The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-11-18
A REMARKABLE CASE.
An Innocent Boy Charges Himself WI
Crime--A Puzzle to be Solved.

n TemHThdDle CtS6 Ou6 VI
the public schools of Hartford, Conn,
the Times says, presenting a phase of
character on the part Of two young
scholars which puzzles the astute aud
observing teachers. The sack of
little girl was one day, it was supposed,
taken from the cloak room. The princi-
pal went into the lower department and
inquired if any of the scholars had seen
it. Several hands went up; on inquiry,
however, it was found that none of the
scholars could trace it beyond the cloak
room; but one little fellow, six years of
age, who had raised his hand, at first
said he knew where it was, and then,
commencing to cry, said he had never
seen it aud knew nothing about it. Go
ing into the apartment above, the prin-
cipal made the same inquiry. No one
had seen the sack, but Lrother of the
little six-year-old seemed to feel uneasy
at the question, and evinced some emo
ton. He was eight years old. The
teacher, seeing what he conceived to be
evidence of knowledge in regard to the
sack on the part of the two little broth
ers, called out the eldest one and asked
him where the sack was. At first he
denied any knowledge in regard to it,
but the principal questioning him mildly
and kindly, the little fellow finally said
that he took the sack, but he declined to
tell where it was. The principal visited
the boys parents, and in the presence of
the boys stated what had happened.
The parents at once directed the boys
to tell frankly and fully all they knew
about the sack. The oldest one said
that, on leaving school, he took the sack,
put it under his overcoat, and started for
his home; that on the way another boy
snatched it from him and ran off with
it. His little brother said he saw the
boy snatch away the sack. Neither
could identify the boy. When it was
suggested that the Oldest boys overcoat
was so small that he could not get a
sack under it, he said: "I guess girl
rolled it up into very small wad and
put it under there" On inquiry it be-
came evident that no such snatching in
cident had occurred.
The case had now become Interesting,
and q policeman was sent to interview
the eight-year-old boy, who had all the
time been quite calm and self posse sed,
though contradictory in his stories. The
policeman interviewed the boy at the
schoolhouse. The boy told him that he
took the sack, and had hidden it in va
cant lot between two stumps, where he
covered it with dry leaves. The police
man requested the boy to go with him to
the place of concealment, and he readily
consented. He led the policeman, not
toward vacant lot, but into street of
dwelling houses. The policeman asked
the boy if this was the right direction to
the stumps, and he said it was. But
the surroundings did not appear right,
and the policeman again inquired :
"You are not deceiving me, are you
You are not leading me to your homeF'- =
the policeman not knowing where he
lived. The boy coolly replied "Oh,
no this is the right way I'll show you
the stumps )" and in moment more the
little fellow lodged into his own house,
leaving the policeman out in the cold.
Finally the boys mother permitted the
policeman to take him over to fire en-
CINE house to see if he could get from
him the true story of this affair. The
boy went along without fear or emotion.
He finally took the policeman into lot,
showed him two stumps near together,
hid the sack" But there was no evi
dence that any sack had been hidden
there it did not appear at all like o
place of concealment; and the boys
story being contradictory, the policeman
took him to the engine house and shu
him into room, asking him how ht
liked that2 The boy mildly replied
81 rather like this" Leaving him ther'
for time it was found on opening thu
door that he had lain himself down an(
gone to sleep The policeman thel
took him to the station-house, put hin
in dark cell and, partly closing tn
door, said he must tell truly where tn
sack was or he would shut him in. Tn
boy then utterly refused to tell him any
thing more. The policeman then askeC
HIM GLOW do you like this place T.
The boy replied 1 like it we'll enough,
and did not appear to be at all disturbed
at the prospect of gloomy confinement
The policeman shut the door, and thel
inquired elbow do you like it now p
The boy replied "I like this prett.
well f; it's pretty good place" Tn
policeman was astounded to find thi
utter indifference and composrre on tn
part of a boy of eight years, when con
fined in dark cell that had so oftel
subdued hardened men. He said to tn
boy: "If you hear any rats in the Gel
you must call to me loudly and I'll com
and drive them off," "If hear an,
rats" quietly replied the boy, "I'll le
you know :" and there the little felloy
remained through the afternoon, with
out whimper or complaint.
At the approach of evening he wa
taken out and appeared no more alarme
or disturbed than if he had been in til
parlor of his home. He was sent to hi
parents and policeman, teacher an
parents were puzzled over this strang
case. But now comes the most singula
part of this remarkable story. The mex
day the sack was found and the circun
stances attending it were such as t
render it impossible for the little bo
accused, or his brother, to have had any
thing to do with it, or even to have see
it! And this settled fact throws sti
greater mystery around the stories of th
two little brothers, and especially I'll
action of the Oldest one. He was nC
treated harshly by the principal, VIII
mildly and kindly attempted to impres
upon him the duty of telling the trut
in regard to the sack. The only hars
treatment he received was when he WI
shut up, and this seemed to make l
impression upon him. He is remar
able boy, evidently, and an ordinari
good and faithful boy. But what sing
lar phase of character it is that induce
him to say SO readily that he took Il
: sack when he had never seen it /; and
} give SO many particulars as to what
| did with it, all of which were pure