Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-26
DENIES THE STORY
B. M. Eastburn Says Lyman Beros'
Parents Knew Where He Was.
SAYSSEARCHDID HAvETOBE MADE
Mr.. Eastburn Offers a Reward of $25
for the Return of the Boy, or $25 for
Conviction of the Parties Who Took
Him Away.

Him Away.
A few days ago the Courier publish
ed an article concerning the return of
boy to his parents in New York City,
in which case of strategy was re-
sorted to in order to get possession of
the child. The boys name was Hyman
Beros, and he was given home by
Mr.. and Mrs. B. M. Eastburn, six miles
southwest of Ottumwa. The Couriers
informant when the article concerning
the return of the child to New York
was printed, stated that the latter's
parents were in ignorance for several
months as to where the boy was, and
that his location was ascertained only
after systematic and costly search.
Mr.. Eastburn called at the Courier
Office this morning and stated that the
report of the matter as published at
the time the boy was returned was In
a great degree erroneous. 1t was, as
he expressed it, only one side of a
story in which there is much detail,
and the affair as related by Mrs. Beros
and her attorney was not in justice to
Mr.. and Mrs. Eastburn.
The facts in the case, as related by
Mr.. Eastburn, are as follows: Hyram
Beros was arrested in New York City
about three years ago on a minor
charge, for which he served one year
and eight months in a Juvenile asylum
in that city. He was, Is years, old at
the expiration of his sentence, at
which time he was brought west by
the New York Juvenile Asylum and
given home with Mr.. and Mrs. East
burn, who agreed to keep him until he
was 10 years old.
Mr.. Eastburn says the statement that
the boys parents did not know of his
Whereabouts is all false, as they COM
municated with him frequently after
he went to Mr. Eastburn's to live Mr.
Eastburn says he has letters in his
possession from the parents of the
child as suhstantiaton of this fact
In some of the letters the parents
wrote to the son to try to persuade
Mr.. and Mrs. Eastburn to give him up,
which the boy refused to do, as he was
perfectly satisfied and, in fact, glad
that he had come west The parents
also told the boy that they were work
ing to try to get him away from here.
Late in the evening of July 2 styl-
ishly attired woman, accompanied by
Attorney B. w. Scott, drove up to the
Eastburn home, and the woman, who
claimed to be the mother of the boy,
requested Mr.. Eastburn to release him
then and there. Mr.. Eastburn replied
that he would not let the boy go as
long as there was any law to hold him.
He had become as much attached to
Hyram, as he was known at the East
burn home, as any of his own children.
Mr.. Eastburn asked Hyram if he want
ed to go. The boy replied that he did
not know. Attorney Scott then told
Mr.. Eastburn that the boys sister was
in Ottumwa very sick and that she
wanted to see her brother that night,
but was not able to come out to the
farm. MI. Eastburn said he consented
to the boy going to Ottumwa on the
conditions that he would remain there
until the following day, when he, Mt.
Eastburn, would go to Ottumwa and
ascertain the true legal status of the
matter, and if the mother was found to
be entitled to the boy, Mr.. Eastburn,
as fair-minded man, said he would
have consented to the return of Hy-
ram, as much as he disliked to give
him up.
The boy came to Ottumwa that even
ing, and that is the last Mr.. Eastburn
has ever seen or heard of him. Mr..
Eastburn was in Ottumwa before 8
o'clock the following morning, but
when he got here, the mother, boy and
alleged sick sister had gone. Mrs.
Beros told Mr.. Eastburn that they
were stopping at the home of Jonas
Sax, on East Main street, and when
Mr.. Eastburn called there, he was in
formed that the mother and child had
gone. He also learned that the story
concerning the sick sister was clever
ruse devised in the brain of some one
to get the boy out of Mr.. Eastburn' S
possession that evening, and without
any more delay or trouble than was
necessary. Mr.. Eastburn saw the
boys clothing and shoes at Jonas
Sax's store, where he presumed the
boy had been attired in different cloth
ing in order to disguise him as much
as possible. Mr.. Sax told Mr.. East
burn that he knew nothing about the
boy and his mother whatever, except
that they stopped at his house and left
there the night of July 2.
Mr.. Eastburn said the boy was a
Christian, and when the fact was men
toned to him that perhaps his parents
wanted to take him home and put him
in Jewish school, he said they could
not do that; that the Christian relig-
ion was the religion of his choice and
that they could not make him give that
up. The boys mother had often writ
ten to him concerning his religion, ar
ter she learned that he had been con-
verified to the Christian faith. Mr..
Eastburn says he has letter from the
mother, in which she tells her son
that he must remember that he is a
Jew and that he cannot be anything
but Jew.
Mr.. Eastburn is DESTROYS of ascer-
tanning If there is any manner of re-
gaining possession of the boy, and has
offered $25 for the return of the boy,
or $25 for the conviction of the party
or parties who took him away.
Where to Keep Cool.
The coolest place in the country
during July and August is CHAR