The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1882-12-02
He and His Pa in Chicago.


being arrested III Chicago" said
the grocery man to the bad boy, as
he came in with a can for kerosene
and a jug for vinegar.
"Well, it was true but the police
let him go after they hit him a few
ticks and took him to the station"
says the boy, as he got the vinegar
into the kerosene can and the kerr
osene in the Jug. "1ou sec, pa
and me went down there to stay
over night, and have fun. Ma
said she druther we would be away
than not when they were cleaning
house, and pa thought it would do
me good to travel, and sort Of get
tone, and he thought maybe I'd be
better and not play jokes, but |
guess it is born i'll me. Do you
know | actually think Of mean
things to do when | am in the most
solemn places. They took me to
a funeral once, and | got to think
ing what Il stampede there would
be if the corpse would come to life
and sit up in the coffin and | snick-
cred right out, and pa took me out
doors and kicked my pants. l
don't think lie orter kicked me for
it, cause / didn't think of it a pur-
pose. Such things have occurred,
and | have read about them, and a
poor boy ought to be allowed to
think, hadn't he2"
eyes but what about his being
arrested Never mind the funeral, ="
said the grocery man, as he took
his knife and picked some Of the
lead out of the weights on the
scales.
1--WE went down on the cars,
and pa had headache, because he
had been out all night electioneer-
ing for the prohibition ticket, and
he was cross and scoldcd me, and
once pulled my ear cause l asked
him if he knew the girl he was
winking at across the aisle. l
didn't enjoy myself much, and
some men were talking about kid
mapping children, and it gave me
an flee, and just before | got to
Chicago | went after a drink of
water at tother end of the car, and
l saw a man who looked as though
he wouldn't stand any fooling; and
l whispered to him and told him
that the bald-headed man 1 was
sitting with was taking me away
from my home in Milwaukee, and
l mistrusted he was going to make
a thief or pickpocket of me. Isaid
's-h-h-h,' and told him not to say
anything or the man would maui
me. Then l went back to the seat
and asked pa to buy me a gold
watch, and he looked mad and cuff
ed me on the ear. The man
whispered to got to talking with
some other men, and when we got
off the cars at Chicago a policeman
came up to pa and took him by the
neck and said, Mr.. Kidnapper, l
guess we will run you in Pa was
mad and tried to jerk away, and
the cop choked him, and another
cop came along and helped, and
the passengers crowded around and
wanted to lynch pa, and pa wanted
to know what they meant, and
they asked him where he stole the
kid, and he said | was his kid, and
asked me if wasn't, and | looked
scared, as though I was afraid ia
say no, and raid, Yes, Sir,
guess So Then the police said
the boy was scarf, and they would
take us both to the station, and
they made pa walk spry, and when
he held back thcyierked him along.
He was offul mad, and said he
would make somebody smart for
this, and hoped it wouldn't be me.
At the station they charged pa
with kidnapping a boy from Nil
waukee, and he said it was a lie,
ana L was MS hON, ana L Salu OF
course l was, and the boss asked
who told the cops pa was a kidnap-
per, and they said damtino, and
then the boss told pa he could go,
but not to let it occur again, and pa
and me went away. l looked Sc
sorry for pa that he nevor tumblcd
to me that ] was to blame. We
walked around town all day, and
went to the stores, and at night pa
was offul tired, and he put me to
bed in the tavern and he went out
to walk around and get rested. |
was not tired, and | walked all
around the hotel. l thought pa
had gone to a theater, and that
made me mad, and l thought
would play a joke on him. Our
room was 30 and the next room
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