The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-06-22

:" ~
The st. Louis Republican Of the 9th
says: j. X. umstead, a Philadelphia
detective. arrived here yesterday 10 take
charge II Mamie Masterson, the little
girl who was stolen from her parents
and brought TO this city by profess
sional beggar woman named Fannie
Brown.
The case has no inner history, and il
very simple. Fannie Brown was an old
Philadelphia vagrant, who figured fire.
quently in the police courts there, and
was nearly always on the street. She
became so well known, however, that II
was matter Of difficulty to secure a
living BY the means 10 which she pre-
ferred to resort, and so she determined
10 emigrate. She was keen enough 10
know that she could best reach the SYM
pathies Of the people, by having with
her bright little child, and hence be-
fore leaving that city she took look
around town for something which would
serve her purpose. Visiting school
house, as place best calculated 10 fur
nish what she wanted, size met little
Mamie Masterson, pretty, bright-eyed,
AnAttiiZIUt tiitus IEta y cars, W uU Wis
on her way TO her home at No. 1l6 Wal
nut Street. The old bag took the child
by the hand, and partly BY force and
partly by false prctenses, got her to a
railway station, and they came West.
This happened on April IL. Mamie
father is liquor dealer in quite humble
circumstances. and his loss did not ere
ate A. much Of sensation as il might
il he occupied position Of afiluence.
Nevertheless, the Charlie Ross mystery
had lent an unusual interest to ali cases
Of child-stealing for Philadelphia, and
there was deal of Indignation.
The police, chagrined at their total
failure in tracing Charley Ross, entered
upon this case with determination to
hunt down the guilty parties if il Law
within the possibilities. Ii was soon
found that the old vagrant had disap-
peared, and it was not long before her
disappearance was connected with that
Of the child. Officers visited several
places ia New Jersey where relatives Of
hers reside, but could get no trace Of
her. Circulars describing the child
were printed. but the statement made
by Philadelphia paper that some Of
them were sent To ~. Louis is incorrect,
as none ever reached here. Detective
Umstead explains that the department
had no idea the woman would come this
far West, and hence sent no circulars
beyond Chicago. Had the circulars ar
rived here the capture would have been
made nearly three weeks ago, for De
tective Huthsing met the woman and
child in one Of our stores about that
time and fatty told the woman that the
child was not her own, but had no
ground on which 10 take her in.
The child has been begging from door
70 door here, under direction of the old
woman, for several weeks. On Tues
day last Officer Dunn saw the child max
ing her rounds. and saw the woman
standing at distance watching her.
The contrast between the brutalized
woman and the handsome little Girl
struck him. and he accosted the little
one. A talk with the woman then con
WINGED him that there was something
wrong IN the case, for the latter first
said the child belonged To her sister and
then TO her sister-in-law. When the
woman saw she was in trouble she COM
menced in brutal manner 10 beat the
little girl for talking % the officer, and
il was evident that cruelty was the rule
with her. The child was taken To the
-Four Courts, whore she gave the name
Of Mamie Masterson, said that she lived
IN the city where the big Centennial
show was. that she had gone TO school
near Shipper Market, and that the
woman met her on the street and took
her away. This was revelation, and
the telegraph sooa proved the truth Of
the little ones statements. The ioy IL
the father who had given his little one
up for lost need not be described here.
There w1s no mother, however. whom
the news might gladden., for Mamie's
mother died when the little girl was only
nine months old
Detective Umstead starts for Philade-
phia with the little girl and the prisoner
fhis o~ao,or