The San Francisco call., 1896-03-31
THE MOTHER A DOMESTIC
Born at the City Hospital and
ChriStened at St.
Peters.
HOW A HUSBAND WAS DUPED.
Mrs. Szanik'S Clever Plan That the
Babe Should Be Carried to Her
Doorstep.

The true parentage of the much-talked-
of red-haired infant fhat was left on the
Szanik doorstep has been discovered.
The girl baby, wao is on her way to
Australia with her foster mother, Mrs.
Annie L. DooleySzanik, is the daughter
of young domestic and prominent mer-
chant of Hayes Valley.
About a year ago pale girl with auburn
hair presented herself at the City and
County Hospital and told the old story of
a weak woman's wrongs. Beyond the fact
that she was poor and i'll and friendless,
she declined to give the information re-
quired for the register of the institution.
She hes1tated when asked her name, and
finally gave it with that air that the hos
pital attaches have come to recognize as
marking an alias. When asked the name
of the father of her child she was silent.
and the register shows blank where the
name should appear.
She was retieent to all but one person
during her stay in the hospital, and that
person her nurse. Soon after the birth of
her baby she confided her troubles to h er
attendant.
She was an orphan with practically no
relatives except an uncle who lives in
Oakland. The greater part of her child
hood was spent at st. Joseph's Home and
when she was old enough she went out
10 service. For a year or more prior to
her appearance at the hospital she had
worked in the family of three young N en-
and their sister, who were engaged in the
mercantile business in Hayes Valley. One
of the brothers accomplished her down
fall, but when disgrace threatened them
both he turned her adrift.
The story aroused the sympathies of the
nurse and she told several visitors of her
special interest in the mother and desire to
see the child in the care of a suitable
family. Among the visitors to the
maternity ward was Mrs.Annie E. Dooley-
Szanik, a professionaLnurse, who had done
considerable charitable work among the
sluns. She became interested in the mother
7TJi child aaiid, fi;i,ally expressed her de-
sire to adopt the little one. There was one
obstacle-her husband. Should she pro-
pose the plan he would, in all probability,
veto it. But he would not be cruel enough
to send away an infant that found its way
to his doorstep, she reasoned. A we'll
and two hospital nurses, one of whom was
her niece, was the result.
Mrs Szanik dictated a mournful little
note, in which heartbroken mother, re-
Gently widowed, who claimed to be Mrs.
Szaniks friend and former patient, COM
mitted the little one TO her care. The note
was attached to the infants clothing, and
one night the two nurses stole
to the doorstep OF Mrs. Szanik's
home at sos Bush street, and de-
posted a basket on the doorstep. The
parlor was lighted according to previ-
ously arranged signal, which showed that
Mrs. Szanik was waiting for her charge.
From the corner of Bush and Mason
streets they watched Mrs. Sank as she
opened he door and witnessed her affected
surprise at the sight of the contents of the
basket. Then they hurried back to the
hospital.
The mother had signed a document re-
linquishing all right to the child, and her
uncle had attached his name to the same.
When she was well enough she left the
hospital and found work in home where
lurked less danger. She is still at work at
that place and in ignorance of the where
abouts of the child.
Only once has the nurse seen her since,
and that was when the young mother
came to tell her of dream she had had
that her young infant was i'll and her
mother heart was wrung in fearful appre-
hension. She was soothed by the assur-
ance that the child was safe and we'll and
went away comforted.
A few days after the child was found
and Mrs. Szanik had gained reluctant
consent from her husband to keep the
child, it was baptized at st. Peters
Church, the nurse who had befriended the
mother acting as godmother. The little
one was christened Hazel Meade. Mrs
Szanik was not satisfied, however, and
had the child rebaptized at the First Con-
gregational Church, which she joined at
about the same time. This time the name
was changed to Ruth Dean.
The child grew to be a favorite with pas
tor and people and her bright little face
was missed when it was set toward Aus
tralia.
Nj. and Mrs. Szanik have separated
Theformer is living in this City and the