Birmingham state herald., 1897-07-10

and shat reflection might be cast upon them of a scandalous nature; also that the husband of the lady had said there the child remained in his home; conse- quently to save a scandal from the said sisters and separation of husband and wife he desired to give the child away.
 He dotted down Mrs. Mizell'e name in his note book, telling her if her husband agreed 10 take the child she should look Tor him anywhere from 9 D. m., until day light; that he might come at o'clock or any time after dark, and 10 ke D a nght burntng in the house all night; tha- the mother of the child was in such a place that he feared detection in getting the child firm the house in daylight, for fear th child might make some outcr1 and hereby telling to the outside WorJ that he had a child with him.
 The above did not occur in MT Mizek presence, but his informant was his WI { and Mrs M. A. Swagert, Miss Addie | Ter and Mrs. Owens.
 When Mrs. Mizell saw me, continued MT. MiZell, she told me of the pronosition Dr Drennen had made to her and I ab- Jected SC iously to the ch Id being brought to my home upon the grounds, first, that was poor man and feared even if the child was to be born, as Dr. Drcnnen had stated, that l could not do as good part by the child as 1t should deserve; second that We did not really know whether the child was of legitimate or illegitimate birth; third. that if we were ever blessed With any children ourselves that par tlaHty would be shown. Mrs. Mizell stated that she believed the child to be of legitimate birth because the couple were then married and that if we could aid pr. Drennen, a steward in the same church of which we were members in hiding a scandal of people who were probably members of the same church and from the promise of pr. Drennen that the parent were never to know the whereabouts of the child, that we ought to take it. and upon her insisting that we go and see Dr. Drennen and let me have talk with him myself, I consented to call upon him, and we then repaired to his office. I made the same protest to him that did to my wife. and upon the assurance of Dr. Drennen that the child was of legitimate birth, I pressed the objection that l was a working man and feared my ability financially would not be sufficient to give the child the treat ment it should have. He then said, in the presence of my wife, in his private office, behind closed door, that should receive enough money to help me take care of the child. I asked hm how much he would allow me. He said somewhere in the neighborhood of $750. I told him that if LSehing would do but for me to take the child I would do so. He then said that he had spoken to some other parties regarding the child and that they had seemed anxious to get the child without any money, but that he felt con vinced that 1 would do my duty regard ing the child and he would rather give it to one that he had confidence in than. to some one he knew little or nothing about then asked when he thought he would bring the child and he reiterated the ton he had with my wife that any time after dark would do or that perhaps we had better meet him down town and he would give us the child and we could take 1t home on a dummy, but to keep him advised of the fact as to whether we would be at home or not as he might come out there and not find us in. I afterward saw Dr. Drennen and told him that the time was so long between the 10th of May and the time that the child was coming that we were barred from the pleasure of leaving our home to go to any place of amusement or pleasure and that it had become a source of inconvenience to us to stay at home all the time and that should the child come he might leave it at Mrs Ow- ems, our next door neighbor and that she would care for 1t until our return.
 On the evening of the 11th of June after he telling us each day that the ex- pectant mother was in labor and for us to look for him at any minute after dark, he came to my house about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I being absent, telling my wife that the matter had materialized, stating that it was worth a million dol lars. My wife asked him what he meant, if the baby was born. He said, Yes" looked at the clock, saying, Just an hour ago." He asked my wife if was at home. She told him, Mo-" that was at work He then asked her what time would be at home. She told hi'G o'clock, probably later. He said, "I will not be here before o'clock" He got in the buggy with the boy, who was driving him, and returned to the city.
 In a half hour he returned without the boy, came into the house, and handed a basket to my wife, in which was an in- fant covered by white dress, the baby lying in some other goods, which showed they had been purchased at Burgers dry goods store and sold by clerk No. z, who afterwards stated to me that the pur chasers of same were ladies of good ad- dress.
 As to the child, there was blood still upon it's head and portions of its body There was one flannel skirt upon the child. This and the dress thrown over it was all the covering it had. My wife tn en washe d nd dressed the child hersalf. I came in about the time she was pre- pairing to wash him. She brought the baby toward me in her arms, ssVing:
 ''See what fine boy we have" I asked her what time she received the child and she replied, "Only few minuts ago." I then asked her if he had lief any mes sage for me. Shs said he had left word for me to either telephone him or come to his office the next day. I then chided my wife for receiving the infant without my being at home or frat seeing pr. Drennen She stated that she had no doub: but that everything would be all right, as he seemed to take greai interest in the child, and said he would help us take are of and rear him and make a great man of him.
 Mrs. Owns was present during this conversation, and when Dr. Drennen came 10 see my wife previous to and at the time he brought the baby.
 On the following morning I called on Dr. Drennen but did not go into his of- flee. but had the following converse ton with him in the stairway of the Chalifoux building. leading into his office: I asked him when I was to receive the proposed amount of money, ting a the time that he had promised mA that the money should come with the child. He answered me that there were certain stages in a child's life. up to the time it was tweuty- on+ days old, making 1t doubtful as to whether 1t would live or not. at the same time naming the stages, and that the