Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-12
THE STOLEN CHILD.
The Mystery Not Dissolved.


all over the land, wherever newspa-
pers are read and prattling children
loved, have been in deep sympathy
with the parents of lost or stolen child
in New Orleans. And the interest taken
was almost as great in Memphis, St.
Louis and Cincinnati as in the Crescent
City. The child was discovered and re-
stored to its almost heart-broken parents
early last Tuesday morning, and such a
popular demonstration has seldom been
seen in the country. The entire city
was agitated with joy, and thousands
focked toward the humble house where
the little one was in the arms Of its weep
ing parents. -
THE ABDUCTION
took place in open daylight on the 9th
day of June, under the following circum-
stances, which we gather from the New
Orleans papers of Wednesday: 1t will
be recolected that the child, in company
with its little brother and young lady,
Miss Rosa German, were playing on
Howard street, between Lafayette and
Poydras, at the time in question. Sud-
denly the FIRE bells rung out, and the
young lady, who had the child in her
arms, handed it to the little boy, saying:
Hold Molly, while / see where the fire
is, Let me take the boy" said voice
near them, and turning around, Miss Cor
man discovered two women, mulattress,
tall and very pretty, and low set heavy
/ negress. 1t was the mulattress that
spoke, and extending her arms, took the
child. She had been seen in the street
frequently before, and frequently noticed
! lavishing caresses on the baby, which,
from its Ginning ways and delicate
beauty, usually excites attention, even
from strangers. Miss German went in
the direction of the fire, and the two
women, one of them carrying the child
and accompanied by its little brother,
walked around the corner of Dryades.
Here the mulattress stopped and, giving
the little boy some money, told him to
90 to the fruit stand and get some ba-
nanas for his sister, The boy went, but
when, a moment afterwards, he returned
to the place, the baby and the women had
disappeared. From that day until this
Tuesday, morning, no trace of them
could be found. Immense rewards were
offered for the discovery of the child and
the arrest of the abductress. The entire
city was stirred with popular excitement,
and young and old united in the search
for the stolen child Day by day as the
hunt proved unavailing, the sympathy of
the community augmented, and no pop
ular event or public calamity ever en-
| gagged more fully the feelings and sym
pathies of the masses.
The police aHe o number of citizens
were incessant IN the prosecutions Of tho
search. Officers were sent off in every
possible direction, and placards and pub
LEGATIONS describing the child, and recit-
ing the cirouastanees of its abduction,
were scattered broadcast through the
land. News from Cincinnati st. Louis
and other cities came in, but the inform
alton was not reliable. The excitement
engendered here was felt with almost the
same intensity elsewhere. But of no
avail The child seemed to have as eff
fectually disappeared as If 1t had sunk
into the bowels of che earth. Hope of
| finding it had almost died out. Some
believed it dead-all thought it finally
lost
1914 THE DISCOVERY.
About seven o'clock Tuesday morn
ming Mr.. Thos. Digby, the father of lit
tie Mollie, the missing child, was called
up from bed by a man of about the me-
dium hight, rather stout, and with gray
ish wiskers, who remarked, II think I've
got your child.
SO many similar statements had been
made to him during the two months
search that at first Mr.. Digby felt dubious
but hearing The assertion reiterated he
mt once made up his mind to accompany
the gentleman to his house. Mrs. Digby
also asked permission to go, but fearing
another disappointment Mr.. ID. consid-
cred it best for her to remain at home.
The two walked out Baronne street and
| took the jackson street cars.
The cOnversaton-the exact words of
which could not be remembered-so i'm
pressed him with belief that the child
was at last found that Mr.. ID. became be-
wildered He remembers that they got
out at a street running parallel with the
river, on which there was no railroad,
but whether it was between Prytania
and Magazine, or Magazine and Annun-
a.. 10 4an
They walked down toward Canal street
one square, and near the corner of Jose
phine street entered a handsome resi-
dence. 1t was house with two gates.
A lady was walking up and down the
hall with the child in her arms. 1t was
crying and she was endeavoring to
soothe it. He at once recognized it, and
in his own words became so Hurried as
to be unable TO say anything. The only
words he remembers was the question
from the lady, If it's not your child
what will you do with itYi
He answered, g I'll bring it back, and
started for home. The child seems to
have suffered considerably; but being its
second summer, the most dangerous in
ehild's life, this is probably owing to its
teeth. 1t has several boils on its face
OF course, in such moment, the expla-
nations of all so nearly connected with
it were more or less incoherent.
AFFECTING SCENE.
A mothers instincts are infallible.
Mrs. Digby did not hesitate a moment.
TWAS her child. Clasping it in her arms,
the little one murmured: Mammal
Mammal" 1t was mutual recognition
Mr. Digby reached home with his child
n L