The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-04
A NEW YORK CHARLEY ROSS.

A LITTLE roy THIRTY-THgEE DAYS MISSING -
FRANK ELDRIDGEs STRANGE FATE-sUP-
POSED TO HAVE BEEN STOLEN BY CAVALIERS.
On the LIST of September last the police were no.
tilted OF the disappearance from his home OF Frank
Eldrdge. boy eight years old His father aud
mother live at No. 1866 Christopher street, not far
from the ferry. The husband works on tugboat.
and Frank in the habit of gong to the water
front and considered able to take care or him.
self. 1t shortly before in the evening of the
day he last that Frank told his mother
he was going down to the wharf to
see the excursion boats come in. He
spoken to his way by "a young
playmate. and also by a storekeeper who hailed him
in . familiar way Us lie passed his door. There
crowd the pier when the Lad reached there.
gathered around the dead body of boy about his
age. who had fallen overheard on the Friday be-
fore that day tMonday ana had just been recovered
from the river. The drowned boy was carried away
in an ambulance wagon and the crowd dispersed.
Frank Eldridge. who seen on the pier by
number of men who work in the neighborhood. and
who knew him, has not since been seen heard Of
by his parents Fearing that he might have fallen
into the river watch kept along the water all
that night by the boys father. For days after
graphing hooks were used without afording the
poor consolation OF bringing up the missing child's
remains. Search was made under and around the
might be held under watec. but still with
Night after night the boys father has spent
his time along the river shore waiting for the
to rise to aid him in the fruitess search
4 theory to account for the boys
disappearance has now found faith with his parents
They do not believe he was drowned ut all but
ricd of for some unknown purpose He might
lily have boarded some canal boat schooner just
about leaving her pier and have been carried away
ON a long journey The boy is old enough to give an
account OF himself and il he had been taken away by
accident the persons into whose care he might have
fnl MI hnHa mos 1ka har
least communicated with the police the boys
parents. description OF the missing boy is
follows:-Eight years and four months old.
nearly four feet in height, slight build light brown
hair, large graysh-blue eyes, slight right
face tanned. long neck. slight scar on the back Of
hand dressed in light waist. red neckte, light
gray pants striped stockings laced shoes and white
straw hat. His father is confident that IL he had
fallen overheard he would certainly have obtained
some confirmation OF it by this time. The straw hat
he wore which was a large would have at least
turned up. reward of 5000 is offered by the dis
tressed parents for the safe return of their boy.
1t would surprise any not familiar with the
fact to know the number of people-men. women and
chidren-who disappear from their homes in this
city. aud for whom the police are called upon to
search Scarcely day passes without one more
such cases being reported ut Police Headquarters.
and unless some extraordinary circumstance con-
nected witt, the occurrence commands particular
attention a record of the missing persons-name and
description-is all that comes OF it. An intern
perate husband or falls by chance into the
hands OF the police. and is fined or imprisoned
by police magistrate. II unable to pay the fine,
rather than let the fact of their imprisonment be
known, the unfortunate will observe silence aud
let his anxious and unsuspecting friends invoke the
aid of the authorities IN whose hands he is already.
under fictitious name, search tor him. The
ported absence from home of boys and girls whose
ages range from ten to sixteen years likewise re-
ceves little notice. because they considered and.
rule, prove to be runaways, who return to their
homes within period more or less short. according
to the severity Of their experience. In every
case, when an inquiry is made at Police
Headquarters, the assurance Is given to the
inquirer that any information obtained by the police
will be forwarded at once to his or her address.
which is carefully noted down ut the time and sell
dom receives any further attention. IT the missn q
person is well officially connected what is known
general alarm is sent out by the police that Is
description of the missing person Is telegraphed to
each police station and read of to the
men before they sent out patrol.
1t is safe to say that not police
man in twenty would be able to tell
you even the name of the missing person ten min
after he leaves the station house little atten
ton is paid the reading OF this and similar in
structons they receive to look for stray horses,
stolen property and the Ike
On the other hand great majority of persons re-
ported missing return to their homes are heard
from after time, and their friends neglect inform
the police of the fact, and this has u tendency to
make them Indifferent unless they are urged from
day to day to continue the search.