The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-20
FAMILIES OFTEN
 10 BL AME WHEN
 GIRLS ARE LOST
Police Investigations Show Many Missing" Cases
 Are Runwaays.

New York, April 20.-The strange disappearance of Ruth Cruger has re- vrSed the question as to why girls leavS home, and the Police Depart ment has many answers. Investiga- tions by detectives show that 1t is not Always an ill-advised love affair that r@a6s young girls to leave their par ents. There are f2enty of cases to show that parents have imposed such severe restrictions on their children, or have made things so unpleasant for them, that after rebelling against such treatment they have deserted the parental roof when a good op- portunity offered.
 In cases of missing girls who have been found and returned to their homes the department for some time has been doing quiet reform work by pointing out to the parents the reason why the lerring boylo or girl was tempted to go away. The department has then suggested to the parents how to make the home life more agreeable for their children. There are many parents, it would seem, who. in the fear that something dreadful might happen to their chill dren. hedge them in with the most severe barriers and restrictions. A girl. If high-spirited or fun-loving, acratfng the innocent pleasures which are permitted her companions, be- comes discouraged and deserts her home, later perhaps to f4H in with Uvil companions, and thus by degrees drift into evil ways.
 a In the archives of missing persons at Police Headquartdrs is the history of a young woman of good family. who dropped out of sight one day to the grief and consternation of her parents. The father appealed to the police to find his lost girl. Many months after her disappearance Lieu tenant Williams came across her in quiet but respectable rooming house. She had become self-support- ing. Lieutenant Williams found that the girl was Nunsullied by her contact with the world. ''It was easy to see,' z he said, that she was a thoroughly good girl She was living in 8 man. ne3 above criticism.'
 The girl told him her story, Her parents had denied her any freedom at all. She had made SIP a week. This she gave to her father. He al- lowed her each day 10 cents for car fare and IS cents for lunch. On re- tnrnix home from work if she at tempted to play the piano her father Complained that the noise disturbed his reading, and she was told to go into the kitchen. Het would not let her go to moviEE-picture show be- cause he feared she would be tired when she went to work the next day. She was forbidden to have any com pany. The few times young man accompanied her home from church ! her father had insulteds him, and had shown him, the door. She, however, was flling to return home if her fathGF would promise to have little more confidence in her and treat her better.
 Lieutenant williams then called on the father. informing him that he had found his daughter. He asked the father if all the girl had told him was the truth. The father admitted it was. He said he thought he was doing the right hing by bringing her up in such 3 strict manner, He ex- plained that up to his sixteenth year he had been most precocious boy and had resolved thatsif he ever had any children they should not be per- A1SC00 UO FO0COn0 Sucn a cut-up, and "dare-devir' as he had been. He now realized that he had been wrong in trying to curb his daughters inno. cent pleasure~
 Tell her to come home,", he sob bed,s and she'll never have reason te want to go away again. When this message was carried to the girl she gladly consented to return to he, father, and she is happy and content. ed in her home life today.
 The police have records to show that girls have left home because their homes were dirty, untidy, vert, table pig pehs. Many girls after run. ming away make sincere and hon est effort to support themselves some of th~kn succeed, others fail The failures sometimes fall in with evil companions and then gradually drift into an easy mode of life.
 {