Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-30

Tells How Parents Abandoned
Him at North Station, When
as Matter of Fact, They Did
Not Figure in His Escapade
at All-Augusta Family Had
Furnished Boy a Good Home
for Two Months Past

Wednesday An eight-year-oid lao, giving
his name as John Rosam and his Me addr rss
found wandering around the North sta
ton. Yesterday he was taken 10 the
Chardon Street Home. Last night the
police received information which leads
them to believe that, although he may
have had his home at the Augusta al
dress, his name is not John Rogan. but
John Dowdoski. II their conclusion Is
wrong. then they face the task OF land
homes.
Questioned by the police yesterday. John
said that he arrived from augusta
Wednesday with his mother and father.
whom they were searching in South Bos-
ton. and they returned to the North sta
ton. He said his parents left him while
they went to buy tickets and that they
Last might. however, the wife OF an Au-
gusta resident. now staying at the Hotel
Touraine, read Of the lads case In the
evening papers. She said she was Wiling
to pay the youngsters fare back to Au-
gusta if the details as printed were cor
rect.
Therefore her husband. who has an es-
tate in the Maine capital, telephoned TO
his gardener to investigate, and here Is
doski an eight-year-old Polish boy. had
lived with a Lynch family at the address
given by the Rogan boy. that the Dow
doski lads parents were dead, that the
boy had been sent from a Boston home
for Catholic children to one in Augusta,
that the child had been 'farmed OUT
with the Lynch family. that that house,
hold had turned him back to the Augusta
home. that the Augusta home had ship
ped him back to the Boston institution
and that he was due to arrive at the
North station at exactly the time the
Rogan youngster turned up.
No young Dowdoski has yet registered
a.
boy has. so the police will question him
this morning to check up his story in the
light Of later information.
The above was printed in the Boston
Herald of Friday, Dec. q. and the hero
youngster who has for about two months
past been a member Of the household of
Mr.. and Mrs. James Rogan of II Cedar
street. The lad is Of Polish parentage.
but as his name in the Polish tongue is
more or less difficult to pronounce. as
we'll as to remember. he. goes by the name
Of John Rogan. Regarding the statement
in the Herald. some Of them are recitals
of facts, but on the other hand some of
them give evidence Of flights Of imagina-
ton on the part Of the youthful John
that are seldom seen in boys of his age.
So far as Johns trip to Boston is con-
cerned, the exact date of his departure
has not been ascertained. but that n-
went there is no doubt. Another feature
about his trip regarding which there is
no doubt is that he went alone, and the
yarn told by him about his parents aban-
doning him at the North station is claim
ed to be the outcome of a fight Of mag
nation.
Rev. Thomas ]. Michigan, rector of st.
Mary's Catholic church, when asked
about the boy last evening said tina:
James Rogan had taken the boy about
two months ago and had given him A
somewhat mischievous; that the boy at
tended st. Mary's convent school and wa.
in the third grade. He further said that
the Rogans gave him a good home anu
kept him neat and clean. In regard to
when the boy went to Boston, FIR. Nelli-
gan did not know but was of the opinion
that he skipped out by himself. He did
not believe that the Rogans would want
him to come back.
Young Rogan came from a Catholic
school in Boston and is we'll advanced
in the ways Of the world for one of hts
years AS might be expected Of young
ster raised in city like Boston. he has
been around some and has told some Of
his associates in Augusta that he has
been In about Is homes, which is doing
we'll for boy Of eight years.