The Washington times., 1906-09-16
ALEXANDRIA BOY
ALLEGES TRAMP
KIDNAPPED HIM
Clarence BOWleS Tells
Strange Story of Being
Held Captive.

What uotiove had tie tramp who Is
said 20 have kidnapped little Clarence
B0wles. fourteen years old. OF Alex
andria, in tying MIN hand and foot
and keeping him lying in the woods in
Fairfax county from Wednesday 10
Friday afternoon?
That is what the police OF Alexandria
Va. are trying 70 learn, The lad tells
a straightforward story OF the kidnap-
ing. and goes into details n the affair,
but he does not charge anything
against the ahdUctor except that the
latter gave MIN but little food made
him sleep In the open air with no coy-
ers, and refused 10 disclose his motive
for carrying him on.
The case is one of the strar Rest and
most puzzling the police have ever had
tc deal with. and Jhey DO not know
whether 10 believe the boys story OF
( the theory that he ran away from
home aud "spUn this Wild yarn in
order 10 square himself with the home
folk
The lads story, as told to represen-
tEtive OF The Times. follows:
7 left my home last Wednesday
shortly after T. o'clock for the purpose
OF taking some tools 10 d man in the
pump house near the Swinging Bridge
1 walked out the railway track, and
after leaving the tools at the pump
house I met a man, who asked me to
show him the way TO catch q freight
car for Richmond He was a tan
heavy-built man. with a heavy black
Inustache- he wore black clothes and
a slouch hat He told me that he was
a machInisg aud that he lived in Rich
mond. / walked with him up the track
past the Icing plant, and all of a sud
den he seized me and tying my hands
behind me Told me / would have TO GO
with him. 7 resisted as we'll as /
could and kicked him on the shins, but
he held on TO me I then saw that he
had me in his power. SO / went along
with him. He took me 10 the woods in
Fairfax county below this city. and
after tying my feet and knees together
laid me on the ground. I stayed in
this position all Wednesday night. all
Thursday. all Thursday night. and part
of Friday. Yesterday afternoon the
man carried me 10 field near the
Stone Bridge and left me. Last night
1 heard some boys passing along the
road and called TO them. They came
10 me anu uAA4Diiu my AECA ana HanQ6.
and 1 ran to my home as soon as
could I think / know the boys. They
knew me and called me by name. If I
saw the man I am positive I could
identify him
Given Little 70 Eat.
''The man seldom left me. He gave
me little TO eat. don't suppose all the
time I was with him, he gave me a full
meal. asked the man several times
why he was keeping me and he told me
it was none Of my business. I told him
I thought It was. but he did not give
me any answer"
when the man started after you why
did you not rum" asked The Times re-
porter
81 could not" was the reply. 'the
man grabbed me all Of sudden and
held On to me-"
"It was o'clock when I reached
home last night, and I can tell you I
was worn out My father had been
searching for me ever since Wednesday
night. but he had come TO the conclu-
sion that had run away. 1 will new
er run away so long as 1 have a home
where can eat and sleep" declared
the lad
Young Bowles looked none the worse
for his experience and when seen by
the reporter. stated that he did not feel
at all injured by it.