Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-07
ATKINSON'S INFANT.
What Came Of Using a New-lang-
led Baby Crib.
May AdeIer in New York weekIy.l

made in two pieces and hung upon
hinges. When they opened their crib
and put the mattress in it Mr. Atklo-
son omitted to fix securely the catches
that hold the Stats. Mr.. and Mrs.
Atkinson went to bed corly that night,
and about eleven o'clock, when they
were asleep, the baby got awake and
began to kick vigorously. The result
was that the Stats slowly decended and
deposited the mattress and baby on
the floor. The baby being particularly
wide awake, crawled out into the
room, and seeing a light in the entry,
went through the door just as Mr..
Atkinsons aunt, Miss Boggs, was com
ing up stairs to bed. She picked the
baby up, and finding that its father
and mother were asleep, she carried it
to her room in the third story, deter
mined to take care Of it during the
rest Of the night
About an hour after Mrs. Atkinson
awoke, and thought she would glance
over at the crib to see how the baby
Wa5 getting along. No sooner had she
done so than she jumped from the bed
in alarm. The baby was not there !
The bottom seemed to have fallen out
of the whole contriyance. Her first
thought was that the baby was lying
under the mattress smothered to
death. She pulled the mattress aside,
but there was no signs of the baby.
| Then wild with alarm, she shook
Mr.. Atkinson, and told him to get up.
Atkinson growled out, in a sleepy
tone;
The paregoric bottle is in the
! closet; 60 and get it yourself.
"Alonzo!' shrieked Mrs. Atkinson
you don t understand. The baby il
eonel It's gone!-stolen kidnapped
murdered maybe Oh, what shal
] do?-what shall / do?"
Now be calm, Julia said Atkin
, son, getting out of bed, don't get hys
terical: the child, most likely, is unde
the bed"
NO it isn't; no, it is not there !" ex
| claimed Mrs. Atkinson, upon he
| HanuS ana knees.
a Possibly" said Alonzo, beginning
= to feel uneasy, he has crept into til
1 closet; let us look.
This is horrible!" said Mrs. AT
! kinson, clasping her hands.
d "Do you think asked Mr.. Atkir
Y son, that he could have crawled int
K a bureau drawer and pulled it to aftC
!, him?"
y Certainly not !" said Mrs. Atkir
g son. You know he couldn't"
v II think / hear him now He h;
= fallen out of the window said Mr.
/ Atkinson, as faint wall foated u
/ from the back yard.
n No, it's only Mrs. Magruder's CT
lie yowling on the fence, replied Atkir
'e son, as he closed the sash. Have 70
e looked in the bath-tub in the nel
room? Perhaps he has gone to take
bath. "
'e Drowned I know it I'm sure
le itm yelled Mrs. Atkinson, rushing il
NJ to the bathroom.
IN Hes not here" said Atkinso
Gould he have gone down stairs an
Sc fallen into the sugar bucket in ii
n pantry?"
10 I'VE must search the whole hou
~ for him, said Mrs. Atkinson.
20 So they began the hunt. TIL,
: looked everywhere In the clothe
IN hamper, in the Kitchen cupboard,
r the parlor, in the pantry, and even
4 the cellar, but without avail.
Us He couldn't have gone up stairs
sd said Mr.. Atkinson, because he car
os climb the steps.
)h mo; he must have been stolenl /
has been stolen by burg'arsl | sh;
IN never, never see him agaim-neverl
IS Don't give way, Julia. Be calm.
or will go at once for the police. ~
us Mr.. Atkinson dressed himself hu
to riedly and dashed down stairs and o
r. into the front street. He met polio
re man almost at the door, and in frant
&C accents, laid the case before him. 7
is, policeman sounded an alarm and so
Is, had six other policemen at han
a They entered the house and proceed
IT, to examine the fastenings. Ever
N, thing was right, and one of the polio
,i- men said
its I'm my opinion, the burglar is in t
all house yet. "
Ii "We'll go for him, said anoth
SO they drew their revolvers and pl
mt ceeded to search the building, Pr,
in entity Mr.. Atkinson heard the rep,
of of pistol in the kitchen. He rush
81 down.
tie Il think Two killed him" $.
sy. Policeman Jones Bring a lig
nd quickw
IN And killed the baby, tool" shrek
re- Mrs. Atkinson.
yes by George, | forgot about {
nd baby" said the officer.
Then the light came, and they fou
ion that Policeman Jones had shot
at dog, which had followed him into I
lies house. Then Policeman Smiths I
ith tol went off accidentally, and the b
the let hit the kitchen clock, which
en- once struck 9Sl, and the confusi
his and racket so unstrung Mrs. Atk
in sons nerves that she went into hyst
sti les, and emitted successive yells oil
at terrible character. This brought NJ
the Boggs down from the third story
ing great alarm.
ri " What On garth Is the matter?'
on called,
an. aMattor2" asked Atkinson. "Do
DIR. you know that burglars have brol
rye into the house and stole the bal
Why, we've heep having the awful
time you ever heard of for the last
d, " hours.
ays Why, I've got the baby UP st,
fter with ne, said Miss Boggi I've