The sun., 1918-12-18


and then-who knew?--he might go
on to South America, to Uruguay.
where lived his only kin. his uncle, the
cloth merchant Casimir Sahuc. In a
mansion above the Riviera OF Monte
video.
Soldiers sniuggled him aboard the
Leviathan. They placed him in a life
boat very high up and brought him
food, and there he stayed except for
few furtive steps for the sake Of exer-
else at night when no one was about.
His small voice was unheard In the din
when peering over the lifeboats rim
he saw the Statue Of Liberty, but he
aised II jus: the same. His Judgment
was that the American soldiers were
almost as coed fighters as the French;
together they had saved France; why
shouldn't he salute the goddess that
you? Certainly!
Then He Beat IL.
At the Hoboken dock fifteen days
ago, or may be the boy said three
weeks ago. he Skinned swiftly down a
cable to the dock and-here Fernsnd
summoned a piece Of colossal English
to his aid-''beat It," He had at that
time SO which soldiers had given him.
He showed THE SUN reporter how he
had spent II. Inventorying himself
from head to toe he said:
"I'his hat (tweed), Bordeaux. This
coat, Brest. These pants, New York.
These stockings, New York. These
shoes, Brest. This shirt, this tie, New
York. So 1t was indeed. Three dollars"
The Y. NJ. c. A. took him in and
ever since his landing he had lived
with them in Manhattan except for
two days with the War Camp Com
munity Service at Twenty-seventh
street and Sixth avenue. Some little
money was given him, and he saw
movie or two. But what he wanted
was to get back to New Jersey and
find a soldier pal from the war who
would direct him to South America.
With a quarter in his purse he set
out on Monday. The ferries were con-
fusing. He found himself on Staten
Island and came back to Manhattan.
An italian who could speak some
French took him to the French Con-
sui. There he vowed that he lived in
New Jersey. What would you?
II did not wish TO be sent back to
France" Fernand explained.
So eventually he set foot again in
his beloved New Jersey, and had been
looking for a familiar American SOL
der face, preferably Thirtieth Cavalry.
when Patrolman McKenna interviewed.
In the course Of this recital fire.
quenters Of the court house OF high
and low degree gathered around. A
janitress rubbed the wounded wrist
softly.
DO you smoke. little boy?" she
asked.
He shook his head vehemently and
said he smoked neither cigarette, cigar
nor pipe. 1t was bad for the wind.
He rubbed his lungs to make sure she
understood. Did he drink? Heavens,
no! Obviously he deemed the query
grotesque, but he was far too polite
to say so.
His Words Win Janitress.
I'm going to adopt YOU" the jani-
tress confided. The boy raised his eye
brows and sided up to Detective Tom
Kenny. Somebody gave him a quar-
ter, which, at first refusing. he tucked
in his breast pocket, explaining with
an apology that there happened to be
very large holes in his trousers
( pockets at the moment. He fished q
| purse from the breast pocket. 1t con-
I tanned five one dollar bills.
"Meestaire Kenny" observed the
| boy.
"Aw, go on with you: you needn't be
telling that" grinned the detective.
Kenny took him to the juvenile
court The Judge listened and judged
not. He inquired IL any one had a
suggestion as TO what could be done
with the boy temporarily.
We'll" ventured Kenny, IT could
take him home"
oh, wouldn't that be an imposi-
/ tion?" spoke up a social worker.
We'll" said Kenny. revolving his
hat with his hands, "well--the fact
is, your Honor, l had him home last
| night and-well, your Honor, my
mother wants him TO stay and l can
; state that feel the same way
about it,
| So 1t was formerly decided that
should be the arrangement until the
proper official inquiry could be made.
Here 10 Another Report
There the story ought to end. but
one Of those nosey reporters called up
the War Camp Community Board at
Twenty seventh street and Sixth ave
nue. last night and was told that the
boy had been there two weeks or more
ago and that a social worker who
speaks French had talked with him.
And the social worker. being found in
an East Side mission spoke as follows:
This boy told me that he came
to New York as an apprentice on a
French supply ship. He IS excep-
tionally bright and OF an adventurous
spirit. He said that he was wounded
by a sailor on the same ship. who
tried to steal his portion of red wine.
Not that the hoy drank wine, but he
didn't want any one to steal his por-
ton. He told me that he was sent
| from the ship to the French Hospi-
! tai, and after leaving there came 10
/ the War Camp Community Service.
He did not speak of his parents or
say he had been in the war. Call up
the French Hospital and they'll tell
you all about him"
But the French Hospital said that
no Fernand Dornier had been a pa
tient there and no such incident on
French supply ship had been re-
ported. so far as the hospital knew
So this story doesn't get anywhere