The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-23
ADVENTURE AT IS.
The Experiences of
Charles Percy
Messenger.
ON THE WAY TO MANILA.
Began His Career in Wor-
cester Recruiting
Office.

South birmingham, Oct. 22.-Charles
Percy Messenger, the adventurous
Sherborn youth, who is not yet IS and
who has nearly broken the hearts OF
his parents and astonished half of the
people of the United States who have
read of his experiences for the past
five weeks, is indeed strange boy,
but after taking everything into con-
sheraton his fondness for running
away seems to be inherited, as relatives
of his have tried the same trick.
Charles Percy Messenger was born in
Chelsea June l, 1884, and he is the eld-
est of two children which have been
born to Mr.. and Mrs. w. II. Messenger.
Since mis- birth his parents have noted
nothing in him that would indicate
mat he was to figure in such roman
tic adventure at such a tender age.
He went TO school regularly in the
cities and towns in which his parents
nave resided, coming to Sherborn about
Two years ago, although he was in the
habit of passing his summers with his
mother in that pleasant country town,
on visits to his relatives, ever since he
was an infant.
He got along we'll in his studies, and
was particularly we'll up in history and
geography. In arithmetic he was a
little backward, but nothing to trouble
him much.
His parents lived in Boston and vo-
entity for some time, and for a num-
per Of years his father was in the Mas
Sachusetts volunteer militia, serving in
60. H, Fifth regiment, under Capt.
Fred Mcdonald, now in command Of
N company, Twenty sixth regiment, u.
s. v.
Mr.. Messenger last year volunteered
with the rest of his company when the
war broke out, and he was mustered in
TO the United States service, although
the Fifth did not get to the front
While the Fifth was in camp here
awaiting orders to be sent to the firing
line, young Messenger was q,
FREQUENT VISITOR TO CAMP,
coming over from sherborn aooompani-
ed by his mother and young sister, to
see his father In that way he became
acquainted with many of the men of
the Fifth, and Capt Mcdonald took
Quite a liking to the boy.
When his father went away south,
young Messenger got an air rife and
an infantry manual, and in a few
weeks he was well up in technique of
military phrases and terms. His interest
in military matters did not at all a.bate
during the winter, he passing much of
his spare time in perfecting himself in
the manual. His mother says that he
was well up in the tactics and was for
his age anauthority on the infantry drill.
On one occasion he brought his father
to task when the latter made mis-
take.
When the president called for addi-
tional volunteers for the Philippine
ty closely to the war news, and while
the Twenty regiment was being
raised. he evinced more than an ordi-
nary desire to be brought into contact
with the men, and more especially when
he learned of Capt. McDonald's APP
pointment to the regiment.
Five weeks ago yesterday Charlie
rnysteriously disappeared, and not I'M
til yesterday have his parents learned
anything definite about him or his
whereabouts, when his mother received
a letter from him, dated Honolulu, Oct.
/.
few days before his disappearance
the Twenty sixth regiment was in Bos-
ton, and although he did not go to Bos
ton to see the organization parade
there. still he
KEPT A PRETTY CLOSE WATCH
on it's movements, with the ultimate
result that when the Twenty sixth left
the Preside to embark on the trans
ports, Charlie was to all intents and
purposes a member of the organiza-
ton.
On the day of his disappearance,
Charlie never gave the least intination
to his mother that he was about to-
take such step as attempting to go
to the Philippines with the Twenty
sixth. When he did not show up at
night, Mrs. Messenger could not con-
ceive what had become of her boy.
She inquired in the neighborhood for
him, but nobody had seen anything of
him that day, only one of his school
mates, who said that Charlie had told
him that he was going to the Philip
pines with the Twenty sixth regiment,
being able to furnish the slightest clue
as to his whereabouts.
The next day Mrs. Messenger came
here to see if she could find any traces
of her missing boy She heard in a
roundabout way that he had gone to
Worcester to enlist but could hardly
believe it. She went to that city and
learned that a boy answering the de-
scription of her son had gone to the re-
cruiting Office in Worcester, which was
in charge of Lieut.. M. e. Morris, who
was on special recruiting duty there
for the Forty-third regiment, and rep
resenting himself as being private in
the Twenty-siXth, and having become
a straggier while the regiment was in
Boston. asked for transportation to San
Francisco, where he could rejoin the
regiment.
He said that his name was Chester
Merritt, that he was an orphan, his
father being killed in the charge up San
man hill, and his mother having died
a few weeks before he enlisted He
said that he belonged around Platts-
burg n. Y, and that he was without
a friend in the world.
WORE BLUE JEANS.
He wore a suit of blue jeans and an
army campaign hat, belonging to his
father.
Lieut.. Morris took compassion on the
vo,Ing fellow and tagged him to San
Francisco. he reaching that city safely,
as after events show
The parents of the boy have we'll
nigh become distracted over the mys-
terious disappearance Of their only
son. and thew cannot account for his
strange actions other than by laying it
to an adventurous spirit that mani
fested itself in the family.
Charlie has a cousin now in the Phil
inpines. who did about the same thing
as his Sherborp cousin. Away back the
Messengers, who are a Newburyport
family. have shown like propensities
bv running away from home, and usual
ly coming home well tanned and heart
iIy SICK OF their adventures.
Mrs Messenger Is a polished little
woman, who, when CORES
rondent called on her to talk about her
son and his strange adventures, was
inclined to give nothing out for publ
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