Tampico Tornado - Thursday, August 20, 1914

RACES HERE TO BEAT DEATH

Mysterious Strangers Races Here To Take Runaway Boy To Dying Mother

Hunting a runaway boy and in a race with death to get him back to his mother who was dying in New York, a stranger considerably excited landed in Tampico Tuesday evening having ascertained that the boy in question was working for Mrs. Sarah HACKETT, south of Tampico. The well dressed, middle aged stranger who refused to divulge his name and registered "J. O. S." at the Pitney house applied to officer VAN DREW and the boy who goes by the name of OLMSTEAD was soon located in town, taken before the stranger whom he recognized, then taken in charge both leaving at once after securing his effects at the HACKETT farm, via Sterling for New York.

The stranger was very much excited and stated that he must secure the lad at all hazards, that the boy had run away presumably under an assumed name and then written home for money which enabled relatives to trace him to Tampico. After getting sight of the boy the stranger even refused to permit him out of his sight, took him to a room at Pitney house where the boy's old work clothes were discarded and given away and both hurried to Sterling in auto to catch a fast train for New York. Considerable mystery surrounds the boy and the mysterious stranger who is supposed to be the boys uncle or guardian. It is supposed he comes from a wealthy family because the stranger was liberal with money but wanted his identity concealed and that of the boy. Why the boy ran away and came west was not stated but he seemed williing to return. He is about seventeen or eighteen years of age and he has been well behaved while working in the vicinity.