The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-06-16
NO CLUE TO STOL.N BOY
No Trace Found of Lad Kidnapped
in Philadelphia.
PARENTS ON VERGE OF COLLAPSE
Father Believes Lad Was Stolen For
Revenge BY Man Who Served Time
In Jail For Attempting to Rob His
JewelrY Store.

Jewelry Store.
Philadelphia. June 14.-Dcspite tho
extraordinary efforts of the police and
private detectives. not the faintest clue
has yet been found that would lead to
the whereabouts Of Charles Frederic
Muth. the 7-ycar-old son Of a wealthy
iowoler. who was drcoyed from school
by n forged note delivered by a mes
seneer boy and abducted. Three ar
rests OF persons who were suspected OF
knowing something of the ease were
made but after thorough examina-
ton they were discharged by the po-
! lice. The father Of the missing child
believes the boy was kidnapped out Of
revenge by a man who had served time
in prison for attempting to rob his
jewclry store
The postal authorities are also work
ing on the case, endeayoring to locate
the man who sent a letter to the fam
lily, in which be informed them the
boy would be- returned. The letter had
the appearance Of having been written
by a feminine hand. and the authori-
ties are accordingly working on the
theory that a woman might be lnyOlv-
"a I'm the abduction. The parents of
the child are considering the adyisa-
hility Of Offering reward. but the pO-
lice have advised them not TO do so
for the present.
Something of n sensation was caus-
cd when John X. Young. n Pennsyl-
yania railroad brakeman. visited the
store and said he saw a man and boy
answering the description of Freddie
Muth ana his supposed abductor on
thcir way 10 York Tuesday afternoon.
"a boy about 7 or s years old, in
| light blouse waist and wearing n skull
can with peak. boarded my train
which left Broad street station at 2.iD
O'Clock" said Young. lie sat next abe
window. By his side was a man about
50 years old and shabby dressed.
He wore moustacho and think. a
beard. They did not talk to each other
except after the conductor, Charles E.
Baker and / had passed. Each pre-
scented n ticket for York
II Is not likely. however. that this
could be- Freddie. Miss Annie Ring
his school principal said. when told
Of Young's statement 1T could not
possibly have been Freddie. The note
came inst as the scholars were start
ing ont for their afternoon recess at
2.3O o'clock. lie left here about 2.35,
and could hardly have boarded a train
IN Broad street station five minutes
later"
A dispatch from York. Pa. states
that tnc authorities have been notified
md are making a thorough search OF
Inc city fcr the man and boy seen by
brakeman Young on the train.
The police are determined that this
shall nor be- n repetition Of the unfor-
tnnate Charlie Ross case. Nothing
will De lett undone that can possibly
lead 20 the finding Of Freddie Muth.
The whole city IS being searched.
and the police of other cities have
been asked To cooperate with the To-
cal authorities Every avenue of es-
capo Is being guarded. and if the boy
and his abdpctors are still I'm the city
the police are confident OF getting at
them before long.
The father and mother Of the Kid
mapped boy are distracted. Though
sunering severely from the shock oc-
casioned by the abduction Of her son.
Mrs. Muth is bearing mp well. She
has not yet given mp hope, but it Is
feared that the strain under which
she IS laboring may cause her COM
plete collapse at any moment
"HuMAN OSTRICH OPERATED ON
Fiftyseven Nails and Quantity Of Glass
and Wire Taken From Stomach.
Minneapolis. June LIE. Wallace
who for years has been travelling with
a circus as human ostrich, was
ouerated on at the City hospital here.
The surgeons removed 81 nails, three
or four pieces Of glass and five pieces
OF WIRE from his stomach. He Will re-
cover. Wallace says that he has been
doing his Ostrich act" for years and
had never felt any i'll effects until re-
Gently.
o.,oo ooo eIpc IA Gal TIMnRE