The Cecil Whig., 1879-07-19
YOUTHFUL REFU GEES.
WHEN AND HOW THEY WERE
CAPTURED.
They go Upon an Excursion and do not
Return.

They go Upon all Excursion and do no,
Return.
For few years past some of the philan-
thr"phi" people of Baltimore have been Civ
ing free excursions to the poor people of that
city in order to afford them an opportunity
of enjoying the pure air of the country and
the cool and refreshing brerzcS of the bay.
One of these excursions WI; given on Fri
day, the llth instant. In order that not thing
should be omitted tnat would tend to the
full enjoyment Of the trip to Avondalc,
which is some distance down the Patapsco
| river, band of youthful musicians, com
posed of sixteen boys, confined in the House
of Refuge, accompanied it. The excursion
left Light street wharf ut about seven A. NJ,
and everything went well till it WAS time for
the band of boys to return to their quarters
in the House of Refuge, when only seven
of the sixteen came marching back singing
the hymn, Where are the Nine" which
seemed to be very appropriate to the occa-
sion when it was discovered that nine of the
sixteen We're missing Where, or when, or
! how they went, we have been unable to
| learn, but 1t is probable that, when the
steamboat arrived at the wharf in the even
ing, they effected their escape during the
confusion incident to landing the great
! crowd that was on it. Some time during
/ Saturday one of the lads returned to the
House of Refuge, and the officer of that
institution subsequently learned that II
ticket had been procured ut the Calvert
street station for Il boy, who had left there
for Chicago, and that six of them had
started north along the line of the Phila-
delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Rail-
road, which leaves one yet to be accounted
for.
Last Mond.y, Mr.. Joseph S. Po,t, who is
chief engineer of the mechanical department
of the House of Refuge, arrived at Elkton
on the morning train from Baltimore with
view of capturing the runaways. He in
terviewed the Sheriff and secured the ser
vices of that officer who learned that some
of the gang d been seen leaving the town
on Sunday evening, and that they were then
going in the direction of Newark, along the
railroad. Acting upon this clue, the Sheriff
and his deputy drove to Newark, and Mr..
PoiSt started up the track of the railroad on
foot, thinking he might find the lads in Cat
Swamp or somewhere else along the road
The Sheriff ascertaincd ut Newark that the
boys had passed through that place the
evening before, whereupon he telegraphcd
to the Chief of Police of Wilmington to
arrest them if found in that city, and quietly
waited the arrival of the next train and
went to Wilmington. The Deputy Sheriff
met Mr.. p, who was exploring the country
at the base of Iron Hill, and the two re-
turcd to Elkton. When the Sheriff reached
Wilmington he learned that the boys had
passed through there some time before
upon which he telesraphed to the authorities
of Chester and took the next train and pro
ccc,led to that place. Hearing no tidingS of
the frgitivcS 1t Chester, he concluded he
had passed them and that they We're between
that place and Wilmington. .ic:ing upon
this theory, he hired 4 horse and vehicle
and started back towards Wilmington
Upon reaching Claymont, he heard the lads
were Il short distance further down the
road SO leaving his vehicle 1T Claymont he
walked down the road and found three of
them about mile west of that place He
knew them by their dress, and after talking
Il little while with them, he grabbed two of
them by the coat collars, and intimatei to
the other one that he would shoot him if he
run away, succeeded in arresting all ofthcm.
He marched them down the read to the
next station-Holy Oak, and took the next
train for Wilmington, where he procured
supper for the boys, who ate il with great
relish and seemed to enjoy it very much, it
being the first square meal they had had
for some time. The Sheriff was obliged to
take the evening train for Pcrryville, at
which place he boarded the north bound
evening train and arrived mt Elkton at nine
o'clock with the lads S;-c-'---fl sound, ar.A.
look n1 ~ --.,'- ~: 'i 1all.
I On Tuesday Mr.. Poist was reinforced by
another employe of the institution, who
arrived on the morning train, and learned
from Bailitf Shockley that there was reason
to think that one of the lads was Sccreted in
+ the house Of i person where he formerly
/ lived the two, accompanied by the Sheriff.
visited it and found the lads coat, but the
/ bird had flown, and the good woman of the
/ house refused to give them any information.
! Shortly after this happened Mr.. Poist and
the other man took the train and went 10
/ Chester, but failing to hear anything of the
missing boys, who were supposed to have
gone i'll that direction, returned on the 4la
/ T.. NJ. train, and took the three trrtants to
on Wednesday.