The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-28
Fourteen-Year Old Boyd Ward
Found Safe and Sound In the
Shoe City At the Home of His
Mother
ABDUCTION STORY
PROVES A MYTH
Investigation BY Chief Stone Re-
suits In Clearing Up Of What
For a Short Time Appeared to
Be a Sensational CaSe-The
Boy Now Happy

Chief Of Police William J., E. Stone
has located 14-year-old Boyd Ward
with his mother, Mrs. Leland Ward
in Brockton and the kidnapping theory
advanced by the boys father is knock
ed out
The Ward boys father reported his
sons loss at Station 1 Thursday morn
ing and claimed his son had been alb
Quoted. When questioned by the chief
he told Chief Stone the boys mother
was dead and it was not until yester-
day after an investigation by Chief
Stone that the fact developed there
had been a family quarrel between
Ward and his wife who lives in Brock
ton. Ward left his wife over eight
mo- tago and took the boy away
with aim. Mrs. Ward was nearly dis
tracted over the child's disappearance
and Christmas Day was agreeably
surprised to receive a letter from her
SON.
Mrs. Wards daughter came to Wor-
cester with a friend and called at his
fathers boardingplace, Ga Orange
Street. The lad was only too glad to
return to his mother and left without
saying anything to those in the house.
sons disappearance Chief Stone, know
ing well through his long years of ex-
| pertence that children usually disap-
pear as result of family Quarrels
questioned Ward vigorously about his
wife but Ward stoutly denied his wife
was alive.
Chief Stone learned on investigation
that last April Mrs. Wards husband
left Brockton and took with him their
1A-UpaT-Ol1
to her concerning the whereabouts of
either of them as the weeks passed
by. The mother was nearly districted
with anxiety, as the boy was her pride
and joy, and, although her family con-
sisted of four daughters, also, her
grief was inconsolable.
She is a member of the Central
Methodist Episcopal Church. The pas
tor.-S2ev. Julian S. Wadsworth, endea-
vored to quiet her fears, and assure
her that her boy would some day be
returned to her, or come back of his
| own accord, since more than the usual
affection existed between them.
When Christmas eve came and no
tidings had been heard from the boy.
Mrs. Ward was nearly frantic with
despair. In her misery she threw her
self upon her knees and prayed as she
had never prayed before that she
might at least hear in some way from
| her boy
| She finally fell asleep, comforted by
! her prayer, a sense of relief coming to
| her. and a belief that the time would
not be long before she would know
the fate of the boy, although she
dared not hope that she would see
him.
The next morning the mail carrier
handed her a letter in familiar hand
writing, and, quickly tearing open the
envelope, she found a message from her
boy, 1t gave her the information that
he was in this city, so he had learned,
and was homesick to see his mother
and SISTERS that he did not like living
in a boarding house and wished he
could get back home.
An older sister of the boy determined
to come here, find her brother, and
bring him back If a Woman's tact and
determination could bring it about
Early the next morning she started and
succeeded in finding the boy at Ga
Orange Street
There We're two hours to wait before
the next train for Boston, and in the
meantime the young lady was in terror
lest her father should return to the
house. find the boy missing and get him
back again. The reunion between
mother and child was a. glad one.