Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-11-23
Finding a Lost Child.

James Forsythe, wealthy farmer liv-
ing in Clay County, Kansas, was the
father of two lovely girls, aged nine and
eleven years. One day toward the close
OF the warm weather in 1876 they were
out in the woods near their fathers house
searching for flowers. Strayed some
distance from home, they discovered
that they were lost, and knew not how TO
return. While trying to get out of the
woods they met two men, who said that
they would show them the way to theirfs-
theirs house. Instead, however, of taking
them home, the men led them to camp
they had established in an out. of-the.way
place, and then told them they never
could see their parents again. Soon
after this they left that neighborhood
and went to Illinois. The feelings of
the parents can be imagined when, as
the night came on, their children did not
return. AS it grew late the neighbors
were called, and a thorough search was
instituted, but without avail The next
morning the search was continued, but
no trace of the lost ones could be found.
Finally Mr. Forsythe heard that two
men, having in their care two little girls,
had passed through little town some
distance from his house. He immediate.
ly went to the village, made inquiries of
the persons who had seen the tramps,
and soon learned enough to convince
himself that the two little girls were his
own daughters. He started after them
at once, but could not Overtake them.
He would nearly reach them when the
willy tramps would suddenly disappear
and would cover their tracks so skillfully
that it would be weeks before a trace
could be obtained of them. For months
and months this chase continued, Mr. For
sythe neverdespairing, butprosecutinghis
search with all the vigor that loving fa-
theT could command. Skilled detectives
were employed, the telegraph was brought
into requisition, but the tramps evaded
all search and could not be caught.
After following them through Illinois,
Indiana, and Michigan, Mr.. Forsythe
lost all track of them, and after en-,
deavoring for weeks without success to
get some clue to them, was obliged to
give up the search and return to his
desolate home without his daughters.
Hoping that something would result
from it, Mr.. Forsythe sent out, as soon
90 nv AtANAhSN hpAhNi Va PNS
tai cards, giving an accurate descrip-
tion of the two girls. One of these
cards reached the postmaster at Oak
Grove, Ohio, That gentleman became
convinced that two little children
who had come to the postoffice for
mail for several itinerant, vagabOndish
families living in shanties near the canal,
were really Mr.. Forsythe's children, A
little inquiry settled the matter, and, in
forming the father, he at once took meas
ures to secure them. On approaching
the families with whom they lived, they
stated that the girls had been left with
them by two men, and they would not
part with them without heavy recon-
pense. In vain they were argued with.
They would not yield point. The chill
dren were in their possessions they had
fed and cared for them, and would keep
them unless handsomely paid for their
trouble. The families, finding that the
whereabouts of the children had been
discovered, and fearing that they would
be taken away from them by officers of
the law, secreted them, and finally
moved away themselves, living for a
considerable time in an old deserted
canal boat. In the meantime the older
girl sickened from exposure and died.
About two weeks ago Mr.. O. +. France,