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The Day the Children Vanished

Modified by: Laura Parsons

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Nine children from the town of Clayton travel by bus to

school in Lakeview everyday.

Went to school in busNine children

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Since there were only nine children, their bus was a

station wagon painted as a school bus.

station wagon paintedThe bus

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Jerry Mahoney, a man from Clayton, was hired to be

their bus driver.

Bus driverJerry Mahoney

Jerry

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Everyone in Clayton and Lakeview liked and

respected Jerry Mahoney.

Liked Jerry MahoneyEveryone

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Jerry was a mechanic who could fix any engine.

Was a mechanicJerry Mahoney

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He was engaged to marry Elizabeth Deering.

Elizabeth DeeringPeter was engaged

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Elizabeth worked at Clayton bank.

Worked at bankElizabeth

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The road the bus traveled included a two mile “dugway”.

Two mile “dugway"The bus route

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It was called the “dugway” because it had been dug out of the side of the mountain.

Dug from mountainThe road

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The road also wound around the side of the lake with a

heavy wire guardrail protecting it from the lake.

Protects from lakeHeavy guardrail

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After school one day, Jerry headed into the dugway to take the nine kids home in

his bus.

To take kids homeDrove into dugway”

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At about four thirty in the afternoon, Joe Gorman realized that the bus was three quarters

of an hour late.

The bus was lateAt four thirty

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He called the school principal to find out what

had happened.

Called the schoolJoe Gorman

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Mrs. Bromfield, the principal, received seven

phone calls about the bus.

Mrs. BromfieldHe spoke to principal

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Nobody knew where the bus with the nine kids was.

Where the kids wereNobody knew

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It seemed to have vanished.

Had vanishedThe bus

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Jake Nugent said that Jerry had stopped by before driving

into the dugway.

He had seen JerryJake Nugent said

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Joe Nugent drove his jeep into the dugway to look for

the bus.

Drove jeep to look for kids

Joe Nugent

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He didn’t find the bus. There was no break in the wire

guardrail and no bent post.

Were not bentGuardrail and wire

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There were no signs of the bus going into the lake.

Didn’t go into lakeThe bus

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Joe called the trooper barracks in Lakeview to report it.

…called state troopers

Joe Nugent

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Trooper Teliski and Karl Dickler showed up to figure it out.

Karl DicklerTrooper Teliski

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Karl Dickler said he passed the bus going into the

dugway…but it never came out the other end.

Had passed the busKarl Dickler

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Hundreds of people began searching the area.

Searched the areaHundreds of people

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The bus couldn’t be in the lake because the guardrail was intact

and the lake was frozen over.

…was frozen overThe lake…

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People began saying mean things about Jerry Mahoney.

About Jerry MahoneySaying mean things

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They started saying that he kidnapped the kids.

…Jerry kidnapped the kids

People said that…

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At nine-thirty at night, people went to Jerry Mahoney’s

house to question his father and girlfriend.

Jerry Mahoney’s house

People visited

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Jerry’s father, Pat, and girlfriend, Elizabeth, didn’t

know anything.

Jerry’s dadPat Mahoney

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They were very worried about Jerry.

Elizabeth was worriedPat was worried

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Pat was a old man who kept talking about the old

days…not the missing bus.

…the old daysPat talked about…

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He liked to talk about “The Great Thurston” who had the

greatest magic act ever.

Greatest magic act ever

“The Great Thurston”

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At daylight, helicopters were searching and a five-state

alarm was issued.

Helicopters searched for missing kids

At daylight

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A man named Clyde Haviland was in charge of the search.

In charge of searchClyde Haviland

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He went to Jerry’s house to ask Pat some more questions.

Asked Pat Mahoney questions

Clyde Haviland

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Pat still did not know where his son, Jerry, and the nine

kids were.

He didn’t know where the kids were

Pat told him

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Pat continued to talk about “The Great Thurston” and his magic

act.

“The Great Thurston”Pat talked about

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He also talked about the act he and his wife used to do…

Mahoney and Faye Boffo Buffalo

He and his wifePat talked about

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News came that some clothes and books had been found by

the quarry…but no kids.

Were foundClothes and books

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By this time, the town of Clayton was dead and

most stores were closed.

Were closedMost stores in town

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There were only two girls, Gertrude and Millie, working

in the telephone office…

In telephone officeTwo girls working

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… and one man, Mr. Granger, working at the bank

At the bankOne man working

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Everyone else was out at the quarry helping search for the missing kids, bus, and

bus driver.

Searching for the kidsEveryone else

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Pat Mahoney, Jerry’s father, decided to get dressed in his old cowboy costume.

Dressed in cowboy suit

Pat Mahoney

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Pat walked out of his house and towards the bank.

In the streetPat, in cowboy suit

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The girls at the telephone office saw him in the street.

Saw Pat in streetTwo women

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Pat walked into the bank and asked for his bank account statement of

the past three months.

Went into bankPat Mahoney

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Mr. Granger walked into the vault to get Pat’s bank statement.

Walked into the vaultMr. Granger

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Pat told him to close the vault, stay inside, and set

off the bank alarms

Set off alarmsClose the vault

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Gertrude and Millie saw a car drive up in front of the

bank and four men get out.

In front of bankCar drove up

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Two of the men had suitcases and two of the men had guns.

Two men had gunsTwo men had suitcases

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The bank doors opened and Pat came out shooting his guns.

Pat shooting his gunsBank doors opened

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The bank robbers ran for cover.

Ran for coverBank robbers

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Pat told them to give up and throw their guns down.

Throw guns downGive up

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One of the robbers threw his gun down.

Threw down his gunsOne robber

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One of the robbers shot Pat in the shoulder.

Shot Pat in shoulderOne robber

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Next, two of the robbers got shot

Were shotTwo of the robbers

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Mr. Haviland shot the two men and the other two men gave up

Shot two robbersMr. Haviland

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Elizabeth ran into the street to see if Pat was OK.

…to see if Pat was OKElizabeth ran…

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Trooper Teliski came to tell everyone that Jerry and the

kids had been found and were safe.

Kids had been foundTrooper Teliski

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Jerry said that the bank robbers had kidnapped them…

Kidnapped themBank robbers

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…and put their bus in the back of a truck to hide them.

…in back of truckPut bus…

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Haviland explained that Pat Mahoney figured out what had

happened and…

Figured outPat Mahoney

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…was the person to thank for saving the bank from being

robbed.

Pat MahoneyThank

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Pat Mahoney told Jerry, “It was a boffo”.

It was a BoffoPat Mahoney

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The End