Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-08-05
Extraordinary Adventure.

One of the most extraordinary adven-
lures of a child of which we ever heard
occurred in this vicinity last week. On
Thursday, the 10Th inst, son of John
Keenen of this place, aged only three and
half years, disappeared from his home,
and no tidings of him could be obtained by
his parents. Don the following day bills
were circulated soliciting information re-
speeding him. 1t was at length ascertained
that child answering his description had
been seen in an easterly direction from the
village, and an active search was immedl-
ately instituted for the missing boy. lt,ap-
pears that he was seen by several persons,
but in one instance only under circumstan'
ces that excited suspicion that he was lost,
and in this instance the person neglected to
take charge of him Immediately, and when
followed he had disappeared in the woods
and could not be found.
The course of the child was followed in
part by the information of those who had
seen him, but mainly, we understand, by
his foot prints in ploughed fields and muddy
places. He was at length found on Satur-
day evening, at half past five o'clock, near
the boundary line between Seekonk and
Rehoboth, five and half miles in direct
line from his home, and 6lty.tour and a
half hours after his disappearance, and lif
ty.nine after he ate his breakfast on the
previous Thursday morning. lie left home
barefooted and very thiny clad, having
nothing on but thin calico dress and an
apron, and these we're wet when he was
found. In this condition he had wandered
to the place where he was found, through
ploughed fields and woods, and across ditch
esand swamps. SO far as is known or bellev.
ed, he had not eaten a mouthiul OF food
since the previous Thursday morning.
Two nights the little fellow must have slept
in the open air, on the cold, damp ground,
and they were cold nights, too, there being
a frost on each, if our memory is correct
His feet were badly acerated by stones, bri-
airs, &c. and much swollen, but he appeared
to be otherwise in good condition, and is
doing well. His grea, anxiety on being
found was to be taken to his mother, for
whom he said hehad been looking. When
asked if he did not sleep cold the previous
night, he replied that he did.
The latter part of the strange adventure
of this child was in and through an exen.
sive swamp in which people have been lost,
and where, some forty years ago, woman,
unable to find her way out, persisted, and
her body was not found until nine days af,
forwards. In this swamp is a stream of wa.
ter five or six feet wide and of considera-
bic depth, and the mud in its bed and on
its banks is SO deep and soft that it is diff
cult to cross it. But this child did cross it
how, every one who has seen it is puzzled
TO conjecture. From the appearance Of his
tracks in this swamp, it is supposed that he
wandered about therein several miles He
was found on the margin of the swamp, but
was supposed to be in it, and between one
and two hundred men were engaged OH Sat
urday in searching for him.
We question whether there is another in.
stance on record in which a child of so ten
der years survived so much fatigue, priva.
ton and exposure. If this little Keenen
lives aud does not make tough specimen
OF a man, his aye will belle the promise
Of his spring. "-Pawtuckct Chrm.