Identified! PA - Philadelphia, 'Boy in the Box', WhtMale 4-6, 4UMPA, Feb'57

[Ms Suzanne]

Thank You very much for keeping us updated Rutt.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I do think Rutts renters make the most sense and on another early lead David Stouts book says the boy in the picture found at the Horsham suspects farm was traced.He was a relative of someone staying at the farm?I'm assuming they saw him and found him? So I went back to the drawing board.I am pretty convinced the Identity of this little boy in the box was a early lead,ruled out and that's probably why they are not finding out who this little boy is.But I could be wrong.I hope they are very seriously going back through all these old leads again.I promised this little boy at his grave site I would try my very best to find out his name and give it to him and I will.Next Lead...

 

[Ms Suzanne]

This is an early lead in march 1957 from the Americas unknown website.I'm getting more and more convinced this little boy was just getting in a orphanage,foster home,or children's home.Like the cold case show suggested maybe some papers were falsified or something like that.I've always thought he was one of the children waiting to be put in a state institution.I strongly believe this little boy should be looked into again.If it's not this little boy.I feel something like this might have possibly happened.Maybe even placed in temporary care first or a foster home and then put in a orphanage possibly.I would like to know about this particular little boy.



http://americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm


Unidentified Pennsylvania Couple - In March 1957, a Manayunk, PA couple told detectives they thought the boy might be their 6-year-old son, whom they had last seen seven months earlier when he was placed in an orphanage by the Municipal Court. The mother said the boy "looks like him" and the father said he wasn't "too sure." A team of detectives later found the boy in a private orphanage in West Philadelphia.



I would like to know who these people were and the name of this little boy put into the orphanage.I feel they should look into this again.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Does anyone know or can find out who this little boy was that was put in this orphanage or who his parents were or what private orphanage he was put into?





http://americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm


Unidentified Pennsylvania Couple - In March 1957, a Manayunk, PA couple told detectives they thought the boy might be their 6-year-old son, whom they had last seen seven months earlier when he was placed in an orphanage by the Municipal Court. The mother said the boy "looks like him" and the father said he wasn't "too sure." A team of detectives later found the boy in a private orphanage in West Philadelphia.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I need help finding out who this little boy put in that private orphanage in West Philadelphia is.What private orphanage in West Philadelphia do you think he was put in?

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I can't find the name of the little boy that was put in that private West Philadelphia orphanage.Can someone else find his name or know who that little boy was?

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I'm still looking I can't find the name of the little boy that was put in that private West Philadelphia orphanage.Can someone else find his name or know who that little boy was? I think he should be looked into again.

 

[Marilynilpa]

I'm still looking I can't find the name of the little boy that was put in that private West Philadelphia orphanage.Can someone else find his name or know who that little boy was? I think he should be looked into again.

I don't know how to go about tracking this down. I found a link concerning the Orphan Society of Philadelphia that existed from 1914 to 1965:

http://hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/findingaid1913orphansoc.pdf

The little boy you were referring to - did you see an article where he was specified by name? I'll see if I can find anything by searching old articles.

Here's a link about another Philadelphia orphanage:

http://stjohnsorphanage.blogspot.com/

It sounds like the man who wrote this blog had terrible experiences at this orphanage. Maybe you could contact him to see if he has any suggestions about this boy.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I'm am looking to see if anyone knows who this little boy was and what private orphanage he was put into.It does not say.I'm just asking if anyone remembers these people and who they were and who this little boy was.I think they should check this early lead again.

