So this takes place a year after Kid Blink got buried in the cemetery in Queens. Wow.

Like Sara Bareilles' song Chasing the Sun: 'In the cemetery / In the center of Queens.'

I love the plan I came up with for this chapter. I didn't even know I was going to write it until I wrote the first sentence haha.

Enjoy! :)

----------------------------------

Everyone had agreed that the best course of action was to see if they can find old newspaper records of the death of McManus. Of course, since it was in 1905, they highly doubt anyone would have newspapers from nearly 10 years ago just lying around. Especially since it's old news.

But it wasn't old news back then. It was big. And so everyone wanted to write about it. Including, they reasoned, The New York Sun.

And true, it's been years, but they have confidence that their man Denton is still doing what he loves: writing for a paper.

David remembers where Denton's apartment was. Maybe it's a long stretch that he would still be there, but it's their best bet right now.

And so they follow David.

"I've been doing this a lot lately, haven't I?" Jack mutters as he knocks on Denton's door--if it's still Denton's.

"Yes you have," David tells him unhelpfully. "First my door, and then I had to watch as you went to find all our old friends."

I've been visiting old friends more in the past two days than I have in the past decade. Jack swallows. He wants to do better than that.

He doesn't have any more time to think on it, because the person inside the apartment--whoever it is, really--opens the door.

And there he is.

Bryan Denton.

He's aged well, and he looks healthy.

And once he recognizes them, he looks happy to see them.

He smiles. "What brings you here?"

Jack sighs. "It's a long story."

"Good thing I have a lot of time," Denton tells him. He motions into his apartment. "Come on in."

It's exactly how David remembers it. 

"So, what can I help you with?" Denton asks after he closes the door behind them.

"We were wondering if you have access to papers from other years," Jack tells him.

Denton tilts his head inquisitively. "Oh?"

This is going to take a while. Jack nods nervously. "From 1905."

"That was the year The Tribune covered the story of Dutch Johnson," Denton comments softly.

Jack swallows. "Yep."

"I remember wanting to help you guys out, but The Sun had sent me out of state covering a different story before I could."

Jack remembers.

But that's not what they're here to talk about.

"We're here for something else."

"So what happened in 1905 that you want records of?" Denton asks curiously.

Jack exchanges glances with everyone. They all nod encouragingly.

So Jack explains it all. He explains Kid Blink's letter, or at least the parts that are relevant to this situation. And Denton listens to it all very thoughtfully.

"...And so we thought it would be a good idea to come here, to figure out if we could find anything from old records that could help us with our search for Kid Griffo," Jack finishes. "We figured that The Sun probably would have written something about it."

"I remember the story of Jack McManus," Denton says once Jack is done. "There were so many messy details, and some are still unknown. I wasn't the one to write that story, so I never learned everything. I remember it was mid 1905, and that the story I did write around that time was in the same paper as the article about McManus. And I always keep a copy of a newspaper with one of my articles in it."

That helps get everyone's hopes up. They're so close.

"Isn't that a lot of newspapers?" Race bursts. He can't help it.

Denton chuckles. "Possibly. But I like the reminder. I like looking back on the past through old articles. It reminds me of how things have changed over the years, and how I have changed over the years." He looks at all of them. "And who it was who had helped me grow."

Denton had been the one to write about the strike. The one who had been rooting for the newsies the whole time. He almost lost his job for writing about the strike, but he stuck with them. And with his words now, he's telling them that he's glad he had made that choice all those years ago. And they are forever grateful for him too.

"So where do you keep these articles?" Jack asks.

"In here." He references the boxes in one side of the room. "Are you willing to help me look?"

They get to work right away, looking at all newspapers dated in 1905. If they could figure out where Kid Griffo was then, it might help them figure out where he is now.

Jack finds it: June 2nd, 1905.

"Come here!" he calls to all of them. "I found it."

They read it together.

ONE MORE EAT-'EM-UP BOASTER.

Kid Blink Arrested for Talking Too Much Around Chatham Square.

Louis Baletti, known as Kid Blink of Cherry Hill, was added to the roll of those arrested in connection with the murder of Eat-'Em-Up Jack McManus on the Bowery on May 25. Kid Griffo, Chick Tucker and Big Jack O'Brien were already in the House of Detention as witnesses.
Detectives found Blink in a saloon at 12th Pell street. He was taken before Magistrate Finn in the Tombs police court and released in $500 bail, furnished by State Senator Hiroden, Thomas F. Foley's right hand man. Foley said that the boys were just talking themselves into jail bragging that they knew who killed McManus. 
The detectives say that Blink was boasting over the bars of Chatham Square that he had killed McManus and that the latter had shot him through the hat.

They all stop.

That's it. That's all they have to go off of. It's not much at all.

"Kid Blink had said that he and the others lied to protect another," Mush murmurs. "Just like the article is saying they talked themselves into jail. It was all to protect someone."

"And now we know that Kid Griffo was right there with him as it happened," Jack adds.

"So where is he now?" Race asks. "Still in jail? Leading a normal life? Alive?"

"Only one way to find out," Jack answers.

And so they begin their search through any articles printed after that one.

----------------------------------

They leave a little while later, with nothing new. Denton had been a big help, and they thanked him profusely, but they still have no clue where Kid Griffo is nowadays. It's like he just disappeared.

But they can't give up hope. They'll find something. They know it.

"So where do we go next?" Race asks Jack curiously.

Before Jack can give the honest answer of I don't know, a high-pitched voice calls out "Stop!"

And suddenly, they're surrounded by kids. The younger ones are probably around 9 or 10, but maybe younger on account of how small they are. Then there are the older ones who are probably young teenagers. The eldest can't be more than eighteen. The kids think they look menacing, but they really don't. Still, they shouldn't underestimate a rag-tag group of kids. They were once a rag-tag group of kids.

"Oh no." Race smacks his forehead. "Aiutami, Ti prego."

"We are the James Street Boys!" two of the boys, who look like the leaders of the group, declare. "The fiercest gang around! And we ain't lettin' you get away that easily!"

Race sighs. 

------------------------

So yes. They ran into a street gang. Of kids. A specific gang. Why this specific one? If you do your research, maybe you'll find out. Or if you just read on to the next chapter haha.

I found the article from newsboys-of-1899.tumblr.com, and that is the real article from June 2nd 1905. There were some letters that were splotched out a little, and one letter from a name completely missing, so I did my best to literally fill in the blanks haha.

So. Things are going on.

Don't worry, they'll find Kid Griffo. Eventually.

The funny thing about the name Kid Griffo is that griffo is Spanish for faucet so my brain translates his name to Kid Faucet haha.

I really want Race to say Love give me strength because I sometimes say that to myself when everything is going on at once and/or something big/annoying is happening, but a) it's a Shakespeare quote, and b) it may be a little out of place.

I still am totally aware of how open ended and weird that ending was haha.

So. What's going to happen next?

Please, no homophobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section at all times.

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (whose cat mayyy be a little too smart...)