The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-01-20
4 gEgWgBaE 51YsvEnY.
THREE LITTLE BOYS MIss1NG-THREE HUN
DRED PERSONS SECURING TIE 1yOoCS
AND sWAmPs UNsUCCESsFuLLY.

DRED PERSONS SECURING TIE yOoCS
AND sHAMPs UNsUcCESsFuLLY.
Nesting among The hills Of northern
New Jersey is the quiet hamlet Of Wy
nockie, a sparse and scattered settlement
INHABITED by men of the Eardworbiug
classes mostly, and knowing the year
round, ordinarily, none Of The hurtfuI ex~
elements or scusaiiUas 50 common to The
metropolis. About two miles the other
side OF the end of the road leading tiIitte~
from The direction of Paterson, stands
little blacksni,hs shop, and sill mile
further back from this point, in a plain
old, d,fashioned abode, lives Jacob Weble, a
mechanic by occupation.
From this quiet, secluded home, on The
afternoon of Ncv Years day, his three
little boys, aged respectively 10, 3 and
years, siroilcd out into the neigLboriug
woods, telling their mother that they were
going in search Of hickory nuts from a
tree that had recently been cut down.
Since that time they have not teen seen
or heard of.
The father was absent al the time, hsv-
ing started for Pompton about half 81
bonr before the childgcn's departure, but
returned at dusk, only TO learn that the
little ones had not come home. The
mother, after calling them In vain, had
gone as far into the woods as she Jared,
but still calling, received no response from
tile loved S6ices Alarmed By their At
sence, the father set out in search, and
continued n the woods nosi of the night !;
but his efforts were fruitless, and when
morning came, the whole Ueighborhood,
learning the sad circumstance, offered to
join in the search.
Parties or gangs we're organized, md
during that day the woods and swanlps
were thoroughly secured, but night brought
no good tidings to the anxious parents.
Then came the terrible gale Of Sunday
night, and it was hoped that by some pos
sibihiy the children, if still alive, might
in wandering about, have found shelter in
one of the half ruiued and deserted hu,s
which line the highway But an exami-
nation oC these on the following day save
! no ground for hope, and 90 Monday,
Tuesday and " ednesday passed, bringing
cnly a strengthened assurance that the
poor children had rerishcd The energy
with which the search was prosecuted
was heroic.
On Wednesday and Thursday last over
three hundred, including two hundred en-
ployees Of the Pomp;on Steel Works and
Rngwood Iron Works, joined in its pres
ecution, every family IN The valley turning
out TO help Not spot IL the mountains
or forest Was left unvisi,ed, or unscanned
By eager eyes for miles around, but still in
vain. Then the one suppositiun was up
permost in peoples minds. Through the
valley runs the river RGmaPo, and ihis,
it Is feared, the chiiIren may have attempt
cd 70 cross npUn the ice, which was then
rotten, and consequently unable to bear
their weight, but as the storm of Sunday
night broke the river up completely. no
trace of the broken ice could be discover
ed, and corjec,ures were only possible.
But in support Of the theory that the chill.
dren wero drowoed, s the statement CT
Conrad Ticc. the keeper OF a tavern neal
by, who says tIlat ON New Years night
the screams Of children we're heard in the
direction OF the river, and he now thinks
they, finding themselves lost, must have
endeayored 10 cross the stream toward the
light of his house Acting upon this s5p'
position, the searchers have dragged the
river, but have discovered nothing, and
thus the whereabouts of the unfortuaateS
is wrapped in mystery up to the present
time N. !. Ncir5.