The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-24
POMONA KIDS
Remarkable Conduct of
Two Freaks
THEY FOOL THE POLICE BADLY
ESCAPE WHEN THEY
ARE CHAINED UP
THEY FOOL THE POLICE BADLY
Ernest and Willie Hunter, Aged Five
and Seven Years, Prove Their
Unusual Instincts

The members of the police department
and police detectives were puzzling their
heads yesterday afternoon over re-
/ ported abduction of two little children
from Pomona. During the afternoon
| Officer Cicotte had found two boys aged
7 and years respectively wandering
about the streets. They seemed little
bewildered and he inquired what was
the matter They answered that they
wanted to find their way home.
I'VE live in Pomona" the elder boy
said land we want to go home"
On further questioning the boys gave
their names as Ernest and Willie Hun
ter They said that they had been play
ing around home in the morning and that
man had come along and asked them
TO go with him for little ride. They
got on the train and had a nice trip, but
when they got to Los Angeles he left
them by themselves to find their way
home as best they could.
The officer thought this was rather a
strange occurrence and concluded to lay
the matter before the captain of police.
He told the boys TO accompany him and
led them up to Captain Roberts office
The story was repeated and the boys
Questioned very closely as to who the
man was who had carried them away.
The 7-year-old boy, who did the talking,
said that he knew the man who had
brought them to this city and that he
lived at Pomona. He was asked if he
could describe the party, and gave such
a clear description that the captain
thought there would be no difficulty in
locating the abductor. Tine and again
he cross-question the lads on the
things which they had told him, but they
stuck TO their original story and an
swered every question so readily that it
seemed there could be 70 doubt but that
they were telling the truth.
The boys almost cried when they
talked of home, they were so anxious to
get back.
1t was finally decided to turn them
over to the matron until word could be
received from their parents at Pomona
A telephone message was promptly sent
to Marshal A. d. Caldwell at that place,
and the answer which came back was
SOANS VI d SURPRISE. II WAS 10 lile
effect that the boys had not been taken
away from home al all but had evidently
run away from the orphans home in
this city, where their mother placed
them on Thursday.
a few hours later Marshal Caldwell
arrived at the police station in person.
He told a strange story about the lads,
which certainly proves that they are
precocious youths and possess INSTINCTS
which are truly remarkable. There was
no truth whatever in the story which
they had concocted and with such APP
parent innocence had poured into the
sympathizing ears of Captain Roberts
and officer Cicotte. l was nothing more
than little trick which they had worked
to get sent back home to Pomona, hav-
ing formed very decided dislike to the
orphans home during the one night
which they had passed there.
Marshal Caldwell said that the boys
had record for running away from
home and doing sharp things without
getting caught that seems almost in
credible. Their mother is widow and
gave her so much trouble that she finally
decided to place them in an orphans
home where they would receive closer
care than she was able to give them
About a month ago the boys took tn
train to Pomona and started to see their