Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-01
FOUR SPURIOUS BABIES.
4 rAfnEs WIN a D0aus FAMILY.


Ono th0I Died BeD0EO ITO"
sentatIon.
Among the daily increasing list of VIC
Tins of the Philadelphia almshOuse
method Of disposing Of surplus babies is
John Scarlet, of Wheeling West Virginia.
Mr.. Scarlet is member of family
highly respected in their section of the
state, and prior to the year 1875 was in a
fair way of becoming . wealthy and promi-
nent resident of his native city. In that
year, however, no came to Philadelphia
and fell in with q womsn, whom be sub
sequently married, and who has made him
the ostensible father Of no less than three
almshouse babies, and not content with
this the remarkable wife procured . fourth
infant from foundling hospital near
Fifteenth street, which she also palmed
of upon her husband as his own, con-
stitutiDg full quartette of spurious chill
dren.
Many years ago Kate Richardson was
ono of the most widely known women,
among q certain class Of people, in the
city OF Philadelphia. Prior to her, mar.
riage with Silas Richardson, at present
resident of this city, she had led an ex-
tremely fast life. Petite in figure and of
prepossessing appearance, she was much
sought after, and when early in the last
decade she married "Si" Richardson,
much regret was expressed by many ad-
mirers. After, however, short and
stormy period of welded life with her first
husband, she left him and plunged once
more into the life of her girlhoOd days,
cutting loose from the restraints which her
home life had cast about her. In the win
ter of '74-5, John Scarlett came to Phil
adelphia from Wheeling on business.
Chance threw him in Kate Richardson's
way, and he soon became infatuated with
her beauty, which was then in its prime.
He persuaded her to marry him, and after
the ceremony they went back to Wheeling
and lived happily for several months.
Her restless disposition, however, would
not permit her to be long contented
with quiet domestic life, and early in
the year 1876 she returned to Philadel-
phia, telling her husband that she soon
expected to become mother, and saying
that under the circumstances she desired
to be among her own friends rather than
with strangers. Arriving in this city she
established herself with an old time friend
Mrs. Jacob Atkinson, then residing at No.
313 East York street. Her conduct at
this time also was not all it should
have been. Finally, either to keep
up the deception sho had practiced
upon her husband, or to promote
some ulterior purpose Of her own, she
decided to procure a founding baby,
which she intended to palm off on her
husband as her own. Her friend, Mrs.
Atkinson, was taken into her confidence,
and the project unfolded to her. Mrs.
Atkinson attempted to dissuade the woman
from her purpose, telling her that it could
not possibly result in any good, and as
serting that it would be impossible to
keep the truth long from her husband.
Mrs. Scarlet, however, had made up
her mind to carry out her deception, and
no arguments were sufficient to
turn her from her purpose. She fl
nally succeeded in persuading Mrs. At
kinson to countenance her scheme and
lend her assistance in carrying it into exc
cution. A new. born infant was accord
ingly procured from the almshouse and
taken to the house ON East York street,
where Mrs. Scarlet was staying. The
baby was obtained by the wOuld-be moth
er herself, the forms usual in such cases
having been gone through with at the
almshouse and the child delivered over to
the applicant with the consent of its moth
or. For a week or two Mrs Scarlet simulate
ed in measure the conditions consequent
upon the ordeal through which she was
supposed to have passed, and those of the
neighbors who were on calling terms with
the Atkinsons were led to believe that
Mrs. Scarlet was in reality the mother of
the infant. No physician was at this time
called in, as it was deemed unnecessary to
complicate the plot by initiating an out
side person into the secret. In short
time, however, the child, which was a
puny little thing, sickened, and it was
found necessary to engage the service of a
doctor. A physician was accordingly
called in to prescribe for the infant, but
nothing was at this time said to him about
its parontage. The little baby soon grew
worse and died, 4 certificate Of death being
given by the attending physician.
1t would seem rs though this experience
would have sufficed to dissuade Mrs. Seal
lett from hcr singular project, but OH the
contrary she was moro determined than
ever to execute her plan. She accordingly
summoned the doctor who had attended
the dead child and expressed her desires to
him, asking his assistance in carrying out
her purpose successfully. Tho physician,
however, discOuntenanccd the wOman's
project and Indignantly refused to have
to do with tho matter. The
however, procured tho services of
q friend who obtained for her a baby
from founding asylum on Fifteen street.
Better success was had with this child,
and in a few weeks Mrs. Scarlet and her
spurious offspring returned to Wheeling
to gladden. the eyes of the expectant hus-
band. Some months afterward this re.
wife returned to the city under |
the same pretext as before, and in course |
Of time another almshouse baby was added
to the family circle in Wheeling. A third
was procured later in q similar manner,
and the indulging husband was forced to |
find sustenance for a trio of babies, tho |
of as many different mothers,
neither of whom. was his own wife. But |
one of the children survived.
A year or two ago, Mrs. Scarlet again re-
turned to Philadelphia, and for time lived |
10 house on Front street below Girard. |
She went back to Wheeling after the lapse
Of some months, however, and is now fiv-
ing there with her husband and her aims
house child.
aUsBELL AND THE SENATE EN-
PLOYEES.
He AsBcssos Both Democrats and RepublI-
cans.
When David Davis was elected presi-
lent of the Senate, he announced that his
leciding vote would euablo the Democrats
20 retain the officers of the Senate, while
he Republicans should have the chair
and majority of tho commit
ees. In levying assessments, Mr.. Hub
nell recognizes no distinction between