New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-28
Children Lost
Four Days Are
Found LIN Closet
Girl S, Boy z, While Playing
Hide and Seek, Were
Made Prisoners by a
Door With a Spring Lock
Feeble Raps Give Clew
Half of Paterson Sought
Them for % Hours; Near
Collapse When Found

PATERSON, N. j., May 27.-Five.
year-old Stella Wiener and Harry
Barber jr., seven years old, for whom
half the city has been hunting since
Monday, were found to-day in a clothes
closet in an unoccupied apartment, the
spring lock of which had imprisoned
them when they. invaded the dark re-
cess in game of hide-and- Mon
day afternoon.
For ninety-two hours Stella and
Harry had been prisoners in the dark
and sitting cubicle, which is twelve
inches deep, thirty-six inches wide and
six feet in height. Since Tuesday
morning the police, Boy Scouts, police
dogs and thousands of individuals have
been searching the city and its envi-
rcns and dragging the Passaic River
for the children.
Found by Accident
Their discovery in the untenanted
apartment, at IA Tyler Street, directly
above the home of Stella's uncle, was
sheer accident. Jacob Wiener Jr.,
nineteen years old, Stella's brother, had
gone to the house to see his cousin,
Samuel Miller. The two youths, who
had been leaders in The search for the
children, canvassed the situation for
hopes and found none. Every nook
and corner of the countryside had been
searched with thoroughness to which
their aching muscles bore testimony.
They reached the conclusion that no
more would be seen of Stella and Harry
until the river gave up it's dead, and de-
cided to devote the afternoon to poker
Suspecting that Samuels family would
frown upon the project if they started
dealing stud on the dining room table,
Jacob and Samuel repaired to the
empty apartment on the next floor.
''Hey, what's the matter with you ?''
demanded Jacob, as Samuel, whose best
visible card was the nine of hearts,
showed a nickel out. 81 didn't check
"What you rappin' for, then?" in
quired Samuel, belligerently.
Rapping Continues
He started and glanced inquiringly
about him as the rapping was repeated.
This time Jacob heard it. 1t was as
if some one was tapping feebly and
fumblingly at door which both knew
led nowhere but into shallow clothes
press. Jacob sprang to the door and
flung it open.
The long sought and despaired- of
Harry, who had been kneeling on the
floor of the closet beating against the
door with his waning strength, fell
forward on the floor before him. Stella
was huddled in corner, too weak to
move.
Cards and bets forgotten, Jacob and
Samuel carried the lost children in
triumph to the Miller apartment.
Dl,,1e nSo j cl
nourishment had been administered
sparingly the children were able to tell
how they came to be in the closet. By
comparing their story with that of a
little girl with whom they were playing
hide and seek, the mystery was solved.
Hiding from the little girl, they had
crept into the closet and shut the
door. She never found them, and when
they had tried to open the door they
failed. There were cracks though
which they could see light, but except
for factory whistles and the scamper-
ing of mice they had heard no sound
until voices came to Harry's ears and
he began to hammer on the door.
Slept Most of the Time
The girl from whom they had hidden,
believing that they had cheated by going
home without her, abandoned the
search for them after while and went
home to her dinner. When the hue and
cry was raised the next morning she
had no suspicion that Harry and Stella
were still in their hiding place, wher-
ever it might be, and so said nothing
of their game.
Harry said that once they had dis
covered that no one could hear their
cries and pounding, they slept most of
the time. He lives at 122 River Street
and Stella's home is at Tyler Street.