The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-13
The BABY MYSTERY
At GATE CITY
Many Visitors Called to See the
Little Wait Yesterday.
QUESTION Of PARENTAGE
Several Persons Want Mrs. Adkins
Find, But She Resolutely Refuses
to Surrender 1t to Anyone
Christening Today.

The affair of the little one found on the
doorsteps of Mrs Adkins at Gate City early
Friday morning is as much a mystery as
ever. Numerous calls were made upon
Mrs. Adkins yesterday and more than one
request was made for the little one, but
she steadfastly refused to listen to such
appeals, saying that she was responsible
for the child and would keep him always
unless death took it from her.
About 3:l5 Monday morning.. as Frazier
Adkins, Mrs. Adkins son, was going OUT
the front door of their home on his way to
the rolling mill, where he works, he was
starteled to see tiny white bundle on the
doorstep from which was emitted just the
faintest cry. He at once called his mother,
and the bundle was carefully carried inside
and deposited on the bed. There it was un-
wrapped and the face of an infant, scarcely
twenty-four hours old, met the gaze of
mother and son. In basket by the side of
the little waif there were three suits Of
plain white clothing, without any marks
of Identification.
Mrs. Adkins said yesterday that the
baby was probably left by some one who
knew her, though she hasn't the slightest
idea who it was
MANY surmises have been made as to
the little ones parentage.' she continued
but of course it is all guess work Sew
eral have said that it was brought from
East Lake, others that it came from Gs,>~
City. 1 am almost certain that 1 have
never seen the chld's parents, or 1 think
l would recognize it. l am going to keep
the little fellow. 1t was given to me- and
1 shall not give 1t up. OF course | may
decide later that 1 will not adopt it, and in
that case I will turn it over to one of those
who have applied for it. For the present.
though, it is safely in my keeping
1.-THE child is evidently of good parentage
it seems to me. If it had been the off
spring of common people they would have
kept it, and not turned it over to some one
else to keep for them
Mrs Adkins stated that it was evidently
brought to her home by some one on foot
as she and her son had, upon find
ing it, examined the ground in front of the
house for signs of buggy or carriage, but
no tracks were visible.
The lady thinks that the baby will live
1t is sturdy little youngster and Dr.
Sleeves, of Gate City, who has twice ex-
amined it, says he thinks that there is moth
ing to fear. 1t is wonderfully well devel-
oped for one of its age. Mrs. Adkins has
ceased feeding it on condensed milk, and
the little one is now subsisting on cows
milk.
1t will be baptized and christened this
afternoon by Rev. Mr.. Haggert, the Meth
odist minister of Gate City.
The case has aroused much interest In
,loti 10. LII.
in as to the parentage of the little outcast
Mrs. Adkins, the involuntary recipient of
the child, has gained some little notoriety
in regard to such matters, this not being
the first time that innocent little babes have
been laid at her door. In one instance
two days old child was pushed through
broken window glass and deposited on her
bed, where she found him. Mrs. Adkins is
a comey woman of about 40 years and does
not seem in the least displeased with her
sudden notoriety.