Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-15
WAS TT MURDER

| WAS IT MURDER
THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
OF a CHILD.
A Newly Married Couple Temporarily Re-
side In st. Paula Child Crowns the
Union, But Proves an UnweIcomo Visitor
They Leave st. Paul With NO Infant
visible-A Claim That They Gave 1t Away
on the Cars-A Worry Peculiar Story.
-Four weeks ago tonight the G1oB. be-
came apprised Of an ugly and sickening
rumor. In its province of faithful oolleo-
tor and dissemination Of the happenings which
sum up and constitute the life and activity
of society, it became necessary to trace the
rumor to its origin. Unfortunately, the sus-
picion of foul play, which involves the fate
of tender infant, has grown constantly
stronger, until the finger Of destiny has
pointed t, the apparent committal Of tho
greatest crime that can outrage or shock tho
decency of society.
The report started from Bellfour's heard
ing house, No. 20 West Fifth street, visit
to which on the evening named resulted in
the following information
About the first of u July there applied
for board at the house above indicated, q
young married couple named Mr.. and Mrs.
Clayton Engles. They were given apart
ments and nothing of more than common
place note happened until the Goth of Sep
tember, when the bride rejoiced in
the happy condition of q mother.
The mother was attended By DR.. Hutch
ingson, and the child was born perfectly
sound and healthy. The young mother was
apparently rejoiced over the possession of
her treasure, but strange to say the Offering
was not recorded warm reception by the
father, who seemed annoyed at the advent
of the apparently unwelcome stranger.
The motive for the fathers repugnanoe
is still debatable question, certain it is,
however, that his dislike to the child did not
arrive from lack of means for its support, o.
he was employed at fair wages at Lemons
printing Office in this city, The services of
nurse were procured, and the mother and
child prospered well under the kind and con-
siderate treatment everywhere extended.
On the night of the 9th of October, about
IL O'Clock, the baby WIS seized with illness
and its pitious walls, heard by q lady
boarder in the adjoining room, led to the
belief that it was suffering from great and
poignant pain. At9 o'clock the same
evening, Mrs. Margaret Lane, the nurse,
said that the child was in ordinary good and
sound health.
Towards midnight on the evening of the
9th of October, Mrs. Engles is said to have
ran into the room occupied by lady board
er, bearing the child in her arms, with the
exclamation, my child is dying" The
lady in question is said to have replied, "If
your child is dying, you are to blame for
its death, as it was born with perfect
health.''
The next morning, on the 9th of October,
tho couple left st. Paul fer Iowa. They left
early in the morning, before the inmates of
the house had arisen, and gentleman friend
of Engles named Babcock. employed in
Lemons printing Office, and an old friend of
the family, who saw them take the train, says
that they left St. Paul without the baby.
It has also been stated that they did not
have the child on leaving the house. This
statement, however, is given cautiously by
lady who left her bed on hearing the door
open snd shut, and saw the parties 90 in
different directions On Fifth street, the
morning being too dark to discern their
movements with certainty.
Thus tho story weat, when taken up by q
GLOBE reporter, with the additional suspi-
oion, however, that tho child had been
thrown into the sewer. day or two after
the Sunday named GLOBE representative
called on Mayor Dawson, giving that official
a statement of his knowledge as above out
lined.
The suspicion of foul play entered largely
towards solution of the mystery, and
means were taken to confirm or abolish this
theory.
Mayor Dawson turned the matter over to
Health Officer Patterson, with instructions
to drag the sewer. Two days we're consumed
in this task before this theory was finally ex-
ploded.
With customary pertinacity and diligence
Officer Patterson proceeded to work out q
solution of the mystery in another direc-
ton. It was learned from Mr.. Babcock that
the couple had gone to their former
home, at Clear Lake, Iowa, where that gen.
tleman's wife was visiting relatives. It was
also learned that the couple had been mar
ried at Clear Lake, in June, which gave .
slight and probable clue to the fathers dis
like for the offspring, in addition to which
it was learned that Engles had left situa-
ton in this city in June for the purpose of
concentrating the marriage. ..-.
At the request of Mr.. Patterson letter
YVES forwarded to Mrs. Babcock asking for
information concerning the child, in re-
Spouse to which it was stated that the couple
had arrived at Clear Lake without the
baby.
A few days after the receipt eff the intelli-
gence, Officer Patterson directed letter to
Sheriff 81. II. Shell, of Mason City, Iowa,
giving that official q narrative of the case
and requesting him to make demand for the
child.
In response to this, an answer was reoeiv-
ed on yesterday, of which the following is q
copy: -..-
; MASON CRY, Iowa. Dec. II, 1879.
John Patterson:
Dear Sir have seen the party At Clear
they left s.. Paul. That they became sI .c-
quainted with lady on the train, who took an
interest in the child, and finally at Owatonna
they gave her the child, and told her that they
did not want to know her name, where she
lived or anything about the child. This is
their story, as told to me. 1 think it pecu-
liar story, to say the least, yet it may be true.
believe the parties stand fairly we'll in this
community, and nothing is known against
either Of them. H. n. SHELL, Sheriff.
When received in the light of recent de-
velopments and taken in connection with
Mr.. Babcock's assertion that he saw them
leave the St. Paul depot without the child
and their previous conduct their story, in
tho words of Sheriff Shell, is indeed peculiar.
1t is to be hoped, however, that the story
may prove true, which rests upon their abil-
itY to produce the child or show proof that
it has been disposed of as stated. In tho
other event the matter will come before the
next grand jury for Investigation.