The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-06
FASTENED BY A CHAIN
The Little One Padlocked to His
Grandmother Side.
GIVEN HER WHILE HIS MOTHER WAS SICK
She Had Been Granted Divorce and Given
the Custody of Her Child. She Re-
covers Him Despite Mother
in-Law's Protest.

copyright 1900 by The Associated Press.
Paris, May 5.--Foreign visitors tc
Paris this week find the dead walls COW
cred with huge colored posters setting
forth the electoral manifestoes of the
candidates at the municipal elections
which are to be held tomorrow Sunday
throughout France. The results are
awaited with particular interest owing to
the announced intention of the national
lists to utilize the election as field of
battle to test the feeling of the country
on til Governments policy, especially in
domestic matters.
At the present moment, there is no
sign of serious political effervescence or
grave discomfort with the Government.
This is shown by the transquil manner in
which Labor Day passed in France. At
one time the celebrations on the first of
May almost convulsed the country. This
year work proceeded as usual nearly
everywhere, and meetings of labor COM
mittees. which formerly were a feature
of the day. were few and far between.
The Champs Eysees is the last place
in the world one would think would be
chosen for an attempt at child abduction
pened this week, to the amazement of
ali Paris. The fashionable avenue was
thronged. as is usual in the afternoon.
with a stream of equipages and of prom
enaders, when almost in front of the
imposing entrance of the exposition a
man rushed into the roadway and seiz
by the head horse drawing fiacre in
which were seated an elderly lady and
in Crh little
boy. about eour wears old. At the same
moment woman sprang to the side OF
the carriage clutched the child and at
tempted to drag him from the vehicle
The child cried and crowd soon sur
rounded the struggling group The new
conner explained that the boy was hel
child whom the old people refused to givt
up The crowd Immediately took sides
with the mother and the old lady, burst
ing into tears, relnquished her hold. Il
was then found that the child was grid
led with an iron chain, which was pad
locked to the two occupants OF the facre
This discovery excited the wrath of the
spectators who prepared to handle the
old people roughly.
AT this juncture the police arrived and
took the whole party to the station house,
where it was explained that the mother
had been granted divorce and awarded
the custody of the. child but that during
an illness she had had him temporarily
given into the care Of the mother-in-law
the Baroness Won Veldegg. The latter
upon the mothers recovery, refused to
return the child and the mother tracked
them until she met them on the Champs
Elysees. The Baroness, learning that tne
mother intended to secure the child, for
chilly, if necessary, had the iron chain
forged and never left her husband ex-
cept in a carriage and accompanied by the
old Prussion officer, who held one end OF
the chain, the Baroness holding the other
At the STATEN house the mother-in-law
refused to unfasten the paddock, and the
Commissary of Police was obliged TO have
the chain filed in two. The child was then
restored to his mother, despite the pro-
tests and sobs OF the Baroness. The scene
of excitement provoked by the dramatic
incident on the Champs Elysecs can we'll
be imagined.
The Inauguration Of the American Ma
tional Pavilion in the exposition is now