The San Francisco call., 1905-03-27
KIDNAPPED
BOY TOURS
The GLOBE
Frank Ely Rogers Re-
turns in Rags to
His Home.
Shields the Aunt Who Stole
Him From His Parents
-Four Years Ago.
Hungry and Penniless When He Finds
Way Back to the Scenes of
His Childhood.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

CHICAGO, March 26 - Lost to the
world for nearly four years. while his
heart broken parents and sorrowing
relatives mourned him as one dead,
Frank Ely Rogers, the Evanston boy
kidnapped on July l, 1901, returned as
though from the grave to-day. The
fate of his aunt, Miss Florence Ely,
whose insane passion for the boy in
duced her to steal him away from his
parents and home, is still as deep a
mystery as it was the day following
the kidnapping.
Ragged detected and weary, with
faltering footsteps as he approached
the old home of his childhood, now oc-
cupied by strangers, his appearance to-
day was IN marked contrast with that
of the happy, smiling thirteen-year-old
boy who disappeared four years ago
Not knowing that his parents had
moved to Chicago since his disappear
ance, the boy, now almost a man, tim
idly approached the door of the old
home this afternoon. Instead of the
mother he longed to embrace. strange
woman answered his hesitating knock.
With a sickenipg fear sssis heart he
distance when ffe met former play
mate, whom he called by name. The
boy did not recognize him. His dirty
appearance and torn, ragged clothing
made a complete disguise. His voice
and manner, too, were changed.
Don't you remember me?" he asked,
with an effort to laugh
Il am Frank Rogers"
Something in the laugh sounded IA
miliar and recognition followed. The
boy took him to an old building, where
he asked him to wait while his uncle,
c. NJ. Rogers, was notified.
Hurrying to the old building, Rogers
found the boy and took him to his
home. His parents were notified by
telephone and they hurried to Evan
ston as quickly as possible. The meet
ing of the mother with her long lost
boy was pathetic. She had ceased to
hope to see him again on earth. The
boy stoutly denied that he had been
with his aunt and said he did not know
where she was. The parents, who have
spent a fortune in searching for their
boy, took him with them to their
home in Chicago.
derings. which had taken him around
the globe. Lately he had been in New
York working as a waiter in restau-
rant. Then he was in Buffalo, and he
said he had come from that city on
freight trains, stealing rides as best
he could He was hungry and penni-
less when he reached Evanston and
glad to be home again.
DR.. C. F. Ely, uncle of the boy and
brother of the aunt who kidnapped him,
was not satisfied with the explanation
given by young Rogers concerning
Miss Ely and tomorrow will institute
a search for the missing woman.
The boy had been the pet of his
aunt ever since he was a baby. So
close was this friendship that Miss Ely
could scarcely allow him out of her
sight. Her affection was returned by
young Rogers, and in order to break up
the attachment between the two Mrs,
Rogers had decided to send her son
away to school and notified Miss Ely
of the plan. On July 13, 1901, the boy
and his aunt left the Rogers, presum-
ably for a walk. They did not re-
turn