The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-09-12
Metropolis Given lno,sledue tol
&. Fayette County
Runaway.

SCHOOL, Out lne 0Metalg OF the chill
dren's society have diagnosed hef
case as vanderbilt :. ).
Josephine is IA years old. She was
born In Poland and according to her
story she was given and Mrs.
Ignatz Wilkins when she was q years
old. Just before they LETT Poland to
settle in West Virginia AL thar time
the Wtlkuses had no OH Of
their own, and Josephine says hsi
parents parted with her becauss they
were very very poor. Now Mr.. and
Mrs. Wilkus have three chill dren. and
Josephine says she is no longer vel
come and that she tine Wgfkus
household druid get Her school rec
ord. she said Is Just ohs day hen
Mamma had nothing for me to dc.,,'
Herr seventh Runaway. ,ss
Whenzas conductor on astrain from
Washington ad the South brought
Josephie into the station masters
room in the Pennsylvania station on
the morning OF July 4 II ended her
seventh runaway trip and marked
the greatest mileage she had ever
covered by railroad on one trip. Her
system, she explained was to run
away from home, get ..catched,.', and
N the interval between getting
"catched" and being sent home to
get a chance for some sch oling. Be
tween her first runaway and her sew
enth she has almost learned the al
phabet. Her studies had not pro-
crossed satisfactorily, she said be-
cause there had rbeeh sosmuch to see
that she had little time tosstudy.
Still, she insisted. the intention to
learn is always there.
The child's long stay here is be-
cause her foster parents have not
been willing to pay her way back to
Sun. Mr.. Wilkus was NOTIFIED that
Josephine was here and his reply
was a; brief Enquiry as to: who was
going to furnish money for her re-
turn. He was told he was expected
to pay for her return ticket. Since
then nothing has been heard from
him. ea.f 4
Three times got away from home
on freight trains dressed in my
brothers clothes. sad Josehine with
PRIDE in her accomplishments. "The
first time was caught at Covington,
KY, and a man took me home to
live with his family. Sure. they
found out I was a girl, and then they
put 1t in the paper, and my father
was told. Another time they took
me off the top Of a freight car and
sent me back home. T. have never
had any trouble. They catch me and
i tell them who I am and why I went
away from home:
big Guy Recognize! Her.
81 remember the last time I got
away in my brothers. clothes they
got me and two or three others, when
they went through the cars in q
freight yard. What's your name?'
asked a big guy.
.Joe.' said, and he laughed and
pointed his finger at me. Say he
said, that don't go; you amt boy
And told him was a girl all right.
A very kind lady took charge Of me:
I learned quite a lot Of things that
time. I know to say Yes. ma'am,'
and not to eat with my fingers or
knife and they told me that you don't
wipe your mouth on the back of your
hand, and that you say Thank you.
u learned quite a lot Of education
that time"
Josephine gave her method IN de-
tail. She takes a basket out INTO
the lot near her house. Then she
goes back and gets her best dress.
Then she waits until night, goes into
the lot. changes to her best dress,
and starts of. "a
..You get to know quite q bit about
travelling" she said. ] always go
away at night because no conductor
will put little girl off in the dark.
It is always best to get an express
train cause you can get a longer
ride. ] creep into the car as quietly
as / can and then get a corner or
some seat and pretend l am asleep.
"When I came this time the con-
tor passd me three OF four times and
then he shook me. Where's your
ticket7' he asked. 5 ". (.
I" Il lost it, I said, and started to
cry. He asked me a lot more ques-.
tons, and / told him my name all
right and said ] was going to meet
my father in New York. He said my
father would have to pay for me and.
he let me go to sleep. My father
was not waiting here and so he turn
ed me over to man in the station
and afterward to a very nice lady.
Then came here"
Learns to Sew.
Huntington, w. Va, was the scene
OF one OF Josephne's adventures.
There she acquired d knowledge of
sewing while waiting to be sent home.
Once, down in Kentucky" she. said,
she stayed for nearly three months.
That time she did not give her RICH.
name or address, and as no one
claimed her she was engaged by q
family to look after their baby and
help about the house. She remained
with the family until a friend of her
mother recognized her in the street
and told the authorities she was a rum
away. ~
When told that her father would not
send money for her ticket home, jose
phine was not depressed. She rather
thought it was kind of him, for, while
she is now willing to go home. she.