Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-01-04
A FATHER S HAI'.-INESS.
The Wife and Children Whom He
Thought Dead Return
The End.

| The Vile and Children Whom He
Thought Dead Return.
| More joy has come into one Chicago
mans life within q week than he has
known for nearly decade. The wife
! that he supposed was dead is alive, but
| hemmed in by the walls of a prison
and greater jOy-the four children she
| stole from him are soon to be returned
| to the home he has kept bright and
CHEEKY, never giving up the hope that
some day he would find them with love
left for the father they had lost.
Serving ten-year sentence in the
Canon City, Col. penitentiary is a Wo-
man whose husband, Henry Naylor,
lives in this city. In December, 1891.
Mrs. NaylOr, who had been separated
from her husband, left Chicago after
| kidnapping her four children, who had
been in the fathers custody She stole
the little ones from the fathers home
while he was away at work.
She Immediately proceeded to Den
yer with the children, and few days
after her arrival there she was ar
rested for shoplifling. She was con-
victed and sentenced to ten years in
the Canon City penitentiary.
During all the years that his wife
has been in prison Naylor heard no
word from her until a few days ago.
| Neither did he know what had become
of the children. On account of their
|
forced to believe that his wife was
dead.
| He had never given up hope, how
ever, that he would some day find his
two boys and two girls, and with that
end in view he has labored Industrious
ly to provide a home for them when
they should again be united.
After long, weary years of waiting
to hear some tidings from his children
| Naylor was surprised beyond measure
a few days ago to receive a letter from
his wife. She had kept her secret of i'm
prisonment from him for nearly seven
years, but with the near approach of
| her release the old love for husband
and children returned. and she wrote
| pleadingly if he would not take her
| back.
| The letter was stained with the wo-
mans tears, and to NaylOr it was like
| a voice from the grave He was
stunned at the intelligence of his wife's
| imprisonment, and more so on account
of receiving the sad information from
| the woman herself With trembling
| hands he read the missive, and as he
| pictured his wife, the mother of his
children behind the gray walls of
Canon City prison, tears sprang TO his
eyes and his strong frame shook with
emotion.
| The news was so overpowering that
| NayloT at first could scarcely believe
! it. He read the letter over and over
again to make sure he was not the vic
! tim Of hoax it was his wife's hand
sand times rather hear of her death
there was something in the letter that
prompted him to forgive and forget the
past.
! Naylor took the letter to attorney
James Young, 456 Milwaukee avenue
and asked his advice as to how to pro-
| coed to recover his kidnapped little
ones, whom the wife had written were
in the State Home for Dependent Chill
dren the last she knew of them. At
torney Young communicated at once
with Chief Of Police Farley of Denver
and a few days later he received a re-
ply that what the woman had written
was true. The two elder children
William and Emma, who were respect
lively seven and five years old when
Mrs. Naylor kidnapped them from the
father had been adopted, Chief Farley
said. by two Denver families.
The families who have these chill
dren," Farley wrote, ARE aristocratic
and the superintendent of the institu-
ton from which they were adopted re-
fused to divulge the names Of their
foster parents. l understand that the
children are being well educated, and
it has been SO many years since they
were adopted that they have forgotten
their real parents"
The two other children Grace and
Harry, who were aged three and two
when the mother was arrested in Den.
yer. are still at the institution. Chief
Farley said he knew of no law which
would prevent the father getting pos
session of these children if he could
prove himself of good moral charac-
ter and able TO provide for them.
Attorney Young has written to IL
w. Cowan. superintendent Of the State
Home for Dependent Children. demand,
ing him TO divulge the present where
abouts Of William and Emma. the
children who were adopted by Denver
families. If Attorney Young receives