The diamond drill., 1921-01-22
DEMENTED MAN AT F0N DU LAC
CLAIMED TO BE WILLIE
BOY WAS STOLEN IN 1881
Search Was Made In Every Part
OF The Globe To Find The
Boy Without Avail

Ola residents OF tnese parts VIII Dt
interested In an item that appeared
in Fon du Lac paper last week ii
which the unsolved disappearance o1
Willie Dickenson is revived So many
Of our people are conversant with the
facts surrounding the Disappearance,
OF the boy that We reprint the story
OF the Fon du Lac incident. Ii is al
follows:
Claiming to be Willie Dickinson
who was kidnapped at Florence
Wis, 80 years ago in 1881. l.. G
Purcell. OF Lincoln, Neb., believed tc
be deranged was taken into custody
at Fon du Lac Friday afternoon, and
while being held at the county Jail
pending the arrival OF his relatives tlc
take him back to Lincoln, yesterday
morning committed suicide by hang
ing himself from the top OF his cell
with a rope made with towels and
handkerchiefs.
According to his statements when
he was taken into custody. Purcell
intrested an attorney at Lincoln in
his case and induced him TO finance
a trip 10 Marinette where he was led
10 believe he would be able TO find
out something about the parents OF
Willie Dickinson. At the same time
Purcell intended TO look up another
clue at Oshkosh relative to the Dick
enson matter.
Early last week he went to Osh-
kosh in an attempt TO locate the Die
henson family but his search was
fruitiess On his return TO Fon du
Lac, for some unaccountable reason,
he left the interurban car at the
village OF North Fon du Lac and took
to the tracks, carrying an iron rod
and claiming that he was being fol-
lowed by two men from Chicago, and
that they had threatened his life. An
officer found Purcell standing in front
OF one OF the Fon du Lac stores a
short time later, crying. He was taxi
en- 10 the police station and later
turned over to the county sheriff.
Purcell's family was communicated
with and the attorney, c. C. Potter. OF
Lincoln, instructed the authorities to
release him and to instruct Purcell
70 wire them at once
'He is all right, though very ner
vous over domestic troubles" the
wire stated.
In return the sheriff wired that
some one De sent to accompany Pur-
cell back TO his home. and while ne
was waiting for relative he took his
life.
Case Reviewed
A letter addressed 20 Purcell at
So6 N. Sixteenth street. Lincoln, Neb.,
signed by Mrs. w. L. Buckman. s22
Main street. Marinette. Wis, found on
mis- person tells graphic story OF
the case. A quoted in the Fon du
Lac Commonwealth. Il follows:
"Dear Sir--Yours OF December IL
at hand and contents carefully noted.
The boy have been searching for
so many years was named While
Dickenson, son OF Captain and Mrs.
Dickenson. AT the time OF the kid
mapping ne was about i've years old
He was on his return home from an
aunt's where he had been sent on an
errand This was all that ever could
be discovered. His parents az once
began statewide then a u S. wide
search. His mother made many trips
east and west following false clues
and made one trip 10 Europe. / am
not his mother and have never seen
his parents hut have some cores
pondence with them trying TO assist
In locating him. II Is several years
since ! have written or heard from
them but have never given up hunt
ing and II was by the merest acci.
dent that noticed the appeal from
him 10 locate his parents and native
town, His parents employed detec-
tives all over the United States and
no doubt when he was hidden in the
strawstack. his deliverance was near
You will note that speak with con-
adence but this Is the most promis-
ine clue have ever taken up.
For Eve or six years / was huntips
among the Indians and there Taf
one tribe who had white boy but
kept him so completely hidden II was
difHcult 10 get 70 see him as they
Continued on page