The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-03
FOR ABANDONING
A BABY GIRL
DR.. and Mrs. Richards of
Cleo, @. t. Arrested.
NEGLECT AND CRUELTY
Are Also Alleged in the Com
plant Against Them.

DR. and Mrs. Charles Il Richards were
arrested yesterday at noon. charged with
abandoning, neglecting and Ill treating
three-months old baby. The warrant
was sworn out by Mrs. Ella Glenn
Shields. police matron. and the two were
arraigned before Judge Harvey OF the
city court and their trial set for satur-
day.
DR.. and Mrs. Richards live at cleo,
o. T.. where the doctor runs drug
store and is also a practicing physi-
clan. Two weeks ago today they came
TO this city and two weeks ago Satur-
day they went 10 Mrs. Shields and
asked her to get them a baby for adop-
ton. They wanted a girl. blue eyes
and light hair and about twenty months
old. Mrs. Shields told them that she
could not get them a child of that age.
but knew where she could find a fine
baby girl, in good health and spirits
Mrs, Shields went TO Mrs. a. II. Mil
Ter on North Wichita street. where the
child was kept. and brought It to her
4
pleased with the child, but as they
had heard of another baby girl they
wanted 10 go and see It, After seeing
this child they were more than delighted
with the one Mrs. Shields brought them
and they agreed to take it 20 their home
In Cleo, give it the best kind of a home
and it should be treated as their own.
They stopped at the court house ana
talked with Judge Wilson. They gave
as reference two Of the most promien.
wholesale houses IN this city and the
judge and Mrs. Shields were fully salts
fed that the child would have q good
home. DR.. and Mrs. Richards did not.
take out adoption papers for the child
They asked Mrs. Shields and Judge
Wilson not to reveal to anyone in ths
city or anywhere who the people wer
who took the child or where they went
10. They asked Mrs. Shields not to
even make a memorandum of the name
and address of the chnds foster par
ents.
Owing to the references given Mrs
Shields agreed to this and Sunday morn
ing. two weeks ago. the couple and
baby left for Cleo. Tuesday evening
they returned again 10 this city. a
man who was introduced as DR.. johnson
came with them. This man and Mrs
Richards called at the home OF Mrs
Shields and told her that DR.. Richards
was taken very I'll soon after they han
reached their home and that they could
not take care of the child. Dr. Richards
was not with them at this time
In speaking of the child YESTERDAY,
Mrs Shields said:
When those people took that BABY
away from here it was fat and HEALTHY
When I brought it TO them it romrea
like any baby three months old. Last
night when I looked at It I did not rec
ognize It Its arms and legs were devoid
Of all flesh and the child was nothing
but a living skeleton. on its chin were
great big scars that looked as If they
were burned with carbolic acid. Thu.
child was in an awful condition. I tolo
the woman the baby was going TO die.
Then I asked her what her name was
and she replied Brown-Mrs. Brown
Then knew there was something wrong.
She gave her name as Richards whel,
they first visited ne and here they gave
another name 1 told them that had
only acted as n go-between TO get the
baby for them and they would have to
take it back to Mrs. Miller. which they
did"
After DR.. johnson and Mrs. Richards
left the home Of the police matron Dr..
Richards joined them and accompanied
them to Mrs. Mner's 1t is alleged thar
they laid the baby down on The SOFA
and told Mrs. Miller that they had
brought her child back. and then LEFT
the house
Mrs. Miller examined the child after
the people left. She says she found il
clothed in dirty. cheap clothes; it had nor
been washed for some time, and could
not take food owing % the condition
OF It's mouth. caused By the alleged burns
on its chin
DR.. Jordan was called and examined
the child and pronounced the burns on
the face as coming from carbolic acid.
a. did DIT. Hornor. who was also called.
They could do very little 70 auay the
suffering Of the little enc and the child
can hardly live from the eTects Of It's
alleged mistreatment.
Mrs Shields and the police watched