The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-18
A nAnY ITEIREss MISSING.
Her virginia 3randfashcr Wills Her
oSO. 900.
The Little One Carried from Door 10 Door
and Given Away In a Ssation-Heuse--
Hew the search is BEING
Carried On.
Iph,,sde,pais Tlmcs.I


Laurence II. Farquhar, lawyer OF
Lyuchbuc, Va, aud Isaac White, OF The
o6,cc Of the Court OF Quarter Sessions In
This city, are looking for missing baby
that has fallen heir 10 100000. On Satur-
dsy last Mr.. white, who had worked on
the case for several weeks. discovered
cue 10 the whereabouts of the lost child
and was so confident that he was on the
right track that he tclegrapbed the facts 70
Mr.. Farquhar, who came TO Philadelphia
on Tuesday.
In 1878 Miss Clara V. venable spent seye-
raj weeks at White sulphur Springs with
ter parents and became acquainted with
young man who said his name was sydney
X. lawson, and represented that he was O
wholesale dry.goods merchant of~Philadel-
nina. He and Miss Venable became quite
intimate, and when she returned 10 her
home In Campbell county, Virginia, he fol'
lowed her. That winter she visited Flori-
da with her parents and unknown to them
corresponded regularly with lawson
seventy odd letters written by him to her
are now in Mr.. Farquhars possession, ana
thew are all clever compositions. breathing
love and hope and all that sort OF thing.
In the spring OF 1879, after her return from
Florida. Miss Venab'e. who was then Gine-
teen wears old, eioped with Lawson, ard
they were married in Washington on May
18th. Before the ceremony was performed
Lawson confessed that his real name was
Foster, and under that name he was mar
RED. A few DAYS later his wife discovered
that he was commerclal-drummer en-
Moved by Philadelphia firm. The newly
married couple came TO Philadelphia and
lived quite happily until some time in 1881,
when Foster disappeared, and with him
went all OF his wifc's iewelry.
masonry PLIGHT.
She was left in this city without friends,
almost penniIess and with girl baby less
than a month old. The shock that her
daughters elopement gave her caused Mrs.
yenable's death, which occurred in 1850.
Then. as MIR. Venable had no other chill
dren. be moved TO Lynchburg. TO him
his daughter appealed for help after she
was deserted by her, husband. The first
letter was opened, read, and sent back
without comment. She sent other letters
10 her father. asking for assistance, but
they were returned unopened. Then the
mother and chilled were turned out OF then
clearinghouse.
Mrs, Foster sold all her spare clothes,
and In that way got enough money TO take
board with poor family named Myersly,
on north Fifth street. There the mother
was taken sick, and practical Mrs. Myersly
induced her to consent TO give the baby to
some one who could take proper care OF it.
The infant was then about three months
eli. Mrs. Myersly took the little one TO
west Green street and began systematically
canyassmg the neighborhood in search OF a
family in want OF a baby. She stopped
only at the most imposing houses, and Mr..
Farquhar says that she told him Yesterday
that at each place she asked to see the mis-
tress of the house, TO whom she simply
said: Don't you want pretty baby ::
It's mother is so poor that she cannot take
care OF it,"
She stopped at many houses on Green
street, but could not find any one willing to
take the baby from her.
A SINGULAR PROCESSION.
The rebuffs, however, did not discourage
her and she rudged to Broad street, fol-
lowed by crowd OF boys. Several women
Joined the gathering and some one suggest |
ed that she had stolen the child. \ police |
man was called and the simple old Ger |
man woman and Mrs. Fosters baby were !
Ia ken 10 the Ninth-police district station
mouse, III lWentN-tDlTU anu DfONH sIttts. |
and the crowd that followed blocked the /
street. At the staiion-house Mrs. Myersly |
told her story and an officer was sent to AS
certain the truth OF il. He returned, re-
ported the facts in the case, and Mrs. Ny |
ersly was told that she might 90. \ man !
who had heard Of her arrest went to the |
statlou-hOuse and when she was set free Of |
ferred to adopt the child, which was in
dentured TO him then and there. Mr..
White aud MIR. Farquhar decline TO give
the name Of the man who adopted the
child, and when they find him, il he is at
tached TO it, he will not be asked TO give it
UP.
After she gave her baby away Mrs. Fos-
ter went TO New York in search OF en-
ployment. For several months she wrote
regularly to Mrs. Myersly. Then the cor
respondence stopped, and. as she has not
answered any OF the numerous advertise
mcnts that have been published during the
past year. 1t is believed that she is dead.
In 1888 Mr.. Venable relented and author
lied Mr.. Farquhar to lind his daughter,
but their efforts were unsuccessful. He
died in December, 1885, and left 100000
in cash to his daughters child, who is the
little girl that Mrs. Myersly carried up and
dovn q room gfrppt without hpino able IN