The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-26
SEARCH ABANDONED
New Clues Indicate That
Kenneth Beasley Was
Kidnapped.
{ Elizabeth city Tar Heel.l

! Search in forest and swamps for the
! body of Kenneth Beasley, has been
/ abandoned for the present, and the
/ family and friends of Senator Sam.
| NJ. Beasley, father of tho missing boy,
| are working on strong clues which IN
| dictate that the boy is living, and hope
to restore him to home and loved
| ones soon. The boy is thought 90 be
| secreted near Shiloh, and Johnson
| Cartwright. ex-sheriff, was summoned
home today to make investigation Of
! every house in that neighborhood.
| Hon. H. 3. Ansell, of CuTrituck court
! house. and others, saw, on the even
ing the boy disappeared, q strange
] man driving . mule, and in the buggy
! with him was a boy. crying, whom
| he was trying to pacify. Today q re-
liable clue was secured which indi-
Gates that the boy is being sccreted
with a family near Shiloh develop
ments are hourly expected.
Poplar Branch. \. c.. Feb. "a
Ten days ago today, little Kenneth
| Beasley the eight-year-old son Of
state Senator S. E. Beasley, mystcri-
ously disappeared from the sight Of
/ family and friends and each day since.
/ until now, large battalion OF men
have secured every foot OF the ground
for miles about without avail.
I IT was at noon, upon taking Up
school. when Prof. NJ. II. Jennings, of
/ tho public school. called the roll of
/ pupils When the name of Kenneth
/ Beasley was called, there was no re-
sponse Some of his playmates re-
marked that he would soon be in, as
4 they thought he was OH his way.
/ Nothing more was said until later
When his teacher. Miss Nina Harri-
/ son, called his class. She reported
/ the absence to Prof. Jennings, who
1 immediately sent Ernest Wright. one
! OF his playmates. to look for him,
which was about 1889 y. M.
In fifteen or twenty minutes the
! playmate returned stating that lie had
/ called Kenneth, but he did not an
swer. that he had looked fer. llinli. but
did not find him anywhere. Prot
! Jennings then sent Harry walker to
! the store of i. w. Woodhouse wlU
| telcphoned To Mrs. Reasley at home.
| who reported that Kenneth had not
/ returned there.
| The parting and goodbye kiss at
| noon. as the fond mother started lit
! tie Kenneth off to school, bright and
| cheerful aud We'll, was tho last cm-
| brace between the parent ana child.
The distance between the school
/ house and he Beasley home is about
| a quarter OF a mile. The ground is
| level. and il is some distance to forest
] and swamp. Prof. Jennings imIne
l.
| boys and they plunged into the woods
| to look Kenneth. The number was
| soon augmented by about thirty men,
! and while it, was raining hard, they
| searched until sunset. BY this time
i snow was rapidly falling. which cover
/ cd any possible scent for bloodhoundS
I or tracks for scarchers.
Business was closed that night, and
/ at seven o'clock, seventy-flve meti
! with lanterns, began 4 q search Wtnicch
| lasted until 1870 a.. m. They decided
/ then that if the boy was in the. woods
he was frozen. and they thought TO
pick up his body the next day.
From that time until yesterday q
protracted and systematic search for
| the body was continued. Nearly q
thousand men have joined in the
| search, coming from Currituck =. IL.
| Maple. Barco, Coinjock, Aydlett,
! Grandy, harrisburg, Powells Point
] Mamie Harbinger, Whales Head
Beach, and other places.
The account of Senator Beasley 8
home coming, with Detective Branch
and the bloodhound, has been told
| correctly. They put the dog on the
trail, but he could not follow IT. or
| account of the rain and snow Wh'"'a
/ fell beforehand. He struck no tran
| WHATSOEVER. Mr.. T.. h. Gallop Was
appointed captain of the searching
crews. and the men would line up
like soldiers, every fifth man being
made a captain. They marched
| through the woods nearly side by
! side. this way. and all persons believe
the boys body is not in this neigh
borhood.
some persons believe he wandered
far into the forest and froze TO death:
others believe he was kidnapped. The
! latter seems to be the most plausible
theory according to late develop
ments. Senator BeasIey has no enc
| mics OF which he is aware.
The Beasley home is situated on n
/ beautiful farm. 1T is now home OF
sorrow. Mrs Beasley Is Frustrated.
but all have more hopes now that the
boy is alive. Large rewards have
| been offered for the recovery of the
boy alive. Mr. Beasley as an eminent
I man is well known. His wife was
| Miss Cassie Walker, who was the ac-
1 conplisred daughter OF the late Ma
than Walker They have had three
| children to bless their homc. Moran.
who is II: Ethel, about 4, and ken
meth. about 8.
Kenneth was quiet studious boy,
and always knew his lessons we'll lie
| was fond of playing marbles, his fa-
| yorite pastime. and was wei liked by
! the children. His playmateS were LIZ
nest Wright. Edward Meggs, Bennett
! Walker. and the little saunders Dogs
oil being about the same size. They
have never had any duarrels ~ all
their four years Of going 70 school to-
gether. They last report that they
saw him last standing in the woods
l9Ie VAS not very talkative and did not
bother anybody. He WAS beloved by
his family and teachers. The l5idnap-
ping clues are being run down as
! quickly ass possible.
Where Is Kenneth?