The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-03
BESSIE is AT HOME
MISSING CHILD is RESTORED TO
HER PARENTS.

She Fell in Good Hands and was Cared for
by Mr. and Mrs. Russell of Park Town
ship Until They Dissolved Who the Child
Was-Stung by an Imaginary Feeling
That She had Brought Disgrace to the
Family She Sought to Escape the Sight
of the Child Tells Her
Strange Story.
AT the home of ]. V Quintin there is
Joy. A joy that can not be described
by either tongue or pen,- and yet withal
there is a sadness and those who have
been buoyed by the excitement are now
| feeling a relapse and yet there is joy
| in their weakness.
Bessie was returned TO her parents
yesterday morning by W. H. Russell OF
West Park township who lives ten miles
northwest of the city. Mr.. Russell was
met near the Thirteenth street bridge
by Messrs Price and Admire, who had
| strated out on the hunt Of the child,
| and so excited were they that they did
not stop TO thank the man who had
| done so much for them, but grabbing
the child out Of the buggy ran to the
| father who had been engaged with his
sons in searching the river
The joy Of the father on again behold
| ing his darling alive and well was touch
| ing in the extreme, and he was so ex-
| cited that he forgot TO thank Mr.. Rus
sell, but rushed to his home. In speak
| ing last night of Mr.. and Mrs. Russell
and their kindeness to Bessie, he said:
"Oh, how my heart goes out with thank
| fullness to the man who has done so
| much for US, and as soon as I am able
| l will take my wife and child and go to
his house and try to pour out my thanks
! to him.
Bessie was brought home and was still
! under the cloud that she was not be re-
| ceived kindly by her poor mother. She
| had formed an idea that she had done
some terrible crime which had brough,
such disagree upon the household that
| she could never be forgiven, bur when
| she was folded in her mothers arms a
| strange calm came over her. She could
not call the terrible dream to mind and
was soon seized with a nervous chill.
! Then the tears came, blessed tears
which were relief to the broken heart
and she soon feel into a quiet sleep,
| from which she soon awoke in astonish-
ment that she was again at home. II
| seemed like a cruel dream TO her, and
she was kept quiet throughout the day
| and in the evening sent word TO an
Eagle reporter that If ne would come
! to the house she would try and tell
| him all about her bitter experience. Her
| story is as follows:
Il was sent by Miss Miller TO Miss
| Stuckey's room, where I tried to ex-
plain to her my absence in the morn
! ing. The principal asked me for my
excuse. l told her what mamma and
papa had said, and If she would excuse
me for a few minutes 1 would go home
and get a written excuse She said
that had broken the rules Of the school
and she wouldesuspend me. She forced
me to go into the room before the Sth
grade where she told all the scholars L
was truant and was expelled from
school. She then took me into the bell
room and gave another lecture, pictur-
ing to me that / had committed the
greatest crime possible, disgracing not
only myself, my parents and brothers,
but also my classmates. She told me
to go in my room and get my books All
at once everything turned dark and I
begged her to let me wait until the bell
rang as / could not possibly face the
school. She took hold of me and fore
ed me across the hall. Just then my
brother appeared and said that mamma
wanted me. 1 told him 1 would come.
She took me into the room and told the
scholars i was a truant and that she
had suspended me. By this time 1 was
so sick that I cannot remember what
really did happen. I felt that was a
criminal and that mamma and papa
would despise me for disgracing them.
wanted to get away. l wanted to die.
/ could not kill myself, but l wished
something would run over me-
Il went to the Episcopal church. I
next went to where the Electric road
crosses the river. 1 could not cross
headed. Sometimes I would cry and
at other times ii seemed as though my
heart would break l went up TO the
on the bridge as I was so sick and dizzy
Oak street bridge and there l saw
milk man that / knew, but L hid my
face. After crossed the bridge 1 saw
Mr.. Stanley's little girl on her wheel,
and 1 was so glad she did not know me-,
II then crawled through a wire fence
and went up along the river and finally
came out at the bridge. On the bridge
1 met several people and among them
were some Gypsies. / was not afraid
Of them l never felt any fear at al.
only wanted 10 get away some place
where would not disgrace mamma and
papa. l was going along the road when
a wagon came along and l got in and
rode. l guess the man thought he had
a bad girl in his wagon, for he let ne
out to get a drink and ran of and left
me-
II was going along the road when Mr..
Russell came along and spoke so kind
4 ell, 7