The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-01-09
FROZEN FEET /
AMPUTATED

AMT MUIHIU
HOWARD SHIRK, AGED Il, LIVING WITH
Mr.. HARRY GEIMAN, RELATES A
STRANGE STORY OF HIS WHERE
ABOUTS-FOUND IN BARN I'm HELP
LESS C0NDITION--.INF0RMAIION RE-
QUESTED. -
Mr.. Editor: l will be very grateful
if you will give space in your col
umns to the following unusually in
teresting story, and to your readers,
if any of them can give any fnforma-
tion throwing light On the mystery.
The Story.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Geinlan live
! on the Taneytown road, near West
minister. In September last, they got
from the Church of the Brethren
Home for Orphans and Friendless
Children, at Nessvilfe, Pa, a boy,
named Howard Shirk, aged II years.
On New Years day, at 6 o'clock p.
M, Mr.. Geiman reported to-. me as
States Attorney, the following facts:
With Mrs. Geiman, he. left home in his
automobile about II o'clock a. m, and
returned at l o'clock p. m. They left
the boy at the barn, where he was
playing around and doing a few light
chores. Upon their return, the boy
was missing. After seeking him
around the farm, they called in the
neighbors for miles around, and a
thorough search was made. The home
at Nessville was notified by telegraph,
and on the theory that the boy had
been kidnapped the States Attorneys
Office by wire, by telephone the press
and personal investigation cOoperated
with Mr.. Geiman and his neighbors
in effort to solve the mystery Of the
disappearance. These efforts were
continued until Saturday morning,
when Mr.. Geiman came to my Office
and with Mr.. Brown, my successor,
was in conference arranging for the
printing and distribution Of circu-
lar, with photograph and description
of the boy. Mr.. Geinan returned to
his home, and in about an hour came
back to my Office and reported that
he had found the boy, seated on a
box in the cow stable, vomiting; that
he had not questioned him at length,
but that the child said he had been
taken away by man in an automo-
bile. Mr.. Brown and I accompanied
Mr.. Geiman to his home, where the lit
tie fellow told us his story, in sub
stance as follows:
Pop and Nom were going away for
q
would be- a little late and gave me
three bananas. / worked for:@1aabout
half hour and had just eaten the
last banana when I heard an "automo-
bile. 1 looked out of the barn and
saw the automobile come in along
side the house. A man got out. He
was all dressed in white. / was
afraid for they had told me at the
home that men who dressed like that
are robbers. was outside the barn
door. The man saw me. He came
running. I ran into the barn and
climbed up, the ladders to go and
hide in the pigeon loft. The man
told me that if did not come down
he would come up and throw me
down. came down, He asked if tht
people who lived there were my faith
= father was dead, and that my mother
lived in Pennsylvania. He said that
if / would go with him he would take
automobile with him." Asked Wheth.
er the man had g. beard or mustache
he replied: II could not see his face
1t was covered with something white
l could see only his eyes and nose.
Acly r. 4nll h
piled mo sir, he only told me his
name, said it was Mr.. Ross"
Asked Where did he take your
he replied Through Westminster, ant
turned to the right on the road thai
Pop took me when he took me to Bal,
timore" (this is the Sykesville road.1
About two miles from Westminster, he
: turned to the right on dirt road, thai
was very rough but not hilly. He die
not talk to me at all, except when
: once called him Mr.. Ross he said thai
was not his name. He kept his face
covered all the time, and never saw
: his face. We rode long, long, time
and 1t was, coming toward night. He
was close by woods. He said Nov
we are in Pennsylvania and made me
get out of the automobile. / walked
went in and told them what had hap.
pened and asked if this was Pennsyl
vania. They said they did not know
Mr.. Harry Geiman nor where he lived
! There was man and a lady anG
three children there. They gave me
my supper and bed to sleep in, and
my breakfast Friday morning. Then ]
started to walk home and walked al
day. Before I got to Westminster ]
came to another big brick house. i
must have been about 10 o'clock al
night. The people Mere just going &c
bed, but when l called they let me
in and gave me something to eat and
wanted me to stay all night, but.
told them that must go home so that
Pop and Nom would not be worried
| went through Westminster. l got
home between IL and / o'clock. The
door was locked and did not knock
or call for / did not want to worry
, Pop and Nom. I went to the, barr
and crawled into the straw in the
NOW. I came down the ladder this
morning and Pop found me.
+ Doctors Coonan and Foutz were
present while the child was tefline
i his. story applying cold water AMI
4fr1rS1r : - -