The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-04
in GYPSY CAMP.
Harrington Boy Spent Four Days
in Captivity.
Supposed He Was Held by No.
MAIDS in Hope of Ransom.
ELUDES HIS CAPTORS.
Lad So Terror Stricken He
Couldn't Sleep at Home.
Whole Country Had Been ARGUS
ed in Search of Him.

Harrington, Kan, Aug. AFTER an
absence of four days, spent he says,
as the captive of a band of gypsies,
Charles Nelson, the 12-year-old old
ward of Almah Smith, returned homo
late yesterday, footsore and exhausted
from the flight which followed his
escape from his captors.
All the country adjacent to Herring
ton had been aroused in it's search for
the lad and an investigation of the
gypsy came was one of the first meas
ures taken after the boys disappear
ance Sunday night. 1t is supposed the
lad was taken in hope of bringing
ransom. Sunday night the boy went
to a pasture on the Smith farm, north
west of this place, to bring in the
cows His failure to come back start
ed Mr.. Smith on a hunt for him and
the finding of the boys cap in the pas
ture served only to quicken the alarm
felt over his nonappearance.
1t was fascinating story he told
and circumstances lend the color of
truth to the tale. For the past week
band of gypsies has been camping
along the roadways between the Smith
place and Woodbine. Sunday evening
the camp was near the Smith farm.
Captured by Strange Men.
According to the interesting narra-
tive which Charlie poured into the
ears of his benefactors, two hard
Visaged men suddenly confronted him
in the pasture and took him to their
camp where he was kept under close
surveillance. The wandering tribe
then started toward Woodbine, seldom
taking their eyes off the boy. Charlie
kept his eyes open for the slightest op
portunity to escape and it came to him
Yesterday shortly after dinner near
Shadybrook. His watchers grew some
what careless. and he slipped away,
darted into a corn field and sped
homeward
When the gypsies We're camping
near the Smith place, there were sew
en- wagons. The next day when they
stopped near Woodbine, there were
only four or five wagons. The Wood
bine marshal went down and inter-
viewed the men and made a close
search but there was no sign of the
boy The theory is that the boy was
with the two or three wagons which
dropped out som ewhare between
Smiths farm and Woodblne and the
bears this out. Harold Lorimer and
James Brown, two small Heringeon
boys while going out 20 the Smith
farm Sunday morning passed the gyp-
sy camp and the men hurried out and
engaged them in conversation. The
that the boys became frightened and
ran away.
Mrs. Smith said this morning that
| no steps had as yet been taken to ap-
prehend the kidnapers. she believing
that they were too far away by this
time
Boy Is Terror Stricken.
The little boy has not regained suf-
ficient composure to relate in detail
his experiences. However, he says
that at no time on the journey did his
captors abuse or mistreat him. They
asked him repeatedly what his name
was and about his family but he
steadfastly refused to talk possibly
through fright
Although safe in the hands of his
friends last night was one of terror to
the boy. He did not clo5e his eyes
until l o'clock, and when sleep did
come it was broken by horrible and
| frightful dreams of his capture.