Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-10-17
SEARCH GOES ON
FOR 3-YEAR-OLD
THOUGHT STOLEN
Mother of "BiIIy" DanSey
Rises to Another Day of
Suspense - Posses Work
in Spite of Rain

IIAMMONTON, N. J.-Continuous
search for more than seven days has
revealed no trace of little Billy.
Dansey, who disappeared from his
home here last Wednesdal. BIZ
ly's mother, Mrs. Hercules Dan,
sey, arose today from another night
of sleeplessness and fear With
white drawn face and dark-rimmed
eyes, she went mechanically about
her daily tasks, a prayer for the
safety of her baby constantly upon
her lips.
The father, hiding his grief as
best he could beneath an outward
stoicism sought to comfort her with
words of hope which he only half
believed himself. His fears were
divided between the baby and it's
mother, for Mrs. Dansey has reach
eG the breaking point-the frontier
of sanity.
Tireless searchers, clad in boots
and oilskins, continued their quest
today undeterred by the chilling rain
or the equally chilling failure that
has thus far confronted them. For
the most part they had abandoned
the belief that Billy may have been
swallowed up in one of the bottom
less SwampS near his home. The
few clues that have been unearthed
point toward a kidnapping plot and
the posses are following this blind
scent as we'll as their lack of train
ing will permit.
Seven days of almost ceaseless
quest have developed these facts:
Billy's little footprints led through
the woods near his home toward a
country road, then disappeared ut
terly at the brim of a shallow ditch.
A strange man was seen by two
persons leading a little boy along
this road away from town few
hours after Billy was missed.
The boy seemed reluctant to ac-
company him.
Two strange men occupied a de-
serted house about two miles from
the Dansey home from Wednesday
forenoon until that evening. Mrs.
Bernice Koft, living a hundred yards
from the houSe-soundS travel far
and distinctly in that wooded place
heard boys fearful voice raised
in protest at intervals. But Mrs.
Koft was alone and afraid to in
Vestigate.
At the deserted house-uninhab-
tied since a man murdered his
wife there years ago-searchers
found crumbs of bread and butter
When Mrs. Dansey was mar
ried in Pittsburg four years ago
rejected sutton whom she de-
scribes as "a worthless man."
swore revenge.
There are rumors, of course, such
as often are bred when a mystery
deScendS upon a town, and some
of the rumors are cruel The scam
dial mongers are to be found even
in a little place like HammoMton.
They love to alight like buzzards
on another's unhappiness, leaving
such carrion as:
Billy is not Hercules Dansey's
child" "Billy is a .step-child."
THE Danseys have had family
trouble"
And so on in a never ending,
sickening strain, But one has only
to see Mrs. Dansey and her hus-
band to realize the depths of their
grief and such gossip seems base
less and wicked.
Thu people of Hammonton as
whole, however, are searching for
Billy. heart and soul They do not
get their incentive from the $1,000
reward which peers from discolored
little posters on every Sodden wall
or pole, but from the heart of a
mother which is near bursting. They
ere searching, not for money, but
to save a mothers reason.