The log cabin Democrat., 1910-07-02
KIDNAPPING OF
CHILD ROMANCE
MOTHER GETS LOST BOY
SHE HAD NOT SEEN HIM FOR 10
YEARS, WHEN HE WAS
ONLY THREE.

Pine Bluff, July "A story in real
life, one that reads like novel; is
tbeing beautifully unravelel at Rison,
a little town % miles south of this
city, and in which Felix Dejarnett, 13
years old, kidnapped by his own father
at the age of three years, more than
ten years ago, will be restored to his
mother, Mrs. Nina R. Dejarnett, a
pretty stenographer in the office of W.
w. Carnes in the Scimitar building in
Memphis, and living at ISL Poplar
avenue in that city. The boy, unfor-
tunately is at present in the Cleveland
county Jail at Rison, having been re-
Gently bound over by Magistrate w.
B. Smith to await trial on a charge of
grand larceny.
The boy has been positively identi-
fled by his mother and grandmother,
Mrs. j. M. Barrett of Memphis, who
is now at Rison planning to secure his
release from Jail. The grandmother
picked the lad from among IL boys,
who had been put together by the
sheriff to make sure of the identifica-
ton.
The most remarkable part of it all
is that Mrs. w. j. Stanfield of Rison,
girlhood friend of Mrs Dejarnett,
brought about the reunion of mother
blance of the youth to brother of
whom Mrs. Standfield had not seen
in years. The boy has become deeply
attached to his mother and grand
mother after years of separation, and
although his Identification has been
made complete, it is all like strange
dream to him.
This remarkable life story had it's
beginning at Roe, Monroe county,
Ark, 13 years ago, when Miss Nina
Reed became the wife of John r. De-
jarnett. Both were of well-to-do fam
lilies of that little town, but just be-
fore their son, who is now creating
so much interest at the usually quiet
little town of Rison was born, they
separated.
Two years later Mrs. Dejarnett, af-
ter making every effort to bring about
reconciliation for her sons sake, if
nothing else, secured a divorce. Her
husband left the town and was not
seen for several weeks. One Sunday
afternoon while Mrs. Dejarnett was
at the postoffice at Roe, man on
horseback rode up to her home, where
little Felix had been left with his
grandmother. The little fellow was
playing in the yard and the stranger
asked if the boy would like to enjoy
ride. The grandmother believing that
the man expected to take the child
only short distance, lifted him upon
the animal. They never saw little
Felix after that.
The officers of that section search
ed for weeks and months to recover
the baby, but the almost heartbroken
mother and frantic grandmother were
compelled to live down their sorrow
only with the hope that has now ma
terialized
On the night of May 80 the store of
w. D. Atwood was being burglarized
when Marks Atwood, a son of the pro-
prietor, caught sight of fashlight
in the building. He summoned aid,
and a pistol battle took place when
a man and boy ran from the building.
The man dropped a package in his
flight and made the boy return to
the scene later for it. When he re-
turned the Atwoods captured him.
He was taken to Rison and placed
in Jail Recently, when the lad was
brought out for a preliminary hear
ed much sympathy for him. They
tool by hardened criminals, but, true
to his friends, the boy declined to dis
cuss his past life, nor was he willing
to tell anything of his companion who
escaped on the night of the burglary.
Mrs. w. j. Stanfield, prominent
, resident Of Rison. heard much of the
boys trouble and believing that she
might be of some assistance to him,
she called at the county Jail. The
handsome youth won her favor and
she called to see him several times.
She was positive there was some
thing about the boy that recalled her
girlhood days land his resemblance
to brother of her chum of schoolhood
days, Nina Reed, prompted her to
take further interest in the case.
, She knew of the kidnapping years
ago and figured that the youthful
prisoner might be the long lost boy.
She wrote her friend, Mrs. De-
jarnett, in Memphis, and telephone
message from her a few days later
requested Mrs. Stanfield to look over
the boys right eye for a scar.
She found it there, and his COM
plexion, his age, everything about him
was conclusive Mrs. Stanfield had
never seen the boys father, but knew
Mrs. Dejarnett so well she felt sure
that it was her son.
She communicated the fact that the
scar was on the boys forehead to
Mrs. Dejarnett.
Mrs. Dejarnett arrived at Rison
yesterday. She positively identified
her son at the Jail and there was
happy reunion when they met