The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-02
ETHEL BATES TALE.
How She Came to Be Wandering
About In Boston.
Brought to This City and Unceremonlously
Left In a Yard.

Ethel Bates, who was founo ny tbe
Boston police Monday evening without
friends to look after her aud who said
che was but eight years old and that her
residence was at 30 Orms street In this
city. has been identified. The identified
tion did not take place in an orthodox
manner, for Ethel was founo by second
station police officer I'm a yard at go
Orms street yesterday afternoon.
The Boston police who had charge OF
the case must have been suffering from
pink eye or some serious affiictioD that
interfered with their clearness OF vision
for Ethel is at least Is years OF age, as
anyone with clear eyesight could easily
perceive. Yet q telephone message was
received at police headquarters I'm this
city late Monday night giving her age as
eight years and of course the authorities
here had no way OF knowing that the
Boston police authorizes combine what
is known as the "jollying" act with
business. Still in justice to sthe Hub
force 1t must be- said that Ethel told
them, as she did the matron at Overseer
of the Poor Cummings' headquarters,
that she was only eight years; the
matrop, however, used her eyes, and SO
did the Second station officers who in
vestigated the case.
There is no house numbered 80 on
Orms street, and there is no woman
named Bates living on that street, and
notice OF these facts were sent to the Bos-
ton police, but that did not prevent
then from sending an officer with the
girl to this city. .She and her compan-
ion took a Smiths hill car, ard when
one she resided at the officer got of the
car and pushed her into the yard. Near
where the two got off the car there was q
switch that the cars meet on, and for
tunately one was just coming along, so
the Boston "cop" got on board 1t and
went down town ana then to the rail-
road station, and in a short time was
again in tho Athens of America.
But the story of Ethel is an interesting
IL sad one. She is at times out OF her
mind, and though harmless. 1t would be
best for herself IL she wps confined in
some institution. The unfortunate girl
has, according to the story she tails in her
rational moments, never been to school
one day in her life, and she had for
some time done housework for q woman
who lives In the rear Of Orms street on q
court that tho boys call Scat" alley.
Her mother has been engaged In bust
ness, 1t is stated, that her little love for
her child deemed 1t best the latter should
be kept some distance from.
For some time the girls mother has
been thinking OF placing her In some IN
stitution and when the woman for whom
Ethel worked got tired of her on Sunday
last, Mrs. Bates decided to go to Boston
with Ethel. She left the latter in one OF
the railroad stations In that city and
Ethel says put note addressed to one Of
the charitable institutions in Boston in
her hand, telling her TO let no one take
1t away from her. Then Mrs. Bates left
the station, and while waiting for her to
return Ethel got hungry and tired and
che claims some one cams and took the
letter from her and tore 1t up, and some
time later policeman came along, and
took her to police station.
She was yesterday bro ue hit to this city
In the manner described. This way of
dealing with unfortunates is not novel
one for 1t is older than the fnjunctions
that the Bryan Democracy decry. 1t sa-
vors nevertheless of brutality and seems
out OF keeping with the charitable spirit
OF the century.
The unfortunate one will be taken care
of by the society for the prevention Of
cruelty to children, and everything will be
done for her that is possible.