Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-09
RELATIVES OF MEEKTNS
BOY NO LONGER UNDER
POLICE SURVEILLANCE
Authorities Now Believe Lad
Was Kidnapped Either for
Purpose of Revenge or
Obtaining Ransom
MOTHER NEAR COLLAPSE

Nl " u LIN A'hS@AAN
twelve davs OF unsuccessful search for
Richard Mcekins. years Old. OF zi'1
South 61st street. has resulted IN the
exoneration Of a relative of the BOY VINO
was under suspicion. The police now pe-
lieve the boy was kidnapped.
Two motives were advanced by the po-
lice today for his kidnapping. Ihey are
First Revenge
Second To obtain ransom
Luke NecEins. father of the boy, spent
the morning i'm the neighborhood of 2lst
and Federal streets looking for former
companion who, he thinks, may nave haa
a hand in secretlnE the boy Revenge
may have actuated this man. the iaVher
said, for misunderstanding arose oe-
tween them some time ago and II has
been known among friends Of the TWO
that the man bore grudEe against
Meekins
The kidnapper's letter scrawled in RED
ink on n piece of a newspaper page, was
mailed from that general neighborhood.
Another letter is expected by the tanily,
believing the ahductor will Keep MS
promise to write again.
one thousand photographs OF the lad
were printed early today by the police:
The pictures were given to a corps or
men at City Hall and were ordered sent
to the police OF cities in all parts OF the
country. The new photograph SHOWS
Young Meekins holding a telephone in
his hands. -,
That the boy may have been slain by
degenerate after being lured away
from the sand pile at south 6lst street
and Flmwood avenue Is one oil lhe
theories the police are working on.
AS soon as the police made up their
minds that relative of the boy had
nothing to do with the disappearance,
hppln pI many
unoccupied houses situated in Isolated
narts of the city. In this search blue
coats from many station houses particl-
pated
Word also has been sent to day nurse
ries where boys of the age of young
Mockins are left by parents. 1t WAS
thought by the police that the kidnapper
might attempt to rid himself of the boy
by leaving him at one OF those places.
I'VE are not suspicious Of any member
of the Mcckins family" said Police Lieu
tenant Marplc, of the 6jth street ana
Woodland avenue station.
For days we have carefully gone into
tbc careers of certain of the boys rela-
tivcs. and we have given particular at
t.ution to one relative who might have
had Il motive for taking the boy away.
But now | feel certain that this relative
/ Is innocent and had absolutely nothing
I TO do with the boys disappearance
"This is beginning to look like a plain
! kidrnpplng case. There is a possibility
/ that the boy may have been attacked by
some degenerate and later killed. II the
| hoy is not dead he may be hidden away
| in some place where his cries can De
| heard.
$50 far we have received only one
! lattcr-the one mailed from South Phila-
! delphla and written in red ink. After
| receiving that letter felt satisfied that
another one would follow. Three days
| have elapsed since the letter was re-
| Ccived. However, there is a chance that
! the writer, who | think knows the pres
| ont whereabouts of the boy may have
! become frightened over the publicity
| given to his communication. We are
| all i'm the dark, and one of our hopes
| is that he will write another letter and
/ furnish us with more details thah ne ala
/ in the first one
The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com
| pany is cooperating with the police In
| the search for the boy. Motormen and
conductors were furnished with n com,
| plete description OF young Meekins ana
| instructed to look out for n boy answer
! ing IL who might get on thelr cars WIN
! a grown-up person.
! Mrs Annie MeCkins, mother or the poN
! is still i'm Il serious condition. She re-
maiued up all night asking when hel
boy would be returned to her, When not
weeping, she would 70 TO her room ah'
spend her time In praying.
II am so glad that the police have eN'
onerated relatives Of this dreadful al
fair" said Mrs. Meekins.
IL do not know where my boy is and
| If a relative took him away | nope ne
is arrested and punished TO the tull eN'
tent of the law, l feel sure that my
days i'm this world are numbered. | am
beginning to feel that | will never see
nv boy alive again | am afraid he has
been killed and his body probably buried
/ somewhere. If the kidnapper has killed
my little Richard ! hope he Will SEND
l his body back to his parents
IN. policc nave searched the pockets
of young Neekins' clothing in the hope
/ ina some clue might be found there
! Pieces of paper were carefully gone over
but without avail.
| Many sympath2ers called at M
| NIeekins home today. They eXpresse,
the hope that the 10y would be lount
before the Christmas holidays.
The kidnapping of the Meekins boy ha!
| frirhtened families in the southwestern
mart of West Philadelphia, Many mother
are keeping their children indoors afte