New-York tribune., 1910-12-23
LAD SAYS He WAS A
PRISONER TWO YEARS
ChiIdren's Society Seizes Little
Unfortunate in a Condition
Called Shocking.
ALL THE TIME IN ONE ROOM
Saws Woman Who Was His Only
Companion Is His Mother
Searching The Bronx
for Her.

I,ookins like a pocket edition of Rlp
Van Wrinkle, with his matted and un-
kempt hair falling far below his snoui-
ders and his clothes tattered and torn'
how. eleven wears old, who said his name
w.s Henry De Graft, was taken yester-
dav nv agents Of the Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty to Children from
room, at No. 1870 Third avenue. wnere
the child said he had been conhned 1or
two years.
The little fellows release was oroush'
about by his own ingenuity in Writing
letter to the society telling OF MS piiSh'
and begging to be rescued
INV name is Henry De Graft. am
eleven wears old. and have been kept
prisoner for two years in room at NO
1870 Third avenue. Please COME aiio
rescue me- he wrote.
When Superintendent Thomas u.
Walsh of the society received tne ie''ei
Yesterday morning he first tnousht IL
was another case Of kidnapping But
before deciding to send the Information
90 Den,,tv Police Commissioner Flynn ne
disna+ched Robert w. CosgraVe. an
agent of the SOClSlS, ~ 'iiO
toned by the alleged prisoner
It turned out. if the boys story snot'io
nrove to be true, that he had been neio
cantive under circumstances more re-
.rlah,e than anything in the ordinary
kidnapping line.
cos1rave found the boy in dlngy
,a un+id,, room with wrinkled ana
I'LL e1,ed woman as his only companion
The how said she was his mother, ana
that her name was Annie De Gran. one
didn't deny 1t, but would say very niue
until the agent told her he would nave
IN take the boy away. Then she began
20 rave and threatened to kill hersen II
Tho how was taken from her.
Aqent verifies Writer of Letter.
THE how told Cosgrave his name. which
.orresnonded to the one given IN the
,o++er and said it was he who had writ
ten the letter to the society CossraNe
declared the youngster preseh'eu q
shocking appearance OF neglect ana 'ha'
everything about the room spoke Voi-
,,,,es against it as a habitatlon, proper
,nd sanitary, for growing boy.
vo,,ng De Graf didn't complain that
h.d not had enough to eat. HIS
,,,o+ber had fed him two or three times
a,,arv day. he said, but she had not
,uowed him to leave the room FOR Two
She would not let him go TO
scbool or even on the street
.swhen I asked my mother TO let mo
~ ~ school" Henry told Cosgrave, "she
.,,o,,,d cav that I would learn wickedness
from the other boys. and tnat schoo1
learning didn't amount to anything
Whom the mother had been quieted the
how was taken to the rooms of the So
c,e+v where he said he had an older
nrotber living somewhere In The Bronx.
b,,t he did not know where. His grand
o+ber also lived in The Bronx. he
added. but he did not know her address,
either. He remembered that his mother
took him to see his grandmother two or
three times during the last three years.
On those occasions she kept tight hold
of his hand and never let go of it. he
said
Later the shaggy little fellow was ar
raiyned in the Children's Court before
Justice Salmon. Some one was sent to
the Third avenue address with the order
for his mother to appear in court. but
she could not be found. Justice Salmon
commented afterward on the extreme
neglect to which the boy appeared to
have been subjected
The small prisoner seemed TO be daZed
Gon4in,.Ad On aecnnd naae