The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-11
READY TO RETURN
BOY WHO LEFT HOME IN TaE STRIP
Is FOUND BY POLICE.
Bright Little Fellow Tells Sad story-Hts
Father is q Victim OF Inebrity Which
Causes Him to be Unreasonably Harsh
to His Family-This Causes the Boy to
Leave Home, Intending to go to ReIa-
tives In Marion-His Love for His Moth
~r and Brother is Too Strong and He
Will Return

Howard Ross of Ponca City, o. T., was
found by police last evening and taken
to the station. He is only boy and he
left home of his own accord last Tuesday
and came north. When seen last night
by an Eagle reporter he was trying TO
Rllay his hunger. Night Clerk Beck
with had sent out and gotten some sup
per for him, but the boy, hungry as he
was, was almost unable to swallow it.
He had never been inside a jail before
and he felt it very keenly. He was not
put in among the other prisoners, as is
often done by unthinking officers, but
was placed by himself. He is by no
means bad boy and his story is indeed
pitiful
When questioned as TO why he left
home he hesitated some little time be-
Tore answering right out. He said that
ne had just taken notion TO leave, as
others do often. He told his name with
put any hesitation and stated that his ia
.her bad a claim two miles from Ponca
City on the Arkansas river, and that il
was fine piece of land and yielded suffl-
,ient crops to furnish them good liv-
ing. His brother and mother were still
On the farm. He was further pressed to
tell why he had left home, and although
hesitati to tell for some time he made
an effort to appear calm and told his
story which was indeed sad one. His
father is a fairly prosperous farmer, but
lnebriety has made him stern and unre-
lenting in his rule. If he came home and
found any detail of the work undone.
a thrashing was the consequence and
either he or his brother was the recipient
and at times it was not confined to them
alone.
This state Of affairs he could not en-
dure and decided to escape punishment
for a time at least. When asked where
he intended going he did not at first ans
wer He said that his father had moved
upon the claim he now occupied from
Arkansas City when the strip first open
ed He was asked if he had any rela-
tives living anywhere near this city and
he said:
Yes, have two aunts living in Mari
on and / intended to go to them of I
could get there
Are they your mothers people?"
'No, they are my fathers sisters
Have you written to them lately"
'No."
Would you like to write?''
Eyes, 1 would like to-
The reporter got him some stamps and
writing material and he was very thank
lu- AOl lllcui
Where would you go now if you were
out?'
Il would go back home. decided to
do that soon after getting this far
Would You not rather go on up to
your aunts?"
II would like to go up there, but my
mother and brother are down home, and
I would rather go back to them. They're
all ] care for" and he burst into tears.
He tried hard to control his feelings but
II was with considerable effort that he
did So He did not seem to feel any re-
gret whatever about leaving, only that
his mother and brother were left behind.
Chief Burt wrote TO the boys father
last night and he viii probably be sent
back In a day or two. The boy is by no
means a bad boy. and felt very sadly
about his situation, not because Of being
in jail, but because of his other circum-
stances. He viii be we'll taken care Of
until his people are heard from, and it is
hoped that his life viii be brighter in the
future than it appears to have been in
the past