The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-23
PEARL FREEMAN GONE
Strange Disappearance of an
Augusta Boy.
LEFT HOME JUNE 20
Eloquent and Pathetic Story
of the Father.

ct want to give you the description CT
Augusta, yesterday as DO walked up to
the desk of Charles Davis IA the police
station
George Pearl Freeman Is % years old,
a son of W. ]. Freeman. who lives on a
farm two miles east OF Augusta He left
| home June 20 for Hennessey, and has new
er beeen heard of since He was born a
cripple and had lived at home always IN
til he was past twenty. after which he
worked about the country In one way and
another to support himself and father.
The week prior 70 his disappearance he
had been at work near Douglass, Kan
sas. He came home to Augusta and stay
ed a few days, helping his father and
neig hbors at odd work on the farms. On
the night of June 18th he said he believed
| he would go to Hennessey TO visit some
acquain tanoes,
| He bought his ticket at Augusta and
took the early morning Frisco train for
| Wichita That's all Mr.. Freeman knows
of his son From that time on he has had
! no word of him, except an occasional ru-
NOR or the oon1ecturs of an anxious
! friend. Letters were written, kilograms
sent, trips made, inquiry started, at first
with simply a surprise at the unusual &C
tons Of the boy, then with anxiety which
grew 10 suspicion, from suspicion to
dread, and from dread to grief.
The corridors Of the city hall have never
echoed more pathetic story than that OF
Mr.. Freeman as he stood at the desk of
| Night Clerk Davis yesterday and told OF
the disappearance Of his son.
Mr.. Freeman is farmer. He came into
the police station with hts coat on his arm,
his shoes worn with the long, hot trod OF
a summers toll, his hands rought from
graphing with the plow and the hay fork.
His name is George Pearl Freeman,
he said 1--WE always called him Pearl.
You'll know him if you see him He has
such a pleasant way and eyes that you'll
like the minute he looks at you"
Did he have any cause for leaving?''
Mr. Davis inquired.
Not a thing in Gods world. Not a
thing that 1 know of I am a. poor man,
but we've always been happy, thought
Pearl was not much of a hand to talk
and he might have been thinking of some
thing that he didn't tell me. But he
seemed to be contented. He never COM
plains about anything. 1 think there Is
something wrong, sir. There must be"
Did he drink
(N~ver Not that know Of. He was
never taught that way, but you know we
never can tell what we raise our boys VI
for. He may have learned to since he left
home. There must be something wrong.
There's only threeof us at home
PEARLS mother died twelve years ago and
the only enjoyment of my life has been in
the society of my two children. Nellie
was only four months old, but tell You
the way Pearl took care of her when
was out at work was wonderful. Better
than 1 could have done
Now he is gone. Left home without q
word. There must be something wrong
A tremor crept into Mr.. Freeman's voice
He turned away, and with his great rough
hands he tried to knock the tear off his
cheek. The night clerk and the newspa'
per man looked out of the windows.
Doesn't he write to anybody" finally
said Mr.. Davis.
Not word. Why, you know that's
what beats me, and what makes me think
there is something awfully wrong. i
he'd Just write. If 1 could just know thai
he's all right. For ten years he has writ
ten every other week to his sister in Hi
nois. She hasn't had line since the 20tt
of June.
I'm not rich, sir, but if you can f1nc
him it will be the richest days WORK
you've done for long time. fought five
years with the good boys from 81, ant
I'm not as able to work as I'd like to be
I'm a poor man, but I'd give everything
I've got in this world just to know where
that boy is tonight"
Picking up his coat he brushed the tear!
away again and left the hall.
Despair had driven him to the police sta
ton Through all the months of waitin;
he hoped for the best but rumor and tht
grief Of a lothsome suspicion sent him t
look over the records of the police station
for a possible clue TO the Whereabouts o
the boy whom he loved as mis- own life, 70
whom he had given the best of his effor
for years.
Pearl Freeman is about feet 10 inches
high. dark brown eyes. weight lS5 pounds
He left home for Hennessey, but Wa
thought to have beeen in Wichita jun