The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-02-04
RANSOM WAS READY.
Ward Waterbury's Father Went to a
Lonely Place With It,
BUT THE MEN WHO STOLE THE BOY
EVIDENTLY GOT FRIGHTENED.

appeared Ward Says They Made Him
Tramp for Miles Through Woods and
Fields-Then He Was Held Captive in
a House-Finally He Was Left in
Door Yard,
POUND RIDGE, N. Y, February B.
Eight-year-old Ward Waterbury, who
was kidnapped from the vicinity of the
school house near Long Ridge, Conn.,,
Monday afternoon, and for whom his
parents and the entire neighborhood
have been searching far and near ever
since, was taken home at 8 o'clock this
morning by John Close of Sandwich,
Conn. There were lights in Mr. Water
burys house when Mr.. Close drove up
with Ward in his buggy. Mrs. Water
bury had been unable to sleep, and was
keeping her nightly vigil until her boy
should be returned either dead or alive.
Mr.. Waterbury was at home, having but
just returned from his trip to Miller's
bridge, where he had been summoned by
letter signed River Boys" making
an appointment with him there He had
gone alone to the spot in accordance
with the demands of the letter writer's.
He carried his dark lantern with him, and
he was well
Prepared for Any Emergency.
He was at the appointed spot, Jim Mil
ler's bridge at Bedford, at precisely 12
o'clock last night. He had to drive ten
miles to get there. He paced up and
down alone swinging his dark lantern,
but no one came. After remaining there
until after 1.30 this morning he came to
| the conclusion that the kidnappers had
been frightened away and did not come.
| Then he drove homeward. Waterbury
reached his house at quarter of three
| o'clock this morning, and upon entering
the house without the child Mrs. Water
bury swooned away.
| About three o'clock the door bell rang
and John Close entered with the missing
boy, Ward sprang into his fathers arms
and then into his mothers. There was
avery affecting scene. The boy was
Rugged and kissed again and again.
| John Clovse lives at Sandwich, Conn.
|
a loud knocking at his front door. He
/ opened the door and saw a little boy
| standing outside.
ssWho are you,o he asked.
| II am Ward Waterbury, answered
| the boy, ''and want to go home''
Mr.. Close asked Ward to come in and
he did so. He then told Mr.. Close his
history. He said that at 4 o'clock on
Monday afternoon two men approached
him as he was playing near the school
house. He cannot describe the two men
very well, but said they were not very
! tall and were plainly dressed The two
men talked with him for while. = They
! Said He Was Fine Boy
and finally one of them asked him to
show them the way to a certain place.
Ward consented. When they reached
the place the two men declared that
Ward was really a remarkably fine boy
and promised him that if he would go a
little further with them they would treat
him very handsomely for mis- kindness.
They cajoled the boy into going with
them. Finally, when he got tired and
wanted to go home, they told him rough
| ly that he must go with them. They
| were some distance from the. school
house then, and Ward saw it was use.
| less for him to cry out because there was
no one to help him. The spot was a
lonely one. He begged the men to let
him 60, but they refused. They said
that they would not hurt him, but in
sisted that he should go with them. They
forced the boy along, walking for miles
across lots, through fields, along back
roads and through patches of woods, un-
til Ward was too weary to drag one foot.
after the other. 1t had long since be-
come dark, and objects about were not
distinguishable.
and he fell from exhaustion. Then one
of the men picked him up and carried
him. Ward fell asleep, and when he
awoke he was in a small house, which
was barely furnished. Ward was
| Assured by His Captors
that he would not be hurt. He said he
was hungry, and they gave him some
thing to eat. Then they put him to bed,
and after awhile he fell fast asleep.
When he woke up in the morning he
was unable to look out of the window.
The windows and doors were closed, and
he could not tell whether the house
stood in an open space, or in the woods:
j He asked the men to let him look out of
the window, but they refused. The men
told him he was being held, and that his
father would send some money to re-
lease him. Ward knew that his father
and mother would be worried, and urged
the men to let him go. All day Tuesday
they kept him in the house.
All day the men seemed to be watch
ing for some one. On Tuesday night
Wards captors walked him across more
fields and along more roads, all of which
were strange to him. After awhile he
got too tired to walk farther, and one of
the men took him on his back. The
men took turns in carrying him, and
pretty soon he was dropped in front of a
gate. 1t was Mr.. Closes house. The
man said to Ward: 'sYou go into the
yard and knock at the front door; | will
] wait here nev
Ward knocked at Mr.. Closes door, and
while he was doing so the man who had
carried him ran away.
A cousin of Mr.. Waterbury, shiftless
! fellow. is suspected of knowing some