The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-28
STORY oFA MOTHERS LOVE.
An Incident Of Life as Seen on a
Railroad Train.

On the train over the Coast L;ne Saturday
evening :here was an incident that shows
that n,otber's love is the same the world
over, and is possessed of strength that is
beyond compare.
When the train pulled rp ct Sumter very
neatly dressed white woman. apparently
aoont 35 years cid, came aboard the train in
haste. She lad little boy about seven
years old, with her-a pretty boy-and he
looked as if be had been crying. The woman
seemed nearly out Of breath sud very much
excited A passenger handed her p glass OF
water, which she Drank. Then she leaned
back aud concealed the child as much as pos
sible with bec skirt aod cloak. aud seemed
uneasy until the train had started for CO.
lumbia
Then she told the story OF mothers love
to the passengers about her. ehe was from
Gainesville She said that when the child,
frst named Joe, afterwards changed to Char
ley, was mere infant, she bad found that
she was too poor to care for it, 80 she adver-
.ised in paper and an aged couple q. Sum-
ter responded. She turned her child over to
them.
But she found that che could not live With
ont her ch,ld she was willing to work for
it till she dropped, if she could only have 1t
With her.
She went to the couple aud told them this,
but they were unwilling to let her have her
Child again, 30 she smuggled the little one
away, carried him to g colored woman's
house lass cut of Sumter, and concealed him
there until nearly train time. Then che made
q rush for the depot and took the trai1 She
said she had sister here at work 10 the
CRANKY mills, and she had only enough
moaey to pay her way here. The passengers
made up purse and gave 1t to her and saw
that che got carriage and started for tho
mill village when the train arrived here.
Oo the way up the mother repeatedly
asked the little boy: "Don't you know me,
Charley don't you know your own moth
er7" He would draw away and declare that
he did not know her, aud asked her to "take
him home tomorrow She tried time and
again to coax the child TO show some sign OF
recognition, but could not. She: declared
time and again tnat she would give up her
life before she woald par. with her regained
child.
The naues of all the parties are iE the
possession of The State but they are not
necessary to the completeness Of this incident
Of q railroad car The State.
The foregoing pathetic story which appear
ed in the State yesterday morning excited
considerable interest in this city and there
we're macy inquiries duriog the day as to the
identity of the persons who figured in the
story
Inquiry by the writer brought out the fol.
low;og facts The woman who reclaimed The
child and fed to Columbia as related in the
State was Mrs Jaoe Gerald, formerly Of
Gainesville. The aged couple who adopted
ths child when an infant and from whom the
mother took it On Friday we're Mr.. and Mrs.
J. T. Hays.
Mrs Gerald was a married woman who
lived near Gainesville, but about ten or
twelve years ago she separated from her bus
band. About siz years ago she gave birth
to boy child and ehortly afterwards adver-
:issd 10 the Watchman aud Soushron Offering
to give the baby to anyone who would give
is q home aud raise it as his own. Mr.. T.
Hayes, then living ia the Brogdon neighbor-
hood, saw the advertisement, aud after seeing
the woman, he agreed to adopt the iofant,
although it was babe at the bresst and
much youoger than be and his wife wished
to adopt However, as they were childless
and wanted child, and especially as the
mother importuned them to take the child
and give it q home and the care and attention
that she could not, they finally consented.
Hrs. Gerald not only gave up the child freely
end willingly but was profuse IN ber express
sions of thanks and gratitude to Mr. and Mrs.
Hayes for giving her baby good home
She resigned all claim to the infant aud
promised that she would never ask them 10
return it. Mr.. Hayes relied upon her word
and did oot require hec to put the transfer OF
,he child 10 writing, and they took no steps
to have the adoption put into legel shape.
They never once thought the mother would
reclaim the child of which she was apparent
ly 80 ANXIOUS TO be rid. Fer f7e years Mr
and Mrs. Hayes have given the child every
care aod have provided it With all the COM
forts within their means, and bsve in every
way treated it as if it was thei- own hesh
and blood
On Friday morning last Mrs Gerald weot
to the house OF Mr Hayes to ses she little boy
and although he did not recognize her, she
en,ced him to go with her to show her the
way to ueighbor's house He went with
Mrs. Hayes consent, Mrs Gerald promising
to beiog him back in few minutes Instead
of keeping her promise she got a buggy and
taking the child with her went through The
country to Aayesville where she remained 10
hidiog 10 negro's house until Saturday
Eight. Then she took the train for Columbia,
carrying the boy with her
By going to Mayesville she threw Ar
Rayes off her track, for ne naturally thought
she had returned TO her former home at Car
.e,sville he could learn nothing of the
whereabouts of thu woman aud his foster
child. aud was enduring the keenest ao1iety
until be read Of the woman's fight TO Coum'
b;a in Mondays State
Mr. Hayes cannot recover his foster child
to which both be aud bis wife have become
muca attached during the 6ve years they
have bad him, for they oave no legal right to
it and no papers to prove that the mother
resigned to them ber right to bin. Never
,he,ess as matte, of right and justice 1t
does seem that Mr Hay es hes better clsin
90 the child than its mother who gave It
away when helpless infaot, and now 40
duc:s it from comfortable bone when be 10
almost large eoo1gh to work In cotton MILL
nd assist bis mother 10 earning support
for her as we'll as himself
DR. Butis Cough Syrup cures any case OF