Evening star., 1923-12-26
SCHOOLS CLOSED TO BOY.
Foster Father Afraid to Educate
Him in New Jersey.
BIZ ROBERT 4. SMALL,
Special Correspondence OF The Star

Copyright 1923. by The Starr
CONVENT, n. j., December 26.-
Not only is the church of his bene-
factor closed against him, but it was
said here today that the schools of
this vicinity unquestionabIy would
bar the attendance of sixteen-year-
old Francis Kluxen, Sd. who was ac-
cused and acquitted of the murder of
eleven-year- Janet Lawrence, the
school girl found dead in Kluxen's
Woods some two years ago with
thirty-dve stab wounds in her frail
and partly denuded little body
The bitterness of the feeling
against young KluXen in Morris
county knows no bounds. An evidence
of this is the statement of Prosecutor
James H. Bolitho that he will at
tmept to have young Kluxen tried
again desipte the constitutional pro-
vision that no mans life shall be
offense.
To many persons the Bolitho threat
IL regarded merely as political
move, but that the prosecutor should
heard of move against the kluxen
boy is significant of the temper OF
the county and of the people of Madf-
son village.
Boy Kept From Church.
The Bolitho threat has stirred
northern New Jersey again. and there
is a belief in the household of Mcneil
Sayre the wealthy bachelor who has
befriended the boy and Will adopt
him on January 4, that further at
tempts will be made on Francis llfe.
There was no move made to take the
lad to Christmas services at Grace
Episcopal Church in Madison. where
Mr.. Sayre Is a vestryman and Where
he has been warned never to bring
the boy again.
The rector Of the church has denied
that he instigated the move against
the Kluxen boy and says that it Is
entirely up to the Vestrymen 10 ue-
eide who shall and who shall not at
tend the church. 1t is admitted al
the church however, that Mr.. Sayre
has been told that Francis would be
forcibly elected if he attempted to at
tend further services.
The Kluxen lad is Roman Cathonc,
and Mr.. Syre says 1t is for this reason
alone that he does not press the issue
in his own church. According to Mr.
Sayre Francis will be brought up IN
his own faith, but ne has made no move
as vet to send the boy alone to serv-
ices in any Catholic parish.
Mr. Sayre is bringing a tutor from
England to prepare young hluxen lot
college. He went abroad in Novemoer
took Francis with him. Mr.. Sayre
has felt it would be unsafe to send the
boy to any school in northern Jersey
even if he should be accepted by the
attempts surely would be made on the
lads life If he were not constantly pro-
tected.
College I'm England.
When the boy is ready for college 1t
is probable he will be sent to England
and given a thorough university train.
ing. No decision will be made until
then az to where his future life shall
be spent.
There is no question but that the
statement of Prosecutor Bolitho that
he will seek retrial of Francis has
added a vast amount of timber to the
flames of hatred running against the
lad in this section of the state, and 1t
may be necessary yet for his patron
to take him away. Mr.. Sayre says,
he will fight all the boys "traducers
and prosecutors" to the bitter end. He
calls attention to the fact that a pri-
vate detective who criticized the con-
his acquittal was promptly tried for
criminal libel and sentenced to a year
in Jail.
Attorneys consulted by Mr.. Sayre
make light of the prosecutors threat
and regard IL as an unwise and inflam-
Inatory move to make at this time.
The prosecutor says young Kluxen was
tried by foreign jury" of talesmen
selected from another county. He
says, therefore, that his trial was not
legal in any way, and, therefore. his
life was not in jeopardy. 1t is claimed
that the jurymen from another county
did not constitute body of the boys S
peers.
Lawyers who discussed the case
today say the prosecutors position
as entirely untenable and they further
say that Mr.. Bolitho himself Goes not
expect anything really to come from
his move. That is why they are par
ficularly critical of 1t. If 1t is up to
anyone to make a complaint of the
jury it is the defendant, it is stated
The rights of the state couli not be
contravened no matter frcm what
part of the state the jury might be
summoned. The move by Mr.. Bolitho
will fail, according to the lawyers
who have looked up the precedents
Francis and Mr.. Sayre listened t.
church services yesterday ever a new
radio set received as Christmas pres
ent. The boy was fairly buried In
presents. But he sits today unse-
curely in a community that is de-
manding his life.