Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-15
WOMAN WHO MADE RED
INK WITH HAT PLUME !.
MAY BE KIDNAPPER
Police Have New Clue to the
Writer of Letter Received
by the Parents of Rich
ard Meekins
TO SHOW BOYS PHOTOS

A woman who dipped red plume
taken from her hat into water to make
red ink" is under the surveillance OF
the police. It is believed that she wrote
the first letter purporting to come from
n kidnapper that was received by LUKE
Meeklns, of 244e South 61st street. HIS
s-year-old son Richard has been missing
since November 20.
The clue that led to this woman's part
in the kidnapping mystery was supplied
by the boys father. The handwriting IN
the red ink" letter Is more ike
woman's than a mans, and specimen
of the suspected womans penmanship mas
been obtained. Handwriting experts are
at work comparing the two. II there IS
no doubt about the similarity OF the Two
specimens. the woman will be arrested.
Whether she really knows anything about
the whereabouts OF the missing boy is
question.
How the police learned that she had
transformed red plumes and water INTO
link" they will not tell
WILL SHOW BOYS PICTURE.
Lieutenant Marple, of the 65th street
and Woodland avenue station, has ac-
cepted the offer of the Electric AdVer-
tsing Company to flash the boys photo-
graph on It's big screen at sd and Mar
ket streets every night, so that persons
watching the screen will know what
Richard Meekins looks like and identity
him IL they see the boy In the custody OF
suspicious-looking men or women. The
picture of the boy, many times enlarged,
will be shown 30 times n night on the
screen.
A letter arrived at the Meekins' home
this morning. 1t raised false hopes IN
the hearts of the distracted parents OF
the missing boy, for 1t said:
"You will find the Meekins boy at 43O
Van Pelt street. i'm the third floor back.
From good friend. III. II.
At 420 Van Pelt street lives Mrs. Jen-
ME Scott, a negro woman, who let the
police search the house at once. There
was, indeed. q little boy the same age as
Richard Meekins in the third floor back,
but he was Mrs Scott's nephew, who
lives in Brooklyn and is visiting her.
He is light enough to seem white and
the Meekins boy has an olive skin, so
that there is little difference between
them Mrs Scott took the search with
good humor and she and the police agreed
that the letter was written by some per-
son In the neighborhood whose Intentions
were excellent,
Darkness last night found James Nee
kns. years old, brother of Richard
Meekins, standing In front of letter box
at 61st street and Elmwood avenue. His
shivering cold hand held letter adj
phia, Pa
Beside the youngster stood his mother
and father. They had accompanied him
to the letter box. James dropped the let
ter into the box and gazed into the faces
of his parents and asked: when VIII
Sanity answer my letter."
Today the letter found its way into
the inquiry department at the Postoffice
The letter was among hundreds of other
Santa Claus" letters which daily reach
that place in canvas bags.
THIS LETTER WAS DIFFERENT.
But James Meekins letter was differ
candy, n baseball glove or a fancy
sweater. The letter was just a little
brothers appeal for the return of the
older brother.
This is what the clerks. many of whom
are fathers. read when they tore open
James Meekins' SANITY Klaus letter:
My dear Sanity Klaus;
Somebody took Richard away. He
is my brother, and l like him very
much. Mamma and me are crying
all the time. because Richard is away.
Please will you bring Richard home
when you bring my choo choo car.
l want Richard home because I am
very lonely and have no one TO play
with. | want Richard home so that
we can play on Christmas. Please
tell Richard me and Mamma still love
him. Your little friend
JAMES MEEKINS.
Like all other Santa Claus" letters,
James Meekins' communication was sent
upstairs to the office of Postmaster
Thornton. He was bewildered as to what
to do with 1t. Settlement workers who
usually get the Santa Claus" letters
written by Philadelphia boys and girls
read the letter. They were visibly af-
fected. A young woman from Tioga, per-
forming her first days work as settle-
ment worker. turned away and wept.
IT wish 1t were possible to forward this