The Washington times., 1922-05-21
phQrLif3kett,1Qh
And His Cellar Dungeon

THE faint cry OF child was heard
coming from the cellar Of the house
at No. 104 Marlborough Road, Syra-
cuse, N. Y.
Again and again the pitiful sound was
heard by neighbors, who reported the fact
to the Syracuse Society for the Prevention
OF Cruelty to Children. Superintendent
Mesick, of this society," and Mrs. Genevieve
Searles. policewoman, broke into the cellar
of the house, and there discovered Ave
year-old Kenneth Vernier.
The little boy was lying on rag carpet
in an old dry.goods box, back of the fur
mace. in the Vernier cellar. 1t was place
literally not At for dog.
They rescued a half-starved child nearly
naked. His trembling legs were bare and
he was shivering with cold. The weather
was cold, the cellar was damp and he wore
only rough cloth blouse-no underwear,
nothing on his legs. His skinny arms,
hardly two inches in diameter, and his
equally skinny legs, showed indisputsble
evidence of acute undertaking. His knees
stuck out from his emaciated legs like
knots on a stick.
The boy was filthy beyond description
with coal dust and other cellar debris. On
one side of his head the hair was worn 70
the scalp and the skin torn by the rough
ness of his improvised bed.
Still further amazement was caused
when the rescuers found that the poor child
had been kept in this miserable cellar for
FIVE whole months. He had been hrst put
there on Thanksgiving Day, 1921, and since
Christmas last until April 20 the unhappy
boy had been imprisoned in this den with
out moments release.
Think of the terrors Of such a situation
for a human child. Think Of the natural
fear of the darkness which a child has.
Think of that darkness not only at night,
but all day long, day after day. night after
night, for months.
The eyes grow unfit to see the light, IN
time they become blind the skin blanches.
the blood loses its red corpuscles, the ap-
petite fails, the body refuses to perform
its functions. The prisoner lies on the
camp, il-smelling. mildewed ground, and
panions. Men have lived under such con-
ditions for years and have then been found
TO have almost lost human appearance, but
it is doubtful if a delicate child could have
endured such Imprisonment much longer
than little Kenneth VerDier.
Kenneth Vernier had begun his life in
d grave.
And he had been put there and kept
there by his father, Herbert p. Vernier-a
man of good position, a construction en-
gineer earning a large salary-and by his
mother.
There are eleven other children in the
family, ranging from Everett Vernier,
seventeen, to Laurier, who was only born
two months ago The oldest boy, Everett,
who lives away from home, had sent in.
formation concerning the misery OF his
brother Kenneth.
All the other children were we'll dressed
and showed every evidence of scrupulous
care.
"They are even IuXuriOusly dressed
commented Superintendent MesiCk, while
little Kenneth looks worse than Russian
refugee"
When Superintendent Mesick invaded the
Vernier home Mrs. Verner volunteered to
call the child for him.
81 will go and find him for you" cried
the mother rather eagerly, although she
was only just convalescing from serious
illness.
But the official pushed her aside and