph, Swope park, Thirty-ninth street, Union depot

July 12, 1909

THEY'D BETTER BE MARRIED.

Otherwise, Police Are Told to Arrest

Atchison Boy and Girl.

Somewhere in Kansas City yesterday, Nettie Scott, 17 years old, whose home is in Atchison, Kas., was eluding possible detection and assisted in her aim by one believed to be Will Schaffer of the same Kansas town. The chief of police of Atchison wired the Kansas City police to find them if possible.

The telegram requested the police to arrest and hold the two unless they have been married. It is believed the pair ran off to get married but as yesterday was Sunday it is probable that they waited until today before attempting to secure a marriage license.

Labels: romance, runaway, telegram

April 18, 1907

CAME WEST TO KILL BUFFALO.

Virginia Boy, Disappointed, Started

on the Way Home.

Clark Freeland, 13 years old, from New Martinsville, Va., came west to hunt buffalo and fight Indians. He landed here in April 5 and was first brought to the notice of the police when he tried to beat his way over the new inter-city viaduct. He had been told that the buffalo were all on the other side of the river and he had spent the 75 cents with which he landed.

Yesterday a telegram with money for a ticket home came to the police for the buffalo and Indian hunter from his father, Dr. W. P. Freeland. The police went out and gathered in Clark again and last night he was sent back to the effete East, a disheartened boy.

"I hate to go back," he said, "without having killed a single buffalo. And I haven't seen an Indian either."

"The buffaloes are all hibernating now," he was told by Lieutenant H. W. Hammil, "and the Indians are all out trapping and hunting furs for your Eastern people to wear." The boy said that was too bad, and left.

Labels: children, hunting, intercity viaduct, Lieutenant H. W. Hammil, Native Americans, police, runaway, telegram

April 4, 1907

IOWA RUNAWAYS HERE.

Glad to Get Something to Eat and

Ready for a Job.

Joseph Richards, 16, William Henderson, 19, and Robert Kelly, 20 years old, all about the same size, arrived in Kansas City from Muscatine, Ia., via the Rock Island route in a boxcar early yesterday morning. They are runaways, and said they are not looking for Indians, but for work.

The boys walked the streets all day, visiting several employment agencies, but not having the dollar that it takes to get the "promise of a job," they kept on walking. About 8 o'clock last night, begrimed and hungry, they encountered Patrolman McVey. At police headquarters they were given tickets for a "big 10-cent meal" at a nearby restaurant.

"That's the first meal we've had since noon yesterday," said young Richards, as he picked his teeth.

"I hope you don't call that a meal we had at Seymour, Ia.?" asked Henderson, "A half a loaf of bread and one piece of green bologna for all three of us didn't hit the spot with me. Not much."

The lads were given shelter for the night at the Helping Hand Institute, and this morning jobs will probably be secured for Kelly and Henderson. Richards, who left a widowed mother at home, will be held until she is heard from.

Labels: charity, Helping Hand, police, police headquarters, runaway