Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-07-18
THREE CHILDREN
BAFFLE POLICE
TottenviIIe Authorities Complete
" Taken In by Trio Of Runa-
ways From This City.

" oR04 ~ W 4A1O ~
ways From This City.
An amazing story told by three run
always, two little GIRLS and a boy from
this city yesterday afternoon. to the
Tottenville police who found them In
q house In Rarftan Bay Park, Totem
vile. OF how they were sent from
Syracuse q month ago by their grand
parents to this city to friends and
how they were forced to earn their
own living here baffled the Tottenvfile
police and the people who gave them
! shelter from the rain shortly after .
o'clock last night
1t was not until the police patrol
was on hts way from the Stapleton
police station to take the trio to the
rooms of the chiIdren'B society at New
Brighton that one of the little girls,
the youngest of the three, broke down
and confessed that they were not all
brothers and sisters and that they ran
away from home IN Perth Amboy.
The three runaways were Florence
Bowers. ten years old. daughter OF
| Mrs. Sadie Bowers and Viola Allen.
eleven years old and George Allen.
twelve ear old. children Of William
Allen. Ali reside at los First street.
The three went over to TottenVIe
about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon
on the ferry, and after visiting several
places in town from the ferry out to
Amboy road. Tottenville. arrived at
the home of Alfred Anderson, Of
Brighton street, Raritan Bay Park.
The three appeared at he back
| door and asked Mrs. Anderson II they
could secure work The boy offered
to chop wood for a little money which
he said he wanted to earn to get him.
self and two sisters back to Syracuse
again. where they had resided with
their grandparents. All three were in
their barefeet and the girls were with 4
out hats or coats. Mrs. Anderson
made the little tots come In the house
and after drying their clothing gave
| them their supper.
| They were made as comfortable as
possible and would AVE been kept for
! the night but for Mr.. Anderson who
! thought It his duty 10 notify the po-
Hoe. Captain Ernest L. Van Wagner
and Detective Schley went to the An
| derson home and there questioned the
| three who told OF having been sent
lby their grandmother about q month
ago from Syracuse to this city. They
said they were put on the train and
given tickets that cost S13 for the
three.
Arriving In New York they were
without funds and worked about vari-
Gus places running errands in the day
time and sleeping at various places
at night until they got enough money
together 20 come to this city. Their
destination here was First street but
they did not Know the people they
were sent to. Since coming here they
said they vent about the street pick
ing up bones and rags and selling
them to tunkmen With the proceeds
of this the boy said he was able to
keep himsef and two sisters together.
All three were bundled into an au-
tomobile and taken to the Tottenvtlle
police station. where after being ques-
toned by Lieutenant McIvor at the
and confessed that h was not q sis
ter to either the other boy or girl and
that she did not come from Syracuse
lThey gave the names of George. Viola
and Florence Elbach. when first found
by the police.
So we'll did the story told by them
work on the police at first that they
were showered with money. After
the confession Of their coming from
this city they admitted that Florence
had taken fifty cents from her moth
er's pocketbook and with this they
had bought some crackers. paid their
fare over the ferry and bought q bot
tie Of peroxide to put on a cut that
Florence had received on her foot In
AS4l oNGA ~ oQaA0s
Asked why they had run away and
~concocted such a story they a they
had gone bathing against the wishes
OF their parents and had been threat
easd vie a whipp'.g ~bsa they re-
turned.
After supper at the Anderson
home the boy to show his gratitude
laid his last seven cents down on the
table N payment for the meal. The
disappearance of the three had bean
reported to the police of this city
early in the evening when the little
ones did not return and their parents
had been on the lookout for them
Mr.. and Mira Allen went to Totem
willie about IL o'clock last night and
brought the three back home after
they a been notified by the Tot
~tenville police through the local
police hat the three missing children
had been found. The two Allen chill
dren told the Tottenvtlle police that
they wanted to go back to Syracuse.
with their grandparents. where they
came from q month with an
other brother because they were ILL.,
treated by their stepmother here.
The story of the trip from Syracuse
was true but they were brought here
by their father, who Is q carpenter
at Morgan. The missing persons bu-
reau Of New York had been notified
and also the ehildren's bureau soete-
~ after the little ones were found
here.
Mrs Bowers. husband. father OF
Florence. Is In the service of the gov
eminent. having enlisted some time
ago. according TO h story told by
the girl. Her mother. she says. goes
out 70 work and only her grand
mother was at home at the time she
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