Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-31
BRAVE LITTLE TOMMY sEARI.Es.
How He Guarded His Fathers Corpse and
Nursed His Baby Brother.

Nursed His Baby Brother.
dirty little round faced boy, not yet seven
years Of age, said Tuesdays Philadelphia
Press. held group Of big, stalwxrt policemen
spellhound in the eleventh district station house
Monday morning as he innocently told them
how he had watched his father die and had then
nursed his baby brother and cared for his little
sister until some one came to help him. The
boy was Tommy Searles. BY his side sat bis
chaoby-faced sister, her hand in his, and with
her big blue eyes she looked wonderingly at
the policemen. The baby was almost frozen to
death and the matron had wrapped it up in
blanket and placed il beside fire to thaw it
out The dead body Of the father was outside
In the patrol wagon and WAS soon being car
ried away &c the morgue.
As the wagon rolled away from the station
house Tommy's sister turned to him and said
Well, they brought US here in the wagon with
dad Dads dead and they have taken him
away There's no use worrying any more
about that And Tommy replied. '.No, it
won do us any good to worry" Then the big
policemen looked at each other and tears came
III the eyes OF some of them as they turned
away their heads.
Ii was about 8 o'clock on Monday morning
when the boss of gang of wheelers on pier Is,
hlchmond coal wharves. noticed that there
was no one stirring nor was there any sign OF
lite aboard the canal boat Wandering Boy lying
at the emf Of the pier. Walking down near
the cabin lie shouted: Hey there, aboard The
boain
Pretty soon dirty little face and frowseled
head appeared ut the cabin entrance and
answered Hello" That was Tommy Searles
is the captain aboard asked the boss of
the wheelmcn.
Yes he is down in the cabin. dead" was the
startling reply. given in matter-of-fact style
by the boy
'Just you 60 back ana stay there for few
minutes, said the man when he had recovered
his breath
street When he met Officer Tryon Of the
eleventh district and told him tina. there was
a uiaE dead down i'll the coal boat. WheE the
policeman went down into that cabin the sight
he saw almost unnerved him On the floor,
with his head under The stove was the dead
body Of Capt. Willoughby Searles. Little
Tommy was swinging his baby brother III Ii
hammock. which was strung across the cabin,
anu us sister Was cur!ed pp in bunk looking
at her dead father
Hes dead" said Tommy as Officer Tryon
stopped down and turned the body on the
h2Or. lie man vas cold. There was Il dent
IN h,s jaw where he had struck the stove The
ofAcer ild not stop tc question tbs children
then but hurried to patrol box AID sent in a
call tor the wagon. The lead cGptGiE and his
Ii0e SuIiureA were pidceu III .he wagon and
taken 10 the station house. The baby was
almost as cold US the lead man. 1t only had Il
ibin shirt and pettlcoat on and il seemed to be
almost UNCONSCIOUS. 1t was Immediately placed
III the care of the marion at the station house,
and after working with it for All hour she sue
ceeded IN reyivinS the cEid District Surgeon
Lamb then ordered the child sent to the PENN
Sy.yania Hospital.
D~d died yesterday Tommy said 1T was
about IL clock III the morning. lie had been
sick for few days with what you call the
grip
Had he been drinking?"
mo: not since Christmas. He was sitting on
bucket yesterday morning and fell oil. His
head hit the stove and made hole in his Jaw
l guess 1t broke his jaw. 1t looked as though
1t did He never spoke after he fell l took
hold OF him and shcok him, but | saw he WAS
going saw the last breath leave his body
hat was abont five minutes after lie fell Then
knew he was gone"
why didn't you tell some one yesterday
abou: your fathers death:'
How could Il" asked Tommy, his eyes
opening wider than ever. II couldn't get
OF, and besides, when | talked abou; gong
sister ami baby cried and l couldn't leave
them l did the best l could" he added,
with the air Of a man of mature age.
And did you look after your sister and
baby ever since your father dicd!''
'les, sir; and l didn't get much sleep
last night The baby was cross and had to be
up nursing HIM all night
And you weren't afraid?'
NO, SIR. There WASH 70 anything to be afraid
of