Springfield Leader and Press
Wednesday, April 16, 1930
(Pages 1 and 2)
Boy is rescued from mans clutches after all-night search. Man gave toys as presents. Numerous children enticed by small gifts to accompany him to his place. Hidden beneath a crumbling farmhouse in an abandoned orchard near the east end of St Louis street, police today discovered a toy-strewn dungeon into which children had been lured by John Stewart, a middle aged junk man, who confessed he is an escaped inmate of the Nevada State Asylum. This ends the All night search for Glenn Ramey, 9 year old son of Mrs. Mable Ramey of 912 Forest Ave, who was reported missing from his home last night, led to Stewart’s arrest shortly before noon today by Detectives Le Jones and Sidney Brookshire. Guided by the man and the boy, whom they found together on East Walnut Street just west of National Ave. The officers drove east on Walnut street, through the heavy pasture gates which guard Stewart’s loathsome retreat and were led to Stewart’s farm. The farm hut was empty but for a black hole, partially covered with a sheet of iron, which led down to a heavy swinging cellar door. The door was chained fast and locked with a heavy padlock. Stewart supplied the key, the officers leaned against the door with all their might and it swung slowly upward. Inside it was pitch dark. Sheets of iron lined the walls and tattered strips of blanket covered the quarter windows. As their eyes became accustomed to the darkness, the detectives groped their way to an oil lamp upon a shelf by the bed, they lit the feeble light which revealed a fantastic chamber. Toys, battered dolls, an old pair of skates, littered the floor. Lewd pictures, some of them drawn in crayon by Stewart, hung among clipped magazines and tattered bits of cloth covering the walls. Upon a dilapidated table were the remains of a meal which Stewart and the boy (Ramey) had shared this morning-- molded donuts, a bit of bread, and a dish of kraut. There was a pile of dirty bedding upon the bed. In one corner was a small oil stove and pots and pans hung upon the wall near it. There was a hole to the wooden floor, opening into a spring which flows through pipes outside the building. The man firs insisted he was Patrick Hawerton, a 53 year old Junk Dealer, but admitted he had enticed the lad away from a carnival about six oclock last night and they had spent the night in the hut, which Stewart said was owned by John Dysart, for whom he once worked here. At police headquarters he changed his story, he said his real name was John Stewart and that he had “walked out” of the Nevada Insane Asylum last February. Glenn Ramey denied to police that he had been abused by Stewart and said that "he's not a bad man." When Stewart first approached him last night, young Ramey said It was beginning to rain and the man told him they had "better go to my house where It Is dry". The man had been under police suspicion as an abductor of children for some time. He was said to have lured them to his hut with offers of nickels and dimes and the used toys which he had collected In his rounds of Springfield alleys. [PAGE 2] Last night when Mrs. Ramey realized her son wasn’t home, the detectives said they did not become alarmed, as the boy usually goes anywhere In the city he desires, unaccompanied. This morning, however the two officers were assigned to make a thorough search of the city for him when his mother went to central station and frantically reported that he had not returned. Jones and Brookshlre were 'driving ' out Walnut street toward the carnival grounds when they saw Stewart and the boy together, stopped them and learned their identities. Officers voiced the opinion that young Ramey Is not altogether truthful regarding the things that transpired In the hut last night, and they said he will likely be held a short while for questioning. Stewart at first said he had lived in the shack for several years, one of his three children having been born there several years ago. Stewart denied that children taken to his den were abused. He takes the children, he said, "because they always remind him of "the three children I left behind when they first took me. to the insane asylum." The woman who bore his children never was married to him, he said. "Adam and Eve "Don't you think it is wrong to live with a woman and not be married to her?" Detective Hale asked. "Why, no," he retorted, 'Adam and Eve weren't married." Hale reminded him that Adam and Eve had difficulties. He said his children, two boys and a girl, are named Wetumpie, Weleakie, and ; Relegha. Police commented upon the oddity of the names. Some of them were reminded of similar names of certain towns in Oklahoma. Stewart said he first was sent to the Nevada Insane asylum about five years ago, when doctors thought he had suffered an attack of hydrophobia. Be said be was "In and out several times," but bad been In the hospital only a short time when he "walked out" last February. He said his children now are In "a state home," but his failure to give the name of the institution made officers doubt his story... At present he is being held at headquarters for Investigation. Inquiries regarding him were . telegraphed to the asylum at Nevada.
Springfield Leader and Press
Thursday, April 17, 1930
“Hawerton Likely to Return to State Insane Asylum: Assistant Prosecutor Asks For Mental Test Before Filing Complaint" --- Since his arrest as a child abductor early yesterday afternoon, Prak Hawerton, 52 - year - old Junk - dealer, alias John Stewart, has fallen into a coma in the city jail, which police and Assistant Harold Randall say necessitates a mental examination by the county physician. It is planned to take him to the county clinic this afternoon. After his arrest on East Walnut street yesterday afternoon with 9 - year - old Glenn Ramey, whom he lured away from a carnival to his ' filthy quarters in the basement of an abandoned shack at the rear of the Dysart stock farm a mile out of the city. Hawerton claimed to be "an escaped Inmate of the state insane asylum at Nevada. A telegram from that institution received by police this morning stated that 'he was released there. ' The message did not have the data of release. “Nickels Tempted Child” . . His arrest .climaxed a search by Detectives Lee Jones and Sidney Brookshlre, who were assigned to find young Ramey after his mother reported to police that her boy had not returned to their home since leaving for the carnival early Wednesday night. The day before, the wife of an employee of an automobile agency reported to police that Hawerton had given her small daughter a nickel at noon that day, with a promise of more money and toys if she would meet him after school that day and go to his home. The child refused the offer. “Detectives Find Mountain of Toys”. Hawerton and the Ramey youth spent the night in the basement of the hut, arose and ate a breakfast of stale bread, molded doughnuts and kraut, and were coming to town when officers, who were on their way to the shack, spotted them. Young Glenn Ramey, carrying a toy rifle Hawerton had given him, repeatedly denied that he had been abused. A search of the basement by the officers revealed small mountain of toys, supposedly collected by Hawerton during his trips up and down back alleys of the city looking for scraps of iron, old bottles and other articles collected by junk dealers. The junker told police he frequently has small boys and girls In his quarters as they remind him of his own children, whom, he said, were taken from him when he was sent to the asylum from Joplin several years ago. He become indignant at the thought of being under suspicion as a kidnaper
