Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-01-17
uuNrinG n BABY nEiurss.
,,,rr,iuc from Door TO Door m iJiii, a.
Now Lett SOC, 600

Now tcH NoV,OOO.
In 1878 Miss Clara V. Venablo spent
several weeks at White Sulphur Springs
with her parents aud became acquainted
with young man who said his namo was
sydney II, Lawson, and represented that
he was a wholesale dry goods merchant
of Philadelphia. He and Miss Vcnablo
became quite intimate and when sho
returned to her home in Campbell county.
VIRGINIA, no followed her. That
winter she visited Florida with her
parents aud unknown to them correspond
cd regularly with Lawson. Seventy odd
letters writtcn by him to her are now in
Mr.. Faquhar's possession and they arc
all clever compositions, breathing love and
hope and oil that sort of thing. In the
spring ot 1879 after her return from
Florida, Miss Ncnable, who was then
nineteen years old, cloped with Lawson
and they were married In Washington on
May -. Before tho ceremony was pcr.
formed lawson confessed that his real
n.mc was Foster and under that namo he
was married. A few days later his wifc
discovered that no was q commercial
drummer employed by q Philadelphia
firm. Tho newly married couple came to
Philadelphia and lived quito happily until
sometime IN 1881, when Foster disappear
cd aud with him went all of his wife's
icwclry.
Sho was left in Philadelphia without
friends, almost penniless and with n Girl
baby less than u month old. The shock
that her daughters clopement gave her
caused Mrs. Nenable's death, which oc-
Cured in 1850. Then, us Mr.. Venable
had no other children, no moved to
| Lyuchburg. To him his daughter ap
pCalcL for holp, after she was deserted BY
] 4. -.
| read and sent back without comment.
| She sent other letters to her father, asking
| for assistance but they were returned
unopened. Then the mother aud child
were turned out OF their boarding house.
| Mrs. Foster sold her spare clothes, aud
! 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 il.
| Tho infant was then about three months
old. Mrs. Myersly took tho little
one to West Green street and
began systematically canvassiug the
nelELbOrhoOd in search OF family
in want OF a baby. She stopped only at
the most imposing houses, and Mr.. Far.
quhar says that she told him yesterday
that a. each place she asked to see the
mistress OF the house, to whom she simply
said Don't you want pretty baby .
It's mother is sopoOr that she caunot take
care Of it.
She stopped At many houses on Greer
| street, but could not tiud anyone willing
to take the baby from her.
The rebuA. however, did no. discour
q 20 her aud she tFudged to Broad street
followed by crowd of boys Seyera
women joined the gathering and some out
suggested that sIe had stolen the child
4 policeman was called and the simple ole
German woman and Mrs. Fosters bab,
were taken to the Ninth police distric
station house, at Twenty.thlrd aud Brow
streets, and the crowd that folIowe,
blocked the street. At the station hOus
Mrs. Myersly told her story and an Office
was sent 70 ascertain the truth Of il. Ii
returned, reported the facts in tho cas-
and Mrs. Myersly was told that she migh
60. \ man who had heard of her arres
went to the station house and when she
was set free offered to adopt the child
which was iudenturcd 10 him then au
there.
Messrs. White, of Philadelphia, au
FayQuhar, Of Lynchburg, Va, the latter
lawyer, are prosecuting the search, an
| thCy Qtcllc 10 give tno name OF Tue ma
who adopted the child aud when they fin
him, ii he is attached to it, he will not b
asked 10 give il up.
After she gave her baby away Mrs
Foster went 70 New York in search G
employment. For several months sh
wrote regularly TO Mrs. Myersly. The
the correspondence stopped, aud, as sh
has no: answered any OF the numerou
advertisements that have been publishe
during the past year, it is believed tho
she is dead. In 1888 Mr.. Venable r,
Tented and authorized Mr.. Farquhar
ind his daughter, but their efforts weg
unsuccessful. He died in December
1888, and left 900, 600 in cash to b
dau& child, who is the little girl thl
! Mrs. Myersy carried up and down Gree
, street without being able TO find anyor
willing TO adopt it.