Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-06
"A STOLEN CHILD,
FAL>ELY PxucU RED Fxum The HON

PkxOCU RED FHOM Idc nv"
Pair-How n Suspicious Couple Got
u Child for - Adoption y
Some time before Christmas a man who |
called himself Thomas Mooney came to
the Fountain Inn, this city, and obtained
not remarkable, as he had been int the
boarding for a season :: he dressed genteely
and paid his bills. A short time before
the holidays he expressed desire to find
a private lodging place, and be and his
wife were accommodated at Mrs. Emma
Browns (sister of Chief of Police Deich
ler) on Strawberry street. They expressed
desire to obtain a child for adoption, and
represented that they had good homo in
Washington, D. c., to take such an one
to. They visited the "Home" and
picked on pretty little seven
year-old named Ida Bomberger. They
made application for her, but were
politely told by the lady managers that
they must furnish reference before they
could procure the little girl. The woman
became very impatient at this and showed
such an ungovernable temper that the
ladies who witnessed the exhibition con-
cluded she was not a fit person to have
child. Mooney" however, apologized
profusely for her display Of temper, ex
planned it on the ground Of her great dis
appointment at not getting the child,
upon whom she had set her heart and for
whom she had already prepared toys and
clothes. He expressed willingness to
give Mr.. Geo. Hastings, of the Fountain
inn, and Col Hambright, his old com.
mander of the 10th P. ", as references
he claimed to be compositOr in the gov
ernment printing office at Washington,
d. c., temporarily laid off and acting as
detective. He represented that he was
well to.do, had a property there, gave his
address and offered to get % letter from
his pastor. He finally procured what
purported to be letter of recommenda-
tion from Messrs. Hastings and Hambris ht
and was so importunate in his request for
the child that some of the lady managers
began to sympathize with his earnestness
| and others become suspicious of him-
Finally, by going from one to tie other
and deceiving some or them as to the con-
sent of others, he obtained possession OF
the child and took her home to his lodg-
ings at Mrs. Browns. The child, pleased
with the attentions shown her, was glad
to go and the wife affected great rejoicings.
In the excess of their joy they wrote a
most gushing letter to Mrs Coke, of the
Home management, expressing their graf
itude for the great happiness conferred
upon them.
| Early one morning just before Christmas,
and only ons day after they got the child,
they, the child and their baggage disap-
peared from Mrs. Browns where they had
| e., s,pn md CIR
that time they have not been seeE in Ian.
caster or heard from.
| An Evident lmpOstOr.
At first it was supposed they had gone
to their home in Washington, but inquiries
therefore do not verify any OF the intOrma
tion which Mooney gave about himself
and his property. Mr.. Hastings knows
little ABOUT him except that he came tt
behaved seemly. Col. Hambright remem
bers him coming into the regiment late
anC dropping out at Washington on the
way home afterwards applying to hiul
for aid to get his back pay. No such {
man is known in the government service
as printer or detective.
Partially Unidentified.
For some time the Home managers ant
I L
ing up the case quietly, with no CLEAN y
successful unraveIling Of the myster,
until last week. A man named Guye
from York came over to get child from
tne Home and in the conversation tina,
ensued enough came out to make it pretty
certain that Mrs. Mooney is his siste
Lucinda Guyer, that was, and now tn
wife of one Thomas Hacke5 or Heckert
that they arc travelling show people an,
Lot just the ones to be entrusted with TIT
raising OF a child. Inquiry i'll Readin;
disclOses the residence there of of tn
mother and sister of the Guyers, who sa.
that Lucinda is married TO ThOma
Hacket, who is not a Snowman, to tn,
best of their knowledge, but has som
mysterious and rowing occupation, whici
makes him and Lis wife undesirabl
guardians for friendless child. Mrs
Brown cOrrOborates the suspicion that
Mooney or Hacket is Snowman by til
statement that while he and his wife wer
at her house the woman showed her
number of fancy dresses such as actresse
wear.
The relative from York has sent to tn
Home managers a photograph of Hacket
and when it was taken to an artist to b
copied be thought he recognized it a
that of dead beat who passed himself Of
} as an Episcopal Clergyman named Viii
liams.
The little girl whom the couple tool
with them was of the name Ida Bomberg
er, born July %, 1876; admitted to "th'
Home' Aug. 81, 1882. She has fai
t complexion, rosy cheeks, short dark hail
J round bright face and is very pretty.
2 Whatever tho motives of the couple il
originally procuring the child, their sud
den and suspicious departure from tn
city, the deceptions they have practiced
and their failure to explain, corroborat'
the idea that they mean no good to til
} little one. If they are vagrant show PEG
pie, travelling with the peregrinating circu
or side tent it can easily be imagined tha
, they mean to make the child serviceable
If they are merely eccentric they hav
carried their singularity too far. In an
event the Home managers propose to in
| stitute vigorous Investigation and hav
, offered $50 reward for the arrest OF tn
, abductOrs.
? A warrant was issued some time ago b
Alderman DonneIly for MONEYS arres
aud the city police are looking for him.
FRATERNITY.