The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-12
MYSTERY OF A BABY
IF IT WAS ONE OF TWINS IT WAS
B0RN THREE MONTHS LATE.

Woman Appears ut Her Home In CIevelsn,
With Eaby to Which She Claimed Sb
Gave Birth, But Now She Has Change,
Her Mind and Relieves That Some On
has Passed Counterfeit Infant on He
The Old Women Have the Laugh o,
the learned Doctors and Arc Maxim,
Use Of It
Cleveland, o., Aug. 11.-FicSion IA.
had another tussle with fact AMI fac
has scored; according to the story a:
printed in the Evening World Of thi:
city.
A beautiful girl baby perhaps. .
months old, lies at Infants Rest on &c.
| dar avenue, and there is no way Of lear-
| ing who IT'S parents are. Mrs Clarence
| Fitch Of 173 Streator avenue brought the
| baby from New York about two months
ago and declared that she was its
| mother. She said it had been born a
few weeks previously.
On July IS Mrs. Fitch gave birth to a
fine baby boy. and the wide separation
in The times OF the birth of these al
legged twins attracted attention not only
in the medical world but among the peo-
pie the country over. 1t now develops
that the girl baby IS not Mrs. Fitch's,
and that the two little ones are not
twins
A few days ago Mr. Fitch called on
Humane Agent Parmlee and explained
that his wife went TO Connecticut last
spring 10 visit relatives. Strangely
enough she did not go to the home of her
relations, although she did go to the
town where they lived. She soon came
back home, by way Of New York City,
and it was easily seen that her mind
was somewhat deranged, an incident
that sometimes accompanies prospective
maternity.
With her she brought the baby girl
that is now cooling and blinking n In
fants' Rest. Mrs. Fitch said tina; it was
her child and there is no question that
she believed it. Her friends believed it
and so did the doctors. 1t was not until
after the birth OF the boy, on July is,
that her mind began to regain its vigor
and little by little she remembered what
had happened and what had not hap
pened on the trip east.
1t was last Sunday that Mr.. and Mrs.
Fitch came to the opinion that they had
been mistaken: that the doctors, too,
had been unwittingly fooled and that
the little girl was the child of other par
Pt,f bA
That is a question that may never be
answered. Whether it is the offspring
of unnatural parents who desired to get
I'd OF their child or whether Mrs. Fitch,
her mind excited by her travels and in a
condition that yearns for child, took
il from parents who are now mourning
is loss, is absolutely not known.
There is a general agreement among
those in the city who are familiar with
the case that the child is that OF parents
who desired to get rid of it, but there
is absolutely no proof except the pres
ence Of the baby itself to bear out this
idea
Mrs. Fitch does not know where she
obtained it, though Mr.. Fitch has hopes
that when she has fully recovered from
the fatigues and excitements that have
her for four months past she |
Will be able 10 recall exactly the cir |
under which the bright little |
baby came into her possession.
Mr.. Fitch told Mr.. Par7nlee that both
ne and his wife had become attached to |
he little one and that he did not want |
Mrs. Fitch TO know what had become |
II i until her health was entirely re-
gained. He also said that he had taken |
are % the if;tie girl himself ever since
I wyas brought home because Of his |
vffe's general physical indisposition.
Naturally they had become attached to
However, the circumstances were such
hat he could not afford to rear the child
.or was Mrs. Fitch, with her own baby
10Y 10 care for. able 10 give il a mothers
are at this time. For all OF these rea-
ons he concluded that ne would better
ee Mr.. Parmlee and give the child into
lis charge.
Mr.. Parmlee said to World reporter
n Thursday:
1T is very strange case. indeed. Mr..
itch is evidently a man of educa ton
lis story was told in good English and
With so much evident sincerity that I
ouli not but believe him. His story
eing true. ! thought ii a case for me 10
axe charge OF. found that the baby IL
healthy, beautiful girl, evidently OF
american parentage, and will have IT.
e or no trouble IN finding Il good |
ONE"
When the reporter called at the In
ants Rest Thursday morning the name
.ss baby girl was in the nurses arms. |
glance at the infant showed that Mr. |
ideals OF infantile beauty had ,
cen properly trained l. was indeed a
eau;iful little girl and if its real parents ,
re not found some family will be
frightened by its presence.
a world reporter called at the Fitch |
173 Streator avenue. on Thurs
ay morning. The home is pleasantly .
tuatei on the east side % the street ,
~ Is evidently the home OF cultured, | /;
ell-;o-1o and happily situated people.
baby buggy stood in the parior-a
ably buggy that has done double ser :
ice IN a shorter time that any other
10y buggy in America.
rs Mr.. Fitch az flone?" asked the re- ,
,rter, Suppos:ng. OF course, that Mrs. '
ltcn would probably not be seen. 7
NO. ne is not was the reply % a {
aasant faced woman. y am Mrs g
itch: perhaps can answer as well" (
When the reporter said that ne was I
ere in quest - Information concerning
2 ii;tle girl baby which she brought (:
ON the east. Mrs. Fitch's large brown n
es looked up in evident distress But q
e recovered herself in tvinkling and .
severed few OF the questions ascksd. n