Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-07-27
MRS. NIBLO'S BABY.

MRS. NIBLO'S BABY.
ANOrHER ALMsHOUsE ROAANCE.
A rws-Day Old Foedla,g said.to Have Seen
fo'sssd .. IN Ces '''"s no'
The second case unearthed of a baby
being taken from the Philadelphia aims.
house with the avowed purpose Of fOisting
it upon an unsuspecting father as his legiti-
mate offspring, proves more mysterious
romance than the one that had the GAL
lagher infant for its wee heroine. The
almshouse records show that on March I'd
. woman giving the name of Mrs. Ida
Niblo. and her residence as LOG Van Horn
street, obtained baby with the under
standing that she was to usc it to deceive
her husband by a bogus childbirth. A
Mrs, Ida Niblo lives at 1O6 Van Horn
street, and claims to have been delivered
of child on March I'd, but she stoutly in
sists that she knows nothing of the aims.
house matter. and that her babe is of her
flesh and blood, and she produces several
witnesses who unqualifiedly corroborated
her story. The fact still remains that =
ClluU WAS I1kcu III LIZA usStAAO AAOuA LuO
West Philadelphia institution.
On the 9th of last February two
women called at the almshouse and told
one Of the officers that they desired baby
only few days old, SO as to usa it to de-
ceive the husband of ono OF them. One of
the women was dressed we'll and appeared
to be able to take care of herself under
most circumstances, and the other was a
short, thick-set female. Both women can
be easily recognized. as the official remem-
bers them we'll. The ffnely-dressed
woman said her husband was in poor
health, that he was anxious for an heir,
and up to this time fortune had not
frightened their home with prattlins
babe. The officer threw up his hands il,
horror at the project and said such a thing
could not be done unless tho committee
on children's asylum would agree to give
them baby. They went off and on the
ed of March reappeared at the institution
with an order to this effect
COLONEL THOMAs-divc these ladies tho
baby was speaking to you about.
PIX. DAILY, Guardian.
The infant referred to belonged to Mar
garet Miller, an unmarried young girl,
who had been unfortunate in her loves,
and who had given birth to a plump little
lump of humanity only three days before.
The woman took the infant and departed,
seeming happy in tho possession of child
with which to carry their plan to compile
tion. Who they were or how Guardian
Daily was induced to give the order was
not learned, but it was plain fact, and
further, DAILY carried the order to Guar
dian Marks, who was lying in his bed at
home very i'll, and induced him to also
append his signature to the discharge. As
this made the majority of the committee.
Mr.. Speriny was not let into the secret.
Matters went on quietly until the 28th of
April, when the same women returned to
the almshouse with the infant and caused
it to bs indentured, the tallest of the two
signing her name as "I3a Niblo, No. 1OG
Van Horn street." This act was also ille-
gal, as the law requires that all indentures
shall be made to the husband and not the
wife.
About tho I'd of March Mrs. Niblo was
said to be i'll, and the frequent yells of an
infant were heard to proceed from her
bed room. "It's GIRL" was whispered
about the neighborhood, and although the
majority of the women ncighbOrs were
very anxious no one seemed to know much
about the little one except a 80 called Mrs.
Irwin, who said she was 4 midwife, and
performed her functions at tho birth, and
a woman whose name is Winebrunner, and
whose husband is a variety actor under
the name of Davenport. After tho birth
OF the infant DR.. Kline, of Germantown
road and Girard avenue, was called in, and
he continued his visits for a few days.
The strange part of this affair is that the
programme which the two women who
called at the a!mshouse informed House
Agent Thomas would be carried out was
observed in this case in every detail, and
they gl0ated over its SUCCESS upon their
return to indenture the child at later
period.
"Anybody who says that Mrs. Niblo
didn't have baby last March ies," said
the so-called Mrs. Irwin yesterday to a
Record reporter. 81 know all about it,
and don't you forget it. I'll swear to it
any time, and if that man Baily or DAILY,
or whatever his name is, says he gave us a
baby. he lies, too.'
Yes ard was a helpin' around tho
house when the baby came" put in Mrs.
Davenport. "Don't 1 know. II they
want mo to 60 down town to testify
they've got to buy mo a silk dress, for I
haven't any that can 60 out in. Mrs.
Niblo's mothers got money, and she'll
make somebody suffer for these lies, and
don't you forget it,
Another female who helped to make up
the interesting group Of women gathered
around the reporter volunteered the re-.
mark: Well, if that baby isn't Mrs.
Niblo's I'm beat, and ve been married
over thirty years." The story spread
with lightning rapidity, and soon Van
Horn street was flied with little knots of
women discussing the momentous ques-
tion of the birth of NiblO's baby, without
knowing what had previously transpired
at the almshousc.
Mr.. DAILY has published card, in which
he says there is no truth in the charge that
he gave the Gallagher baby for improper
purposes. 1t has been determined by the
committee on children's asylum of the
board to investigate MIR. Daly's conduct at
its meeting tomorrow.
Some time ago, two other women ap-
peared at the almshOuse, having 10 view
the same scheme as has been successfully
practised Of late. One was the wife of
saloon keeper in the northern part of the
city. and it was proposed to have bogus
birth while the husband was absent from
The city, but the officials refused to give
them baby. So it fell through.
KILLED WITH A WOODEN Leo.
.