Does anyone know or can find out who this little boy was that was put in this orphanage or who his parents were or what private orphanage he was put into?





http://americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm


Unidentified Pennsylvania Couple - In March 1957, a Manayunk, PA couple told detectives they thought the boy might be their 6-year-old son, whom they had last seen seven months earlier when he was placed in an orphanage by the Municipal Court. The mother said the boy "looks like him" and the father said he wasn't "too sure." A team of detectives later found the boy in a private orphanage in West Philadelphia.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

On another lead.What ever happened with Mrs. Cora Thompson from Tulsa Oklahoma who son came up missing and her story?Does anyone know who they were.I'd like to know.What was looked into with her and her son.It says nothing ever became of it.Why?



http://americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm


Mrs. Cora Thompson of Tulsa, OK - telephoned Philadelphia detectives and said she thought the boy found beaten to death in Philadelphia might be her son who had been missing for two years. Pictures of the dead boy were sent to Tulsa police so that the woman could check them, but nothing came of it.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

If I may please put this here. This board was made to help find the Identity of a little Unidentified boy they call (The Boy In The Box) He was found not alive. He was about 4 to 6 years old and found on February 25 1957 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.I put all the information I could find and will find on this board to do everything I can to help Identify this little one.Someone,somewhere knows who this little boy is. This makes me very sad. I promised this little one at his grave I would do everything I can and do my very best to find out who he is and give him his real name and I will. He deserved his name a long time ago. I also put a unidentified little girl (Baby Hope) found in 1991 in New York and other Unidentified Jane and John Does on here too to help try and Identify them also.This board is not really a discussion board. I set it up mainly for information purposes.It is being built up now. ALL EVIL NEEDS TO SUCCEED IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO DO NOTHING!!!!

http://theboyinthebox.yuku.com

 

[cutter99]

Both my parents grew up within 10 miles of where this child was found and at the time would have been 13 or 14 years old. My father vaguely remembered the case, but my mother knew immediately what I was talking about then I mentioned "The Boy in the Box" today after reading this thread.

My mother said at the time it happened local residents assumed the boy was from out of the area, especially due to the fact no one in the immediate Philadelphia area had reported a child missing. I also asked my mother if parents became more paranoid or watchful over their children because of this happening and she said no because they really believed he had been brought there and dumped and whoever had done it was no longer in the area. I found this VERY ironic because my mother's mother was EXTREMELY paranoid when it came to watching over her children (she was sure there was a child kidnapper around every corner) and if she was not hypersensative after this incident, that really said something.

Talking to my mother today also drove another point home to me. Is it possible to talk to people who grew up in the area who may still remember details? My parents are in their late sixties and are still sharp- there may be others still in the area as well, but those people are aging rapidly. Now might be the time to really generate some interest, possibly through both the traditional media outlets and social networks.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I found this newspaper article.I keep thinking he was adopted out or something and I wonder if anyone over the years,mother,siblings,father have been looking for this little boy like this somehow.


Mother, child reunion took 57 years

http://www.kansas.com/2012/04/02/2284719/mother-child-reunion-took-57-years.html

 

[Satch]

Both my parents grew up within 10 miles of where this child was found and at the time would have been 13 or 14 years old. My father vaguely remembered the case, but my mother knew immediately what I was talking about then I mentioned "The Boy in the Box" today after reading this thread.

My mother said at the time it happened local residents assumed the boy was from out of the area, especially due to the fact no one in the immediate Philadelphia area had reported a child missing. I also asked my mother if parents became more paranoid or watchful over their children because of this happening and she said no because they really believed he had been brought there and dumped and whoever had done it was no longer in the area. I found this VERY ironic because my mother's mother was EXTREMELY paranoid when it came to watching over her children (she was sure there was a child kidnapper around every corner) and if she was not hypersensative after this incident, that really said something.

Talking to my mother today also drove another point home to me. Is it possible to talk to people who grew up in the area who may still remember details? My parents are in their late sixties and are still sharp- there may be others still in the area as well, but those people are aging rapidly. Now might be the time to really generate some interest, possibly through both the traditional media outlets and social networks.

I remember "The Boy in the Box" case, and that was a haunting one for me. There were like six theories as to who the boy was and what happened to him. I would have to go back and review them.

I'll ask WS-Do you remember if foster homes and orphanages where checked at the time and over the years for a missing boy? What I know, is that back in those days, some of those places were noted as "asylums." And what they did to kids back them, was beyond horrible. In some of the theories, the boy was given the alias "Johnathon."

