The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-29
|REPEHTANT RUNAWAY
IS HELD FOR MOTHER
Greensburx. Pa, BOY Who stole $3.50
Had Most OF II When He
Bought Ticket Home.

New York, Aug. 2s,--A boy o
fifteen. who took $3.50 from hi
mother and ran away to New York
sat in the rooms of the Society for tn.
Prevention of Cruelty to Children with
tears In his eyes. the corners of hi!
mouth twitching, and pain and shame
showing on his frank. open Slav face
John Legonsky could not say much
bu; it was evident that facing hi
mother was going 10 be the biggest
ordeal of his life.
Johns story is just a little different
from all the other stories of boys who
are tempted and take the money and
run away generally to New York
John tried to go back.
He Repents Early.
After he got on the train the sense
OF what he had done overcame him
Landings at the Pennsylvania Station
he went straight to the window and
bought ticket for home. He had
nearly all OF the $3.50 in tact. A man
who had been observing him asked
John where he was going. When the
boy said ito Greensburg, Penn" the
man, who was Detective Flynn, took
him to the station house.
Johns father died when he was two
years old. He was born in Cleveland
In infancy he resided in Crabtree, Pa.
There were two girls, one older. one
younger After the death of the
father, the mother took in boarders
His mother urged him to get Job
but he was never able to land one
because he lacked certificate OF age
and schooling. His mother was good
to him, he says.
1t doesn't appear that John was
especially bad. or that he ever did
wore than smoke surreptitiously, pla.
ball whenever he got chance. and
enjoy a movie show He has never
been in a scrape before. he says.
Tells Story of His Act.
In telling his story he said:
MY mother takes care of money for
the boarders. On Monday night she
put some money under her pillow.
had Just come in and taken on my
coat when II struck me to take the
Just felt / must do it and / did It
Then / put on my coat and ran
"All thought of was that had the
money and could have a good time
At pittsburg I bought a suit OF clothes
That was $3.50. and they gave me a
cap. Then / bought shoes. All night
I stayed around the station. / bough'
a ticket for New York and got on th'
train.
when we had passed through
Greensburg felt terribly bad.
thought OF my mother. and how
frightened she would be when sh'
found the money gone and found M
gone.
A Sinner Repcntant.
"I kept feeling worse and made NJ
my mind that as soon as got to New
York i would buy a ticket and come
right back. 1t never struck me to ge
of and come back before we reached
New York felt so bad now
couldn't think of anything but how 4
go back, getting home after dark. ant
finding my mother before anyone saw
me and giving her the money.
when we got to New York
bought the ticket for Greensburg ant
then went across the street to frui
store. / came right back and tina
was all I saw of New York Whel
the detective spoke to me told MIN
who was"
Over $500 of the $3.50 was in tact
| When John stood before Justice Ryal
in the Children's Court the Juds'
looked him over and then said:
ut was lucky for you that yo'
| bought that return ticket"
The boy was held to await the ar
! rival of his mother.