The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-22
WANT THEIR
CHILD BACK
Simple Boy Lost to Parents
Ten Years.
HAVE WRITTEN IN VAIN
Attorney Writes to St. Louis
for information.
HAVE WRITTEN IN VAIN

Where is Simon wolfburg? Is he alive
or is he dead?
This is a question that has worried
Mrs. Lena Wolfburg. the mother Of the
Young man. and Joseph Wolfburg, his
father. for ten years. Ten years ago the
mother took the child. who was simple
70 an asylum in ST. Louis land she has
not heard Of him since except once, IN
directly. when she heard that he was
6eemed incurable and had been re-
moved to an insane asylum. That was
two years after he was first placed IN
a st. Louis institution, and since that
time not a word has been heard OF him.
The father has placed the matter IN the
hands Of A. Thomas Cherry. his attor-
nev. and yesterday the latter wrote 10
Patrick Desmond. chief Of the st. Louis
detective force, for information concern
ing the child
Mr.. Wolfburg is a Russian Jew and IS
the proprietor of a small clothing store
a 5l5 East Douglas avenue. He re-
sides at rs North Washington avenue.
He has been in this country for fifteen
years. and most Of that time has lived
IN Wichita.
A reporter for the Eagle called at the
home of Mr. Wolfburg last evening and
was met at the door by Mrs. Wolfburg
who cannot speak the English language
very fuenuy. When asked about the
loss of her boy she said:
Ten years ago this month 1 took my
child from Wichita to St. Louis for
treatment. and placed him in care Of Dr.
Epstein a Reformed Jewish Rabbi. The
child was then eight years old and since
babyhood had been simple The dis
pensary in which I placed the child was
q city institution. as 1 remember There
was some objection to taking the child.
as we lived in Kansas, but I told the
St Louis people that I had tried to get
the boy into the asylum at Winfield.
Or Epstein promised to let me know
how the boy got along, but I have not
heard 4 word from him.
about two years after I took the boy
TO st. Louis a farmer living at Conway
Springs saw In st. Louis paper that
Simon Wolfburg was incurable and had
been taken to a crazy asylum"
Have you written TO St. Louis in
Quiring for your boy?" was asked.
II have written four or five times
How long after you took the boy
there was it before you wrote?"
About a year"
Mrs. Wolfburg does not have very
clear idea of the dispensary TO which
she took her supplemented child. There
seems TO have been also some misun-
Outstanding about the name of the rabbi
in whose care the child was placed. The
father said the name was Arbstein or
Arpstein, and these two names were sent
70 the chief of detectives of St Louis
BY Mr. Cherry Mrs. Wolfburg. how
ever, who took the child 10 St. Louis,
said that the name was Epstein. The
spelling Of this latter name was given
to an Eagle reporter by a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Wolfburg. who speaks
English fuenuy.
Mr. Wolfburg told substantially the
same story of the loss Of his child as did
his wife When asked the nature of his
child's afflicton he said:
Since he was two years old he was
not right. He was unable to speak and
acted like mere animal"
Mrs. Wolfburg would like very much to
20 20 St Louis to search for the long
lest boy. but she stated TO an Eagle re-
porter that the journey would be too
expensive.
Mrs. Wolfburg has not a very clear
Idea of what connection Rabbi Epstein
ha6- with the dispensary to which she
took the boy, but she states that she
placed the boy in his keeping and that he
promised to keep her informed Of his
progress. 1t is highly probable that IN
her ignorance Of American customs and
the English ansuage Mrs. Wolfburg did
not know how TO Keep track of the child
and instructed her letters TO the ST
Louis Rabbi, However that may be.
she mas mothers love for her boy ami
desires 40 know whore he is even though
h may not be of sound mind.
UPBOI DS JIlDcE WAL