Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-06-02
"A Communication.
Lakeland Kansas, May, 20, 1901


County News
Someone to me unknown, under stamped
wrapper, sent me copy of your last issue,
May 40, containing the account of the esca-
pade of Frank Iodgson, the boy placed with
US by E l. Stratton eighteen months ago.
Without waiting TO criticise the article will
proceed to give you few'plain facts.
Frank was with US eighteen months; arriv-
ed on Thursday in November 1902 and start
ed to school the following Monday to Miss
Maude Bayless and attended regularly for
about FIVE months, or until close of term.
Next term attended with few days loss seven
months, making in ell twelve months out of
eighteen with US in school. The rest of the
time he was employed, as all boys of his age,
at play and such little things as he could and
would do; attended Sabbath school regularly
when there was any and also Church services.
never corrected him but once by whipping
while with US and that was for stealing. He
stole several pair of goggles from the thresh
ing crew and number of packages of smok-
ing tobacco. The goggles were found in
box of his play things; some of the tobacco he
sold and some was never found, When L.
r. Kyger told me of these things 1 spanked
him both for stealing and lying to US, in their
presence and am willing for them to say
whether did right or wrong. During the
last term of school he stole all the colored
crayons belonging to the scholars, and
when asked about it he told the teacher,
Miss Maggie Smith, that tramp ate breakfast
at my house that morning and he saw in his
possession a piece of calico belonging to
school house, in which something was wrap
ped which he thought were the crayons. I
have since learned that he produced the
crayons wrapped as he said they were, and
Miss Smith doing her absolute duty whipped
him for stealing and for the falsehood. Mr..
w. E. Wilson told me about the loss of the
crayons the same day. think l called Frank
in and had talk with him in Mr.. Wilson
presence, He said he saw tramp and de-
MED any knowledge of the crayons or pencils
I don't know which. Some weeks ago he
wanted to. ride; he took a horse and went
south, not returning until late in the evening.
He told US that he found gate open into
Desmarias' pasture and that fourteen head of
our yearlings were mixed up with their ctttle
| and it took him all day to separate them.
We found out afterwards that he got his din
her at Desmarias' and spent most of the day
| down there. The next day he asked me il
he might go and see if the gate was open
again, came back about two o'clock and said
| it was wide open and the cattle were all mix
ed This went on for several days when
said to him, 'Why are you so anxious to look
after the gate" and he replied he had moth
ing else to do and it saved John that much OF
of ride. We were feeding most of the cat
tie two miles north east from that point.
Then he took to Mr.. Desmarias a note which
he said he found on the gate, one of the
vilest, profanest things to which was signed
the name of a neighbor. Then he took to
him the second note that was signed by the
same party, threatening to kill Frank. He
theN<told us of seeing the same young man
driving sixteen yearlings from my pasture in
to Desmarias' pasture and when he rode
towards him he started his horse in full run,
running into fencs and throwing the young
man one way and his winchester the other.
These stories he told to Mr.. Desmarias and
others, looking as honest as anyone could.
These things had been going on several days
before found it out but when got hold of
the notes showed them to this young man,
fully believing he had written them. He de-
MED it, said it did look like his hand writing
but he never wrote them. told the folks
though it looked like his writing did not be-
lieve he wrote them. One day while inves-
torn the slips out of his writing tablet.
Taking the slips they fit every curve. He
was off all that day, Mrs. Painter having
gone to Meade. John and were feeding
cattle east OF home when he left and did not
| return until after seven o'clock in the evening
with great story of how he caught the same
young man about to drive out our cattle, not
knowing that Mr.. E. P. Desmarias and John
were both watching for him that day. Then
called him in and showed the slips and how
they fit into his tablet. He said there was no
doubt they came from there but this young
man had no doubt slipped into his room and
torn them out, but when pressed he admitted
he did it and also admitted other thefts and
falschoods. / told him that could not keep
him any longer and so wrote Mr.. Stratton.
When Mr.. Stratton replied that he would
come and get him. 1 told him about Mr..
Stratton coming and he said he wanted to
stay here, that it was the best home he ever
had, that he had the best chance to go to
school and had learned more than in all his
life and if 1 would only keep him he would not
do SO again. He worked on my sympathies to
such an extent felt sorry that had writ
ten to Mr.. Stratton. When about this time
he got into our sitting room alone und stole
the Post-Mail key from the chain where it
had been fastened for over ten years and the
| next day when Mrs. Painter went to unlock
the mail sack and took hold of the chain and
pulled it out of the box where il had been
| fastened all these years the key was gone.
Mrs. Painter reported the loss, also some kind
| friend kindly sent in to the department a
generous complaint. The whole family spent
hours looking for it. We found it Monday
morning where Mrs. Desmarias and 1 had
thoroughly looked the day before, lying on
the carpet under a carpet couch on top of
the floor carpet. said nothing to him about
it for knew it would not be long until he
would go. We treated Frank as we did our
own children, tried to give him good advice
and do our part by him. l could fill pages
with what we have endured by his hayward
ness. Mrs. Painter had asked him to take
off those overalls day or two before he left
and had told me that she would burn them
as soon as she could get them off of him.
He left his shoes and stockings by his bed,
his hat and other clothes in his trunk He
wore those rags from choice and against Mrs.
Painters protest. Why he left don't know,
he knew we were looking for word for him to
be brought to Meade to meet Stratton any
day. He was very mad because I refused