Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-29
A Baby's Romantic Conquest.

A Baby's Romantic Conquest.
Anna Welsh, the wife of an Irish Ia
borer, living in a tenement house in the
rear of No. So South Fifth avenue, entered
the offices of the Pennsylvania Railroad, at
the corner of Spring street and Broadway,
yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of
seeking employment therein as office
cleaner. In her arms she supported her
seven months-old child, Mary, a pretty,
blue eyed, golden haired babe. which,
while the mother awaited an opportunity
TO speak to one of the clerks, crowed and
jumped In an ecstacy of infantile glee. A
tall, dark featured gentleman, who had
just been purchasing ticket, attracted by
the appearance of the infant, approached
the woman and said: g OH what pretty,
blue-eyed baby Will you let me have
that baby?" Mrs. Welsh, according to
the story subsequently recited by her at
Police Headquarters, jokingly said:
Yes whereat the stranger took the
child in his arms and hurriedly left the
place by side door, before the aston
ished mother could gain time to raise an
alarm. After searching the streets in the
neighborhood for upward Of half an
hour without succeeding in finding any
trace of the gentleman and the infant,
Mrs. Welsh went to Police Headquarters
and reported the facts to Capt. Copeland.
Detective jeremiah Wood, who was as
signed to aid the woman in recovering her
infant, accompanied her to the corner of
Spring street and Broadway, and there as
certained that the strange gentleman had
purchased ticket for Mobile The de-
tective, accompanied by Mr.. Welsh, at
once proceeded to the foot of Desbrosses
street, where they spent some time in
watching the outgoing passengers in the
hope of detecting among them the gen.
tleman with the blue eyed baby.
About seven o'clock last evening the
ushered into the private office of Inspector
McDermott tall, dark gentleman, who
informed the Inspector that he was Dr.
EastOn, of New Orleans, temporarily re-
siding with his wife and FIVE children at
the fremont House, No. 635 Broadway.
After thus introducing himself, DR.. Easton
said. " Mr.. Inspector, this afternoon,
while | was buying a ticket to Mobile for
my wife at the Office of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, on Broadway, an uncOuth but
rather pleasantfaced Irish woman entered
the place, carrying in her arms one of the
prettiest blue eyed babies | ever saw. Oh!
Mr.. Inspector" continued the Doctor
ecstatically, "such dimples, and such
pretty golden hair! [ was instantly seized
with an almost uncomfortable desire to
become the possessor of that baby, for,
although | have i've children, they are all
| dark. Well, to continue my narrative, /
went up to the woman and playfully asked
| her if she would let me have the baby, and
| bless your heart, her answer almost drove
me wild with joy. She said, Yes, she
would surrender the child to any person
who would promise to take good care of
! it, [ assured her that | would gladly
! adopt the child, and cherish it with as
much care and tenderness as if it were
my own. The woman unbesitatingly
| handed me the baby, and Immediately
took it to my hotel, where l said to my
wife, Look at last we have got what we
have been learning for for long time
pretty blue-eyed baby Mrs. Easton
was, l assure you, perfectly delighted,
and as for the youngsters, why, they
yell of disapproval We stripped
the little mite Of its miserable clothing,
and while my wife was busy making out
a list of garments to compose its new out
| fit, | just gave it a bath, and then, after
Mrs. Easton had made the necessary pur-
chases of baby clothing, we dressed our
new-found darling in gorgeous raiment.
| Well, to be brief, short time ago | acct
dentally heard that all the police in town
were looking for me and that baby and as
| have no desire whatever to deprive the
mother of her child, if she wants it, |
deem it my duty to come here and sur
render the child" Dr. Easton had nearly
concluded his extraordinary narrative be-
fore Detective Wood and Mrs Welsh
walked into the Inspectors office. Seeing
| the doctor, the woman cried out, There
is the man that took my child" The
doctor smilingly requested her to accom-
pany him TO the hotel, and said that he
would willingly give the baby back, and,
| finally, after some further explanations to
the astOnished Inspector, DR.. Easton, the
mother, and Detective Wood repaired to
the fremont House, where they found the
wonderful blue-eyed baby dressed to
KILL" as Mrs Welsh expressed it, the re-
cipient of unlimited homage from Mrs.
Easton and her five black haired children
| The delighted mother would have taken
| her infant then, but, at the request of Dr.
| Easton, went home to consult with her
! husband as to the ACCESSIBILITY of surren-
| deTing it to the Easton family Much to
the regret Of the doctor and his wife and
children, Mrs. Welsh returned at ten p. m.
to claim her baby and to take it back to
| its humble home in the crowded tenement
on South Fifth avenue.-N. 7. Times.