Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-07-08

a Text for q Eove.-A Child st0isI
for the Purpose of Reward-Its De
sertiOn, Good Fortune and Happy
Recovery.
Frem the Peoria ull) Transcript. June 25,l
We have the following from good au
thority, and although not pertaining tc
this locality, we have no doubt it will
prove interesting to our readers:
In the wintersof 1865 there resided in
Terre Haute, Ind, Mr.. William Cook,
who had a wife and one child, three year,
of age. Mrs. Cook started on visit with
the little fellow to friend, and while
waiting at the Union depot, Indianapolis,
was approached by gentlemanly look :
ing parsonage, who, after patting and
fondling the little boy, asked permis sion
to take him out and buy him some candy.
She gave her consent, and the stranger
departed with the boy. The lady waited
fer his return, but he did not come back.
The time for the departure of the train
drew near, bat still the child could not be
found. A search, lasting through days
and months, was unsuccessful in reveal
ing the whereabouts Of the missing boy.
ing papers, and the skill of the detective
force was resorted to, but all without
avail The parents were finally forced to
the conviction that their child had either
been murdered or had died of grief
In the year 1867, Clark Conrad, form
erly a member of the Second regiment
Michigan Infantry, was arrested in the
northern part of this State on charge
of breaking open q safe. He was con-
victed and sent to Joliet Mr.. L. B.
Berry, of Pontiac, an old New York de-
tective, hearing of the abduction of the
child, had worked the case so far as 10
lead him to think Conrad knew some
thing about the matter. By working upon
Conrad and promising to use his infu-
enos to get him pardoned for the crime
of safe-bresking, he induced him to d.
vulge the whereabouts of the child, and
the particulars of the abduction.
Conrad acknowledged to the abduction,
and said it was done for the purpose of
obtaining the reward which be supposed
would be offered by the parents Of the
child. When he took the child from the
depot, he delivered it into the hands of
woman whom he claims as bis wife, She
was to keep it until the reward was offered,
but fearing detection and arrest, she
escaped to Michigan with Conrad. The
officers were in close pursuit of Conrad,
to arrest him for the safe-breaking opera
ton, and the pair were obliged to aban-
don the child in Union City, Michigan.
The county authorities there took
charge of the child aud sent it to the
poor-house. The boy was an interesting
one and was supposed to be an orphan.
Rev. Mr.. and Mrs. Harshberger, the Epis.
copal minister and lady Of that town,
took the child from the poor-house and
adopted it as their own. As they were
they sooR learned to love their
charge as their own, and the boy learHed
to love them and regarded them as his
parents.
A few weeks ago Detective Perry went
to Union City and informed the foster
parents that he was in correspondence
with the natural parents of the child. |
The grief of the new parents was uncon-
.rolsble, and when the true parents ar
rived the others would not give up the |
,hild until compelled to do SO BY due |
course Of law. Mrs. Harshberger feared |
III the time that the child was yet vic
i'm of conspiracy, and on the l7th of |
his month accompanied the boy to his
I'D home and there gave him up, when
atisfied all was right. The mutual love
he mothers entertained for the child
aused a lively love for each other to
pring up in their hearts, and when Mrs.
1arshberger returned to her home she
'ss somewhat consoled for the loss Of
er adopted child with the knowledge
hat she would always be welcome to his
ome and might see him whenever she
Innld.