The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-11
BOY KEPT IN AN AIRSHAFT.
A PRISONER FOR A YEAR IN DEN
FIVE FEET NOUARE.

Rain Drenched Him and the SUMS Rays
Didn't Reach Him-Mother Fed Him
by Throwing Crusts to Him Through
Her Window-Seen ny Fire Captain.
Cant. Ross Of Engine Company No. II re-
ported last Friday to the police OF the West
Twentieth street station that from his window
In the engine house at 800 West Twenty-hfth
street he had for some time heen observing
child who was kept a prisoner at the bottom
OF narrow airshatt In the rear OF 35I
West Twenty-nfth street. apparently by its
mother. The case was az once Investigated
by Detectives Schum and Perkins OF the West
Twentieth street station and Agent FoGertr
OF the Cnildrens Society. Several times on
Saturday and Sunday they climbed to the roof
OF the engine house. from which they had
good view into the shaft. and Yesterday morn
ing they removed the child. a 4-year-old boy.
and made four arrests.
The chd's mother was found with three
other women, all half-drunk and scantily
dressed. in two small dingy rooms in the base
ment Of the rear pnrt OF 357 West Twenty
NTH street. The mother is a CHILEAN half
breed named Maria Garcia. and her face shows
unmistakable traces Of her Indian origin She
told the police that she was married to a Span
sh sailor whose ship pled.between this city
and South American ports. and that he was the
boys father. Asked whv she kept the child In
such place as tho airshaft. she only shrugged
her shoulders NJ first.
He is my own she added after while,
and thought l could do what wanted with
The police know something about the wo-
man. although they were not aware Of the OK
istepce Of her child before. and they say that
the boy has been in the woman 3 way and that
she wanted freedom to live the Kind Of life best
suited to, her tastes.
on the airshatt, which is only five feet square.
IN tho shaft the boy was found. covered with
shirt. and sIuntting in corner more Ike
young animal than human being. blanket
vd.d for hm The ws 'S hat he hS
G 6@ es only u n d serbShpE ,d
Gated the nature of the food furnished to him
, The, dirt could not hide thu, fac, that the boy
with .he fine black eyes Of hi. race Ills
body was less emacated than miGht'havc been
eNneSses Under hS circumstnnres nGt MS
Cunge than Spanish. hut .hs police we're not
was impossible to get anything hut the word
mamma" out Of him. lie scratched biz and
prison. hut he screamed with fear whom he
reached The street nnd.rauEht sight OF some
I'M shTs hnt he nh.emen TsceiYed tie
boy had seen another child,
:, The other tenants of the house told the no
lice that the Garcia W oman had lived there 'or
q year and that in that time no one had seen
the child outside her doors. Cant Ross said
that for the laat two months he had noticed the
child left entirely lone All the time. He had
never seen any other food than drv bread
given to the boy. and that was thrown out from
the window 10y the mother ms If she had oeen
feeling an animal in a cage" Sometimes,
whan some noise had scared the roor boy the
'artain had seen him Iump. monkev-like. TO
the window sill and crouch close to the glass
hut had never seen hin, admitted to the room.
IN" thntain was not sure whether the boy had
been kept in the airshaft at night or not. hut
believed that h" had been on some occasions
a. least. The Captain was certain that the hoy
had remained In his prison when the rain
poured down, although there was nothing to
protect him. Not raw Of sunlight reached
him n the bottom Of the shaft.
The boy, whose name is John. was first taken
to thu" Childr.ns Society 70 be hathei and
clothed. His mother and her thrcc friends.
Nate Quinn. Clara McShhnc and Bella O'Brien,
were c'nrellei TO- dress ana follow to the no
lice station. All four were arraignsd in JET
ferson Market Court Yesterday afternoon.
when the boy was taken there The mother
and well dressed. The hoy on his side
shovel aS much affection for her as II she had
been the host Of mothers.
Magistrate 0lmstsd put the four women
under $500 bond each for good hshnvior dur
ing three months. The boy was handed over
to the Children's Society