The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-05-17
KIDNAPPED
BOY WRITES
MOTHER

Mrs. Catherine Meeh3n or Pawtucket
received letter yesterday bearing the
signature OF her ten-year-old son. Joseph,
who has been missing since April "a,
1904. The letter was dated May rs. and
was stamped In the local office az NOM
Yesterday. indicating that the boy. or the
person or persons implicated in his dis
appearance. is in the city or vicinity The
letter was given 10 the police, and De-
tective Thomas Henry was assigned 10 the
case i'm an endeavor 10 trace the person
who posted the letter
The letter Mrs Mcenan received reads
as follows:
Dear Alice and Msmma-Oh, mamma.
come and take me home, | am lonesome
here. Since | was taken away | have
been TO Germany. ! was taken away by
a man from Marie Collins. but | shout
ed and to keep me still the man tied
a handkerchief over my mouth. You
want TO take good care of Alice, be-
cause II he gets a chance he IS going
to take her He said so to a woman
the other day The man won't let me
go out alone at all because he Is afraid
| win run away.
Il asked 10 let me write 10 YOU two
and ne let me. but he didn't see my
letter after | finished II. | would like
to tell you his name. but one time he
says II is Holt and anothed time he says
It is Shay. VIII you tell Mary Rogers
| was asking for her.
Never mSnd. will come home some
day this summer. II / can run away
from this man. You can give all nv
oil haN
some nice ones for every day and for
Sunday have a fresh one The man
said he took me because | was so pretty
and because Frank Focher hit me and
did everything TO me- You know this
man. He ives i'm Hebronvile and won't
! let me go. He took me 10 Germany be-
cause he was afraid he would be caught
lie says I won't go back TO you until
Frank Focher Is gone away. oh! the
man is coming now. Dear mamma and
Alice w. JOE MEEHAN."
The police. private detectives. circu-
! lars and newspaper advertisements have
been employed by Mrs. Heehan for over
/ q year I'm an effort 10 get q trace of the
missing child. but the letter she received
yesterday is the first word. either direct
or indirect. she has had of the boy since
the day he disappeared.
Tho latter which Mrs Nfeehan saws
/
! that he was kidnapped by a man who
| said he did so because the boy was very
| pretty and because he had seen him
/ a6used by a playmate.
According TO the statements IN the let
| ter a trip TO Germany was made i'm
/ mediately after the alleged kidnapping.
| because the man feared arrest. The writer
| said he was sure Mrs. Meehan knew
| the man who abducted him. but he could
/ not give his name. because IN replies
| 10 Inquiries the man has given several
! different names. His home letter says. is
! Hebronville.
The letter continued: '"The man won't
| let me go out alone at all because he
| is afraid |. will run away | asked
| 10 let me write TO you and he let me.
but he didn't see the latter after / fin
| lshed IT,"
If the letter Is authentic tho boy is
! apparently receiving good care as he
! speaks particularly Of the fire clothing
! provided for him. lie writes that ne IS
lonesome and pleads with mis- mother "a
| got him ard take him home u she
does not DO so. he writes that he will try
TO run away some day this summer"