The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-29
ETA PEPLER IS FOUND,
AND SUSPICION FALLS OF MRS. PEP
LER As THE CHILD'S IBDUCTOR.

Grandmother II
the Foster Mother Who Took Eta to
Hartford and Abandoned Her Therc-She
VIII Take the Matter Into tho Courts.
Fiye.year.old Eta Peplor. who was abducted
from Bridgeport on Friday morning. was dis
covered in n room OF the Pratt Street House.
Hartford. on Saturday morning. after having
been locked In the room alone for twenty-four
hours, She was recovered by her adaptive
father. Christian Pcper, late on Saturday
night, She returned to her homo yesterday
morning. Tho bridgeport police believe that
Mrs Pcpler took tho child to Hartford and
abandone oil hcr. but Mrs. Perler Indignantly
denies this. Tho case will DO thoroughly venti-
lated II Mrs. Bridget Russell. Etta's grandmoth-
or. persists in her determination expressed to
SUN reporter yesterday to ask the did OF the
courts in securing possession OF the child.
basjnp her petition on the grounds that Mrs.
Pepler has shown herself to be not 1T guar
dian OF Eta.
Mrs. Bridget Russell is an interesting figure
In the casa She is the mother OF tho woman
who has been referred to as Della kitson. and
the fact that Della was an erring woman and
and gave up her illegitimate child to the Pep.
lers has not hardened hor heart toward the
living child nor the memory OF the dead
mother. Mrs. Russell Is old and poor. but she
has displayed vigorous alertness In gather
ing evidence that It was Mrs. Pepler who alb
Quoted Eta. The old woman lives with nn-
other daughter. who earns ms factory hand
support for both. Their homo Is in three lit
Ito rooms over u grocery store on south ave-
nue., bridgeport. and there SUN reporter
found Mrs. Russell yesterday afternoon. alone
in the half dark. preparing supper Tor her
daughter who would soon come home from
the factory. When spoken toapou' nor grand
,i,;i I,t<, 81. MI
"Im not ,lepyiu' to God me heart and soul
nre in tho little Currol since its mother. me
own first horn, died. rest her soul 1t was n
snd dpy for me whom that child went wrong.
for she was reared honest. and was always
good and kind to me. 1t was after 10 years
old she worked out. and then 1t was she got
into bu,, compuny. Her child was born in the
hospital. Its father wasn chicago man. Hos
dead now. God forgive MN; a o,, y, +,o hoen,-
tnl She nut thu child to board with o Mrs.
Lamb. and paid for its board herself when
tie world; them ~ has done wrong finds it
hard TO lind them as will belieyc they want to
Sg for 80 hs sfs o her vent f
! tho ioormaser. Nj. Bunnel. for help to keep
tho chld. He asked me s Ia,ustter Why ,h didn't
s"S G rear it Well Ny daughter was sick she
always was after the baby Vas PORN ~ s Mn int
Mr. Bunnei advertise the child. with me, not
! kncwinr OF II at ali. Then 1t was the lepl.rs
took the child. and my daughter signed the
| court papers without once seeing the lace OF
tho woman vino was to he mother to her paby.
or telling me-. her own mother whit she was
t io b Eat I'd t"ken the child and God
| would not have let it starve But before
knew the court papers was an signed o ana
Two years ago last May my daughter died
in the hospital. and my other daughter. the
one that's supporting me now. had the body
II,
| That's the truth the same ASH told u In
court; bat here; on Friday night. the r police li.
tile child Me heart was sore when he named
the child for Thought it must DO dead In
WHO'S dead lead and buried these two years lad
| Kidnapped the child The next day. it was !!
wsn t" MTi nsr s and tho
Alice Lee. who works Tor Mrs, perler. and |
detective had been there talking to Mrs. Pen
Ter. but had got nothing out OF her. Tor Mrs;
npr orSs to" SHARP sh.r Tor Tor him. 80 What
Mas she Dein' sharp With tho. detective, for !!
she was wnntin to lind the lost child! That's
Praise God. they found the child. and I'm
just utter comm from Mrs. Pepler. where |
blood; but they w"Hi,l not let me in the house.
and when cried they sent me away. It's lit:
tie We have" me. daughter ami me. but we'll
ask the Judge il that woman has the right to
keep the child after tryin' to get rid OF 1t that
and v the the s rp w snr he u.s. upS sass
THE Sun reporter called Mt the Pepler cot
taCe in Fast bridgeport. where the little ser
allow hor mistress to tie seen or even know
that any on" wanted to see Nor. Mrs. Pepler
desire to tell her story again. and 10 show
little it,n to tho reporter. Ettn is a handsome.
well.formed gil. with long brown hair big
infntaly anl M,s: rsplsrf called aiisn'oa %i,h
only words the child could DO induced to say.
Mrs. terl.r ieneHt"d ne story OF her having .I
! called herself Kay Johnson. and who. she said.
was the ga me woman shn had always supposed
explanation to otler regarding the TACT That
Eta had been four! in hotel in Hartford
where, Eta had said her mother ha,! left her.
who .Grour 1t Eta there as rsle-iaccd, and
~ wore black dress on F,iday.'", said
| Mrs. Pepler. but it was flannel Now flannel
is not silk. and | have considerable color iI
| do not remember It. was In uazc all the
time i was gone. was will. u w"mapp, wha
mott Mother aro or " never r snw tho mother
Mrs. rener WI quite rIlm IN ne n. ma an ,e
dangerously excite her. Eta had On a differ.
| ent dress when io,rd than the ono in which
| she left hcr home on Friday morning. Mrs
| lepler said she supposed TINT the woman who
| kidnapped the child changed its dress on the
| cars. Shc frequently referred to her belief
that she llrrsel { had l'crn dragged,
WINS tempornriiy d.r,nged On friday. that sht
fool; 4tta TO Hartford With her G ana "a LHndHned
| OF the Inystrriou, woman to shield herself
| from her ,hushaHd's wrath. It Is possible that
some. When the child was found sho acted as
| il shc had been Grug.cd, and had not yet fully
| recovered from it's elects. She had been alone
| in the MOTEL room nearly, twenty four hours
an,l had not cried nor made any attempt to es.
| cape or attract attention. When tho hotel
natron auestioncd her she made M no in''elIgi.
! tinctiy w;r" Alice Lee" That name WIS The
clue to her IDENTITY nrlIEsn"pt ror9rtrr
Pepler servant to be A!i,.c Leo, and heard oi
tho child found in Hartford who only spoke
that name.
American doctors In Mexico.
Cry OF MEXICO. Nov. 2S.-The delegates