I think the boy could have been abused on of those terrible asylum places. The birth-parents for reasons unknown may have just given him up. Maybe he had a disability that was severe, and the birth-parents wanted nothing to do with the boy. In those days, severely disabled people were sent to institutions like that when parents didn't care.

I think something happened at the facility. An aide could have done something really bad to "Johnathon." resulting in his death. Theorizing that "The Boy" had a severe disability and had already been abandoned by his birth parents, they wouldn't come and look for him, and the rest of society wouldn't know about it until it was too late. By the time that famous poster-filer hit the Philadelphia press, I think someone or several someone's to "save face." found the cardboard box, and bassinet, and would likely drive any evidence out of the area. This was a planned thing. Somebody got away with killing this poor kid. Whether it was an accident. (involuntary manslaughter) or some degree of murder, I agree that whoever was responsible wanted to get the evidence out of the community.

What is not known is exactly, or even approximately how far away from where the boy was killed to where he was found. It could still be a local incident, but I don't think so. Wikipedia, (which does not always have accurate information because anyone can edit it.) was a site I used to go to for updated information about "The Boy in The Box." I will visit the site now, after writing this to get caught up on the case:

Really sad!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_in_the_Box_(Philadelphia)

Satch

 

[cutter99]

There is something that sticks out to me that makes me think this child was in a foster home or some sort of institution- the way his fingernails and toenails were neatly clipped and the very recent haircut. Are those possibly things that were done to children upon admission?

My youngest sibling was adopted from Korea in 1975. I can remember when my family went to pick him up from the flight to NYC from Korea. He had a brand new haircut, was immaculately groomed and a brand new set of clothing and shoes. I think that knowing this is what makes me think that The Boy in the Box was recently taken into some kind of care.

I think Satch is also correct about families in that time period who had children with "issues"- whether they be mental or physical. At that time, many were institutionalized because that is what was done at that period in time- children with handicaps, Downs Syndrom, blindness, mental retardation, etc. Families were not encouraged to keep children who had problems at home- in fact they were encourage to put them away, usually the sooner the better!

Again, these are just my thoughts. Don't know if there is any relevence to them or not!

 

[Ms Suzanne]

There is something that sticks out to me that makes me think this child was in a foster home or some sort of institution- the way his fingernails and toenails were neatly clipped and the very recent haircut. Are those possibly things that were done to children upon admission?

My youngest sibling was adopted from Korea in 1975. I can remember when my family went to pick him up from the flight to NYC from Korea. He had a brand new haircut, was immaculately groomed and a brand new set of clothing and shoes. I think that knowing this is what makes me think that The Boy in the Box was recently taken into some kind of care.

I think Satch is also correct about families in that time period who had children with "issues"- whether they be mental or physical. At that time, many were institutionalized because that is what was done at that period in time- children with handicaps, Downs Syndrom, blindness, mental retardation, etc. Families were not encouraged to keep children who had problems at home- in fact they were encourage to put them away, usually the sooner the better!

Again, these are just my thoughts. Don't know if there is any relevence to them or not!

I agree with you.I feel he was just getting into and being admitted into a foster home,children's home orphanage or institution.The nails trimmed,hair cut,eye checked.A place that took babies and children because of the bassinet box.I think they focused on the wrong foster home.But I know it could very well have been a family too.I just very strongly feel this little one changed care takers and he died getting his hair cut.He either went somewhere else or someone new came to him.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Maybe he was from somewhere much further away.A different County?Maybe that's why no one knows who he is.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I'm still getting more and more convinced this little boy in the box was just getting into an institution somewhere.I know he very well he could have come from a family.But I am very heavily leaning towards a foster home,children's home, orphanage,or Child welfare.DHS.Please help me find children's homes,orphanages,foster homes probably in the Philadelphia area that took babies ,and children in 1957.

 

[southern_scout]

You might try calling Friends Hospital in Philadelphia. They may have some idea of orphanages/asylums in the area at that time

http://friendshospital.com/about/timeline/

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Thank you.If anyone finds any please let us know.