BOY SEEKS ADVENTURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19140, 8 October 1936, Page 14

BOY SEEKS ADVENTURE

' BUNS AWAY TWICE WANTED TO GO TO SEA LONDON, Aug. 20. For the second time within a week Frederick Johnstone, 9, was found early this morning asleep on Brighton beach after running away from home to find adventure on the high' seas. The hoy, who lives in Carolina road, Green lane, Norbury, London, S.W., was found on the beach there last Wednesday in similar circumstances, after having been missing for three days* On Monday ho again vanished from his home in Norbury. To-day he was found by a fisherman lying asleep with a book of sea thrillers clasped in his hand. He was taken to the police station, where he said that he had left home with a few pence only.

"I took a train to Morden and from there walked all the way to Brighton. On Monday night I slept in a hedge at the roadside. "I wanted to go to sea and go round the* world myself, to find out whether the adventure stories I had read were true." From Morden to. Brighton is £0 miles. The boy added that he wanted to get to Dqver, which r he had heard was a good, place to start from. It is believed that lie intended to row there from Brighton, but failed to drag a boat down to the sea. •'

He repeated the story of his desire to emulate the feats of the crew of the schooner Girl Pat, and to travel, but always before the. mast. His mother was sent for, and while waiting for Iter to take him home he sat in tlie police station with a book about pirates. He refused to give any interviews, .

When his mother arrived she hurried him away, and, in reply to questions, called out, "He is no hero." She would say no more. > • ' When he ran away a week ago the boy took out a rowing-boat alone, with the intention of boarding a steamer in the Channel, but, becoming tired, returned to the beach.