Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-01-25
Strange and PerilOus Adventure of a
Boy of Eleven Years.

DVt VI LfcNcH ItuIss
BINGHAMPDoN, n. V. Jan. 10, 1872.
An eleven-year- boy Of this city,
named Clarence Shanks, was made the
involuntary hero of a most remarkable
adventure a day or two since. He lives
with his parents here, and was sent on
an errand ON Friday last, with instructions
to return home Immediately. Being a
good and obedient boy, his parents natu-
rally became alarmed when evening drew
near, and he had not yet returned. Mes
sengers were dispatched in every direc-
ton, streams were dragged, and every
means taken to obtain trace of the miss
ing boy-all to no purpose. The search
was kept up all night, and then given up
in despair by the relatives and friends.
The mother of the boy was almost crazed
at his disappearance, and her situation
was becoming alarming, when about seven
o'clock Saturday evening, the boy made
his appearance, in an almost exhausted
condition, and exhibiting linmistakable
evidence of having endured great hard
ship during his two days absence. AS
soon as he was able he told his story,
which is substantially as follows:
When he went down town on his er-
rand, he saw through the open door of
freight car, which was in train at the
Erie depot, quantity of corn lying about
the floor. de thought here would be a
good chance to obtain nice meal for
some pet chickens of his at home, and
he climbed into the car and commenced
filling his pockets. While thus engaged,
the door of the car was suddenly closed
and fastened. The boy at once began
to cry and shout to make his situation
known, but to no purpose and soon
the train moved off He says he
first thought of the effect his disappear
ahce would have on his parents and then
began to conjecture how far he would
probably be carried before he could make
his presence in the car known. 1t was
pitch dark in his moving prison, and he
was bumped around on the floor like a
ball at every jerk and lurch of the train,
there being nothing to hold to. AT times,
he says, he would be thrown with con-
siderable force against the sides of the
car, and he has great bruises on his
shoulders and hips as the consequence.
Scratches on different parts of his person,
and the presence of ugly-looking splinters
also testify to the character of his expert
ence on this part of his journey. The
train, he says, stopped once before il
made the stop where he was discovered
and he did all in his power to attract the
attention of some one about the station.
He shouted, pounded on the sides of the
car, and fairly shrieked for assistance, but
without the desired effect, and he was
soon once more rolling and humping
about the car, on his way he knew not
where. The train finally stopped again
and the young prisoner ascertained, from
| the movements about the station, thai
| some cars were to be switched out of the
fro md hn haT hot n
might be one of them. His car was one
of them, and when it was placed on the
switch he succeeded, after lying there
| about an hour, in attracting the attention
of a man who was passing the car. HI
opened the door, and upon seeing thu
| poor boy, covered with dust, in which thu
tears had cut deep traces down the boy
| checks, brutally demanded, 'What th'
deuce you doin' here?" Choking witt
sobs, the little fellow told his story
| only to be informed that "he'd bette
| dig out, quickp' He then wen
to the depot building, ant
asked a boy what place he was in, ant
how far it was from Binghamton. Tn
boy eyed him suspiciously moment, ant
then told him he was in Barton, abou
thirty-five miles from Binghamton. /
was after dark and the unfortunat
| Clarence was in an entirely strange place
without cent to purchase a morsel t.
eat or pay his way back home. Moreove
the cruel rebuff of the trackman ha
disheartened him, and he could not sum
mon courage to ask assistance of any one
He obtained information of the boy VIII
had told him where he was as to a roa
which went in the direction of Bine
hampton, at time of night when b
would have been quietly sleeping in be
if home, he started on his way to the city
| where his agOniZeG parents were searchin
in ali directions for him. He had N
dinner or supper, and the pains of hunge
| began to assail him. These he satisfied a
well as he could by eating of the cor
which he put in his pockets in the morr
ing, which act had placed him in hi
present Unenviab!e situation. After wall
ing about two hours, and passing man
| houses where he could see the cheer
lights, and children playing within, bring
ing the burning tears afresh to his eye:
his strength began to fail him, and b
knew he must lie down somewhere an
sleep. 1t was very cold, and he was q
most numb with exposure. Coming to
house where it seemed kind people mu
live, he made up his mind to go in an
beg supper and a bed for the nigh
a fierce watchdog came bount
About mile further on he came to afarn
house, near to which, along the road, ws
small inclosure, in which was a ha-
stack, and about it cattle-feeding. TT
almost frozen boy crawled into the ha,
although suffering from hunger, and
soon fell asleep. He was awakened ono
or twice by mice running across his fat
and by the cattle rubbing and pushir
against the haystack. He awoke early {
, Saturday morning, and upon crawling
!, the ground he found that his feet WEI
: frozen, and he was so stitfened that
,, could scarcely walk. No one was stirri1
about the farmhouse. He breakfasted {
raw corn. He met wagons on the roa
: but was overtaken by but two, and the
were heavily loaded, and their drive
D.. walking, so he did not ask for a ride. F
= passed through many villages but, ;
though almost fainting with hunger, W
!, not courageous enough to ask for mout
full to eat. All day long he journey
along, suffering intense physical and me
;, tai agony, until just after dark the ligh
of a large town came in sight, and he fl
!, it must be Binghamton. 1t was Bin
hampton, and about 7 o'clock he reach
:, his fathers house, more dead than ally
Il The boy tells his story in very touchi
manner. His extraordinary experien
= has prostrated him on bed of sickne!
; !. but he is rapidly recovering. Did Dav
= Copperfield's famous journey to his Au
J Betsey Trotwood ever before find so ne
- a parallel Cor. N. Y. Times.
IS AS the 4:3O train from New York reaC
ed Stamford, Saturday, an antique-loc
IS ing dame thrust her head out of the W