St. Landry democrat., 1880-01-03
The Abduction of Hermene.
gEldO TOrO,

BOY STOLEN FROM HIS FATHER IN
JUNE, 1871, IN THE CITY OF NEW
ORLEANS, WHEN ONLY EIGHT YEARS
OF AGE; BROUGHT TO ST. LANDRY
HE is ADOPTED AND RAISED BY EyAR-
IsTE NAYARE, ESQ, OF ST. LANDRY
RECOVERED BY HIS FATHER ON
CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT, 1879.
A short time previous to the late war,
there resided in the city of New Orleans
physician by the name of FRANCOIS
Toro, Il bachelor. During the war lie
met, fell i'll love with, and married a
young widow by the name Of Borne,
she having at the time Of her marriage
two well grown boys. By this marriage
there were two boys born. The wife
died at the close of the war, leaving the
two last children in care of their father.
The two young Borne's having reached
mans estate had gone to work for them
selves the Oldest haling married, The
DR.. was in comfortable circumstances,
being worth about four OF five thousand
dollarsin property and money aud with a
good practice in his part of the city.
In June, 1871, we still find the doctor
prospering, with his two little boys !;;-
ing with him, the Oldest, Hermenegildo
(nick named Emilel at that time about
eight years, and theyoungest five or six.
One morning during that month the
Oldest, Emile, was sent by his father to
the bakers, which was about a SQUARE.
to get some bread: During his sons
absence the doctor was called off, and
did not return until late in the evening.
On enquiring for Emile. Ae was told
that he had been absent the whole of
the day. As Emile had been in the
habit Of spending the day and night at
his step brothers, who, as we have said
before, was married, he felt no uneasi
ness, until during the course of the next
day, he called at the house of his step
son'sand found out that Emilelad never
been there, and also-ue furtlt t-rS intelli-
gence that young Mrs. Borne had gone
to visit her relations in the country on
that morning, to be gone several weeks.
Beginning to feel uneasy, he began visi-
ting all the places his son might have
been tempted to 60. His search was
fruitless. Mo one had seen or heard Of
him. The police were called in to aid
the search, but without effect. If the
earth had opened and swallowed up the
boy, he could not have disappeared more
effectually without leaving a single
trace. Day after day passed, and month
after month went by, still the unhappy
father continued his search. Dollar
after dollar was drawn from the bank,
where he had been boarding his earn
ings with the object Of giving his two
boys an education, and setting them
out in life, for the purpose of aiding
the search, until not dollar remained.
His houses he sold t. rcplenish his purse,
until he did not own roof to cover his
head. Clothes, trinkets, and everything
that could be turned into money, was so
and followed the balance,
and yet not trace Of the missing boy:
He neglected his practice from day to
day, until he barely earned sufficient to
give bread to himself and remaining
child, whom he seems to have almost
forgotten in his search for the missing
one. Prematurely old, grey haired and
bent as if a century had passed over his
head, broken in. spirits, health and
pocket, looking like one who had ceased
to feel an interest in life or his sur
do we find him on the goth
day Of December A. D. 1s79,. almost
aine years from the day his son had
been missed.
To tell what occurred On that goth day
Of December, we will have to go back to
the month of October previous, and re-
late the story as told to us from his own
lips Of Mr.. 4 B. LeBesque gentleman
we'll known and living in the city of
New Orleans. We let Mr.. LeKesque
tell his own story, which was as fol-
lows:
In October last, on business for the
house for which ! was travelling, !
paid visit to Vermillionyille in Laf-
ayette parish, While thereI concluded
to call upon Mr.. Gustave Judice, a very
Old friend Of mine. / spent several days
with him. On one occasion, while rid
ng to town (Vermillionville) on horse
back in company with my friend Mr..
Judice, he called my attention to a man
who was hard at work in his field gath
ering corn, and remarked, "there is one
If the best and most industrious citizens
n our parish, and / would like to in
'roduce him to you some day, His
1ame is Mr.. Alexandra Huidry.n On
'he evening of the next day we called
lpon. Mr.. Guidry, and spent. avery
pleasant hour in company with himself,
ind his mosfestimable lady. We were
invited to dine the next
lay, which invitation we accepted, and
1t o'clock on that day we found our
selves comfortably seated at Mr.. Gui-
lrys table, enjoying his hOspitality,