Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-22
GIVES GIRL RIDE
ON WAGON AND
LANDS n JAIL
Kindly Driver Temporarily Loses
His Freedom Trying to
Aid Child.

Having run away from her home In
Jersey City, and having wheedled a
wagon driver into giving her a Tiff
to Newark, little Mabel Fleming, 8
years old, daughter of Oliver Fleming,
a railroad conductor of al Clinton ave
nue., Jersey City, caused the police of
Newark considerable trouble last night
and today, and was the cause of the
wagon driver who innocently brought
her here being arrested as her abduc-
tor.
The difficulty arose through Mabels
desire to wander from home, and from
her inability to tell the truth. Her
parents stated today that she was a
pocket edition of Sapphira, truth be-
ing an unknown quantity to her.
She did not return home after school
yesterday, but started to come to New
ark on a little jaunt. After walking
nearly to the city limits of her home
town she hailed a passing wagon, the
property of the Sacks foundry, and
driven by John Wehner, of II Darcy
street, and asked for a lift Darcy,
a hearted young man of good
character, was amused at the youngster
and complied with her request. She
told him a string of ~falsehoods about
having come from New York city with
an imaginary friend, n said she
wanted to come to Newark to see her
aunt.
Darcy asked the ychild where her aunt
lived, and she aid she could find the
house when she reached Newark. On
the arrival of the wagon in this city,
however, the little girl appeared con-
f,.ol - ..1-..44-l - IA - -.
where her aunt lived.
Darcy did not have the heart to leave
the child wandering alone in the street
in the rain, so he took her to his home
and placed her in charge of his mar
ried sister.
In the meantime the child's parents
in Jersey City, being alarmed al her
nonarrival home, began investigating,
and heard from friends that Mabel had
been seen on a Sacks foundry wagon,
for Newark. The police here
were notified, and, just as Darcy was
preparing to notify the police himself,
he was located and put under arrest,
and found himself in a serious position
through his endeavors to be a good
Samaritan. He was locked up in the
Third Precinct police station and slept
in a hard cell, while little "Sapphira'
Fleming slept in a nice. soft bed at the
Darcy home.
In the Third Precinct Police Court
before Judge Hahn today the matter
was Strengthened out, and Darcy was
exonerated and discharged after being
complimented by the court for having
had proper care taken of the child.
Mabel's mother told the court the-child
could not speak the truth. Darcy's
sister was in court and testified that
the child had been given the best of
care.
Darcy said he gave Mabel a ride be-
cause she o J. him she had lost her
car-fare.a He had never seen her be-
fore. The child's mother said she was
the child was we'll treated,
and instructed her to thank Darcy and
his sister.
A lecture from the court and Mabel's
made the youngster weep
copiously, and she said she would
never run away from home again.
How about interesting yourself in
other lost kids?' Darcy was asked.
He held his right hand high in the
air and said:
Never again." I