The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-08-26
ITEMS FROM
NEW CASTLE.

revolving cruelty and neglect of a
baby came to light here yesterday
! and the prompt action of a neigh
boring woman saved the child's life
and prevented murder. About
three weeks ago Joseph Wesley
Shahan moved here from Cheswold
and located in a house at No. 6O6
Cherry street.
At times the man was noticed un-
der the influence of liquor and both
of them were seen to go out of the
house and stay as long as eight
hours at time. There was no one
in the house at the time to take care
of the baby and the general opinion
is that the baby was put under the
influence of a drug.
Yesterday morning the child was
seen to be in critical condition
and DR.. William H. Kuntz was sum-
moned and gave it as his opinion
that the child was dying. Shahan
then called upon Undertaken Clew-
ell and asked him to embalm the
child and prepare it for burial. He
next tried to secure a grave in the
Methodist cemetery but was unable
to do so. Then he sought the trus-
tee of St. Peters Catholic Church
and secured the necessary grave.
But the child was not dead and
neither undertaken or grave were
needed. By this time the women
in the neighborhood We're highly in
censed as they knew of the neglect
and furthermore learned of the out
rageous fact that cloth saturated
with chloroform had been placed
over the little creatures face.
By this time neighboriug wo-
man learned for the first time that
the child had been neglected and
was in critical condition. A call
at the Shahan house convinced her
that something must be done and
at once to save the life of the ten
weeks old baby. She took the child
to her home, stripped it of its cloth
ing, gave it warm bath, followed
by an alcohol bath and revived the
little thing with nourishment. I'M
der such treatment the baby reviv-
ed and instead Of dying showed she
possessed all excellent pair of lungs.
To give the child back to the
mother would be wrong and to
keep it away from its mother there
was no power to do so and a tele-
phone message to Agent Stout Of
the $. P. c. c., brought that official
to where the child was enjoying its
surroundings. Meanwhile the wo-
men in the neighborhood talked of |
tar and feathers for Shahan. They
even went so far as to ask for the
tar. Agent Stout made an investi-
cation and found that Lottie FOrder
Fairbush was the child of Rhoda
Bell Forder who was living with
Shahan as bis mistress. The house
was unkempt and all the furniture
in the place could be moved in a
Agent Stont held a
with some of the neigh
bors and decided to take the baby
to Wilmington where a home will
be secured for her.
Shahan and his mistress will be
given a hearing today before a Will
mington magistrate On the charge
of jeopardizing the life of the child.
When the time came for Agent
Stout and the couple to board the
,ar fully 200 people gathered at
Sixth and Delaware streets. They
were surprised at the changed ap-
pearance of the baby and its moth
Or cried piteously as she took her
baby for its last ride until it was
aiken from her and placed in home
The crowd hooted Shahan and the
woman as the car sped away.
The Down Town Social base ball
'lub will play the Pennsville Club
N Saturday.
The funeral of Mrs. Anne Farley
will take place on Thursday morn
ny.
Miss Ellie Boyle, of Philadelphia,
las been the guest of Mrs. Wright,
7ifth and Harmony streets.
Mrs. John E. Taylor has returned
lome from Atlantic City.
The lawn fete by the infant Sun
lay school of the Methodist Church
n Friday evening will be a pleas
ng affair.
Mrs Lydia Biggs, son and daugh-
er are visiting at Smyrna.
Mrs. James L. Bacon is visiting
n Philadelphia.
The peach festival at Red Lion
etted $50.
Powder, shot, loaded shells at
toops.
The gunners had poor success ,
esterday.