Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-10

see my boy yesterday" she said, although
I was most anxious to do so. I am glad
that he has been brought to the hospital,
for 1t will be easier for me to go to see
him there. At first. when I heard where
they had taken him. was afraid that there
might be something the matter with him
and that 1t was being concealed from me-
but now that ] know he is all right am
wonderfully relieved. 1 did not, I think
fully realize what had happened to him
when they told me the boy was lost, but
since then I'have been picturing to myself
OF it is terrible
Mrs. Barker hopes something will happen
whereby she will be able to have a COM
Portable home again. where she can be with
Ter children and be able to give them prop
CT care. and 1t is thought probable that her
hopes will be realized Many charitable
persons have taken an active interest in the
event of the week and some of them, 1t is
said. have already expressed willingness
to assist the family or to adopt the boy.
The Rev. John Van Schaick and Secretary
Weller are deeply interested in the case
and 1t Is thought probable that they will
fnd way to render aid to the woman.
Just how the boy wandered away from
the camp and what he did during the long
time he was missing will probably never
be known. That he did get some food, as
he declares. is quite likely true. but beyond
that he can give no account Of his wander
fngs. He says that he was sleeping on
sticks and then the soldier men found him"
His disappearance Wednesday night is.
however. by no means ineXplicable. One
does not have to DO far from the camp to
get lost. especially in the dark. The high
weeds, to say nothing Of the underbrush
would completely obscure the view of a
child. In five minutes a man could vanish
from Camp Good VIII as completely as If
he had stepped off into space.
Easy to Get Lost.
1t is recalled by Capt. Parker the Rev
John Van Schaick and others that they
were within few feet of the clump of
pines in which the boy was found having
gone to the swimming pond Thursday
morning. The pastor visited tie pond
several times. feeling that the little wan
derer had gone in that direction 1t is
believed that at that time the child was
asleep In the woods, as he would I'M
doubtedly have heard the voices of the
Searchers and would have made an out
cry. How the searchers happened to miss
him Thursday they do not now under
stand. but when it is realized that the
woods between Camp Good VIII and the
swimming pond are full of thick under
growth 1t Is easy to understand the diff
Guilty under which the work was done.
Capt Guy II. Preston, commanding
Troop F. 18th Cavalry. feels that yester-
DAY was one of the prOudeSt days of his
military life. His men have saved the
the child had been found he had his men
mounted and started on their return trip
to Fort Myer. The troopers had worked
faithfully and WELL and it was due to the
systematic manner in which their search
had been conducted that they were sue
cessful so early in the day.
Troopers Rice and Marquis. who were
first to reach the thicket where The child
was found are the most popular men at
Fort Myer today. They are modest fell
lows. and say they were more than re-
warded when Robert was restored to his
friends.
Everybody Is Thanked.
The Rev John Van Schaick gave out the
following statement yesterday:
Il want to express the deep appreciation
I feel. as a member of the summer outings
committee. of the efforts of the soldiers.
citizens. police and detectives who have
stuck to this Job until it waS done. Thurs
day II was almost insuffeTably hot, and to-
day it rained. so nat their efforts were at
all times under discouraging conditions.
Every man on the hunt was wet to the
skin agar and again. and many went with
out food for hours.
II do not believe the child would ever
have been found IL Capt. Preston had not
insisted on military precision in the
search. Nothing was left to chance The
line Of skirmishers was broken again and
again IN the jungle. but Capt. Preston
always on the spot to close up the
gaps. / want also to speak Of the tire
less energy Of Mr.. Weller and Capt. An
drew Parker. Of the generosity Of John
Joy Edison and Of the splendid order and
discipline OF the camp.
The citizens of Washington can rest
assured that we have the best camp we
ever had since the work began. and that
practical common sense and kindness are
united in the work out there. The acci-
dent was unavoidable and unlocked for
and Is not likely to occur again. so that
mothers may feel perfectly assured in
sending their children to Camp Good
Will"
Since the difficulty of communicating
with Camp Good VIII was demonstrated
so forcibly during the search for the
Barker boy Vt has been decided after a
conference between Commissioner West and
w. c. Allen, superintendent of the electri-
cal department to install, II possible q
| patrol box and telephone near the camp.
on the boundary of Rock Creek Park since