Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-10-28
4 MOTHERS SUSPENSE.
Remarkable Case of Abduction - A
Treacherous servant Girl Takes
Away n child i'm Its PARENTS ABB
sence and Places IL In the Aims
hOuse-IIOxy IL was Discovered.

&ehCe anu lrIdttS ~ me Aiuts-
hOuse-HOw Ii was Discovered.
Condensed from Philadelphia Times OF yesterday.
John j. Jacoby and his wife live at 1929
Hilbert street. They have an only child,
Mamie, aged years, a bright black-eyed,
black. haired little thing, with chubby
hands and soft, dimpled checks, the pic
ture of baby innnoeuee and beauty. They
had also servant girl, named Martha
Campbell, about 26 years old. tall and
dark and slender. For two years the girl
had been in their employ, So far as gen
eral character goes, nothing was known
against her. Though not particularly
fond of children her care Of the little
Mamie was such as inspired certain lik
ing on the part OF the child for her nurse
The parents had confidence enough in the
girl, and when either or both went out the
child was usually left in hei charge.
Two weeks ago ON Saturday last Mrs.
Jacoby received word that her mother,
who lives at Bordentown, New Jersey, had
fallen dangerously sick and, being an
only child, shs FASTENED to her mothers
bedside. The house was left in charge of
the girl, aud the child aud father were
also left behind After spending week
in Bordeutown, the invalid meantime
growing worse Mr.. Jacoby himself was
summoned to the place by II inessoge from
his wife. He left home on Saturday last,
leaving the child with its nurse. No
apprehension was felt. The girl had been
10 often left in charge OF the child that she
was regarded as thoroughly faithful.
The parents remained in ROIdentowu
until Wednesday night last. when they
returned to Philadelphia They got into
the city at midnight aud proceed, . to
their house. All was dark, aud, upon
going to the chamber of the nurse, where
she slept with her infant charge, it was
found empty Tue parents, however,
were not alarmed They concluded the
girl had gone to visit frienda and had taken
the child with her. They retired to bed,
the mother thinking of her darling, whom
she had been absent from for nearly two
weeks, and looking forward fundly to see
ing it first thing in the morning
Rising at daybrea the mother went
down stairs and proceeded to open the
house, thinking the servant would return
early and being eager aud impatient to see
her baby. The sun rose and the streets
began to be full of stir aud life, but the
girl and her charge did not come. Every
footstep that passed the window fell on
the impatient mothers ear aud sounded
to her like the girls step, and she would
bound to the door, open ii and look up
and down the street only to be disar-
pointed. 1t was unaccUuntanlr. Nine
O'Clock had come and the girl had not mp
peared. What did il mean Anxious and
full of suspense the mother turned away
from the window, where she had been
listening and watching for nearly three
hours, and proceeded to get ready the
breakfast, thinking the nurse aud her dar-
ling would surely come soon. When she
came to set the table she noticed the cloth
was folded at one corner in curious
fashion. and, shaking it, note tluttered
out and fell to the floor. 1t was the nurses
handwriting. Taking it up the mother
read in few words aud in u badly
scrawled hand, the following
NAMES in the clildrcn's department If Tia,
Almshouse and I've gone away.
There was no breakfast eaten that morn
| ing in the house Of the J.euuys How
long the child had blen ia thu Allu-ldGsl
the letter did moi say. Without :
moments delay the hu Ip.ud aud VT,
rushed down to the Office n lAo pr, dead
| Of the Guardians Of the Poor, a r. Nlrll
| Seventh street, and thuw d him ,l,- i'-jt"r
| entreating hln to furnish tutm tnt
| speediest means of getting their uhill out
But there are fOrma.itios invDl ! H. Ii,
committal or discharge of inmates tia
cannot usually be accomplished IN 4. y
All President Chambers could do mde
the circumstances was to refer the parent
| to the Superintendent of the Alushuuse il
West Philadelphia. 1t was peculiar cas-
and he expressed the fear that they nigh
not be able to get the child out until Tia,
next regular meeting of the Poor Board
Oh the following Wednesday, week al
but one day. fhe mother was amos
frantic at this prospect and, acting on tn
presidents ADVICE, they FASTENED To tn
Almshouse. The superintendent was no
in, but an assistant heard their story aut
passed them to the chiidt-n's department
It is one of the rules that no puropt shnl
see its child after it is plaes Il in the Alms
house, aud IL mattou and assistants ltr
there to strictly enforce that rulo Bu
when they came to the door of tn
chiIdren's building it was found open an
no matron WIS visible. Mr Jacobv pro
posed to his wife that thew weit until III
matron came, bSt tho mother turned Oh
her husband, almost ahriekuR
mo, no / Must see my ctiild don
want to see the matrou; she'll keep m
away from my darling! | must sec M
child aud no one shall stop W., ~
Upstairs the mother 4 v, as thong
moved by tho swiitcat wings Clonr 1
the third story she ran She reasone
that Ler child, being -four years old, woul
be in the ward for the elder children, All
the idea posggaasd her that They were ket
on the third door. In this she was wranS
They are un the secoud floor. Bnt tn
mother did not know this apd never pause
for breath -until size reached tie dire
story landing. lu the wards above an
below the voices Of children could /
, heard, and her heart stood still as sh
, listened for the voice of her child 81
fancied at every step rs she mounted IT,
stairs that the doors would he throw
open aud she would hear the lamilt
tones Mamma! Mamma, She ru he
frantically here, and there, along corr
: doris, through parIow passages sad int
n little dark rooms, bat the familiar fac
with ito dark eyes and black curly hai
+, were in none nj thee Whsrrv,
u childrens Voices oogli ne h"ari there 81
c ran wildly. Az size would break into II
! 'OblAiH NM A4tu tla1ANNtANN Nbu-Al hltkFAs nv
d the little waits of children Haula cash 4
a to her aud clutch her shawl rrd glrn!eu
i, with gleeful shouts Of delight each loul
= less fancyiDg that she was their on
. mother. Thus she ran from room
e room headlong and wildly eagor to ella,
II her darling in her arms All tho wards
= the third story mad now been eXhnu4t,
c but one. In here she rushed, with h
| hruin runl-s.l I'D hos hon -tnt, a.,
I with suspense. There was no one
:, charge for the moment, aad the little til
u outcasls who had been loft to them4elve
b. set up sieeiul shogt ana chorus or ",
&c come, ut the sane time clustering nb0
IT her with outsiIetched hauds md pleadil
r eyes like little birds that had lost The
, nest. .... ...
\ Her child was no, hore. The motht
disengaging the hAuds OF tho eag,r liz,
ones from her dresa, rushed out aud in Il
corridor encountered ore of the hurst
" In what room did they keep the fouI-ye
er old children she asked The uurae. +
III startled or surprised TO think Of rul,s
regulations, responded "Duwu on I
second floor. Their the mother was
TO and instant. she trieu three dinere
lie wards before she reach. d The r,pht On
1t This she did at last. The moment .
ey opened the door hhc knew she had col
m to the right place from the sound Of - Fl
,c childish voice coming from The midst
- 20 other children:
~ "Oh, there's my mamma ="
Is This must have struck chord IN I
ms memory of The other litt!e ones, for
ri stantly they all set up greet shout Il
noise, and gathered around the moth
es clutching her shawl, her umbrella and |
, dresH with annh yeLe ninnrn and r.a-r.i