The Portland daily press., 1869-07-05
A Romance.

An Illinois paper, the Peoria Transcript,
tells this story:
We have the following on good authority,and
although not pertaining to this locality, we
have no doubt it will prove interesting to eur
readers:
In the winter Of 1865 there resided in Terre
Haute. Ind, a Mr.. William Cook, who had -
wife and child, three years of age. Mrs
Cook started with the little fellow to friend,
and while waiting at The Union depot, In
dianapolis, was approached by gentlemanly
looking parsonage, who, after pattipg ard
fondling the little boy asked permission to
take him out and buy him some candy. She
gave her consent, and the stranger departed
with the boy. The lady waited for his return,
but he did not come back. The time for the
departure of the train drew near, butstill the
child could not be found. A search lasting
through days and months was unsuccessful in
revealing the whereabouts of the missing boy.
Advertisements were inserted in the leading
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 @asH
In the year 1867 Clark Conrad formerly
member of the second regiment, Michigan in
fanty, was arrested in the northern part of
this State on charge of breaking open safe
He was convicted and sent to Joliet. Mr.. l..
B. Perry, OF Pontiac, an old New Y rk detec-
tive, hearing of the abduction of the child,
had WORKED the case SO far as to lead him to
think Conrad knew something about the mat
ter. by working upon Conrad, and promis-
ing to use his influence to get him pardoned
for the crime of safe-breaking, he induced
him to divulge the whereabouts of the child
and the particulars of the abduction.
Conard acknowledged to the abduction.
and said 1t was done for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the reward of which he supposed
would be offered by the parents of the child.
When ne took the child from the depot, he
delivered 1T into the hands of a woman whom
he claims as his wife. She was TO keep il I'M
til the reward was offered, but tearing detec-
ton and arrest, she escaped to Michioan
with Conrad. The officers were in close mn
suit of Conrad to arrest him Tor the safe-
breaking operation, aud the pair were obliged
to abandon the child in Union City, Mich.
The county authorities there took charge Of
the child and sent it to the poor-house. The
boy was an interesting one. and was suppos-
en- to be an orphan. Rev. Mr.. and Mrs.
Harshberger, the Episcopal minister and lady
Of that town, took the child from the poor
house and adopted it as their own. AS they
were childless, they soon learned to love their
charge as their own, and the boy learned to
love them them and regard them as his pa
rents. 81 e1if pa qsH 50 1lFlsl 81
A few weeks ago Detective Perry went to
Union City, and informed the foster parents
tnat he was in correspondence with the nat
urai parents of the child. The grief of the
new parents was uncomfortable, and when
the parents arrived the others would not give
up the child until compelled to do SO by due
course of law. Mrs. Harshberger feared all
the time that the child was yet victim Of
conspiracy, and on the 18th of this month,
accompanied the boy to his home and there
gave him up, when satisfied all was right.
The mutual love TIE mothers entertained for
the child causeaSa a lively love for each other
70 spring rsp in their hearts, and when Mrs.
,.oerger returned 10 her home, she was
somewhat consoled for the loss of her adopt
ed child with the knowledge that she would
always be welcome at his home, and might
see him whenever she would.