The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-03
WAIF SEES CIRCUS,
THEN TELLS TRUTH
Arenas Splcndors Call Him to
Repentance After a Month
Of Whoppers.
RAN AWAY FROM MINES

ivy In and DAY out for weeks a little
runaway boy. brown eyed and gentle
spoken and undoubtedly n Spaniard, had
seen sticking TO lying stories when
questioned again and again at the rooms
OF the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children as to his home and
percentage And then he was taken to
see Barnum's circus
II was the first circus the lad had
ever seen the first time. In fact. that
he ever had heard OF IA circus and the
boy is IL years old The glories In
the Garden dazzled the lad, and as he
was led back to the society rooms emo
ton got the upper hand and he cried
for long time and he told true
story
It was the idea OF Supt Ernest *.
Coulter OF the Childrens Society after
the weeks of fruitless questioning TO
prescribe trip 10 the circus on one
Of the last days OF the show with the
hope that the splendors of bespangled
tumhlcrs and gay clad elephants and
the clowns and the music would stir the
boy as gentle questioning had failed
TO do.
Circus? What's n circus" re asked
the astounded superintendent. is 1t
ike a bull fight" he added when a
sizes began to come to him after hearing
a brief description of the three hinged
hurrah.
Circus Inspires Truthfulucss.
Then at the Garden when the girl
on tho motor cycle up in the great
golden globe hanging from the steel
Orders had whred her last somersaut
and the band had struck up THE
Star Spdngled Banner" Ernest Coulter
shook the boy part way back to earth.
In daze he came out from the Garden
Into the sunlight.
my name is George Devilla." he said
then down In the society rooms when
his sobs had softened a bit. Il been
telling YOU a lot OF lies about where
come from. But I won't tell lies no
more. mister, now that you took me to
a circus But you won't send me back
TO work in the coal mines. will YOU,
mister?''
The coal mines" Mr. Coulter asked.
now for the first time sensing the first
true story that had come from little
George-he insists he is 10. but looks
TO be about 10 years od-since he was
picked up at the Grand Central station
the first week in April.
Yes. I ran away so I wouldn't have
to work no more in the coal mines in
We: Virginia. little George went on.
nect--thats up near Utica--four months
ago and got a job in the mines in
West Virginia. He took me along with
him and got me a job in the mines
"Borrowed" - Out Of Coat.
ION pay days my stepfather took my
money. He used TO lick me a lot too.
even when We lived AT Prospect with
NV mother H.'d never lick me when
she was around though. | didn't say
nothing To her about getting licked be-
cause il made her feel bad. And when
We got down to the mines and my
mother was not with US got licked
lot OF times
so ! told another boy as old as me
that ] was going 10 run away. told
him was going to borrow some money
out OF my stcpfather's coat in our
shack that night and run away. The
other boy said he would run away
too. He said when 7 got the money
I should go 20 Washington and then
etay in the railroad station there so
he could meet me when he run away
after ! did. I borrowed 81 out of my
siepfather's coat and ! went to Wash
ington, and waited and waited at the
station.
But man came along and took me
70 home where there were lot OF
poN~' lclu lne man AT the nome i
wanted 10 go to Prospect, y V, where
my mother was and they wrote to my
mother. and then they sent me TO her.
That was two months ago.
But my stepfatEer wrote from the
mines that he wouldn't send TO more
money to her unless she came to West
Virginia and brought me with her TO
go 10 work again. asked my mother
10 leave me with people We know in
he In, Co
went TO Ct<ca 20 say good-by TO people
ran away from my mother.
After a long time 7 got here But
as soon as ! stopped to look up at
the blue ceiling in the railroad station
man came up to me like the man did
IN Washington and took me to these
rooms"
Father Killed at Panama.
He was born in Leon, Spain. little
George told Mr., Coulter then. When he
was about wears old his father and
mother took him from Spain TO Panama.
George says. where his father while
working in one OF the canal locks fell
and was killed For a week after the
funeral George tried to earn something
b. carrying water TO the canal diEgers.
but the worl, was too much for him.
His mother married again. Two years
ago the boy and his mother and step
father came 20 New York aboard the
steamer Cristobal. They went 10 Pros
pect, where the stepfather got "A Job
with a number Of other Standards in "A
quarry. Northern New York was too
cold for the stepfather and ne went to
West Virginia
George will not have to 90 back to
the mires II efforts which the Chldren's
Society now are making To- induce the
mother 10 give up the boy are sue