Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-10-22
SAYS CHILD
WAS KIDNAPPED


information concerning a child alleged
to have been deserted by its parents
here in 1868, repeated their visit yes
terday Since here they have run
across information of altogether an
other sort, which gives the story new
turn and if founded on fact affords an
other remarkable case in which truth
! is stranger than fiction.
The story as related by the two wo-
men on their first visit, which was
printed in these columns, will be cas-
| lily recalled In 1868 we'll dressed
man appeared in Danville and rented
a home i'll the tenement quarter. In a
few days he was joined by a lady, who
was installed in the house rented, af-
ter which the man disappeared. The
woman soon became a mother and lat
er deserted her child. The infant-a
baby girl-was cared for for a while
by the woman in whose hands it had
been left, but was later given to an
other woman who took it to town
in the coal region.
The above is the story that was told
by the woman who took her child from
Da1ville. 1t may or may not have
been wholly credited by the people of
the coal region town, but the child
herself, who was finally adopted by a
family in neighboring town, as she
the story true. The only point about
the little waife's history during it's
first few weeks which is not involved
in doubt seems to be that it was
brought to the coal region town
Following their first visit to Dan
vile the two ladies called upon a wo-
man in the town where the child was
taken, who cared for the little one
awhile. This woman stated that she
went to neighbor's house one day
and found the child wrapped in an old
coat lying under the stove. The peo-
pie of the house then told the story of
the little ones alleged desertion in
Danvillo and explained how it had
found its way to the coal regions.
Plying the child in its loneliness and
neglected condition the woman pre-
vailed upon the people to permit her
to take the infant to her own home.
Hor husband objected to her keeping
it, however, and after "a few days she
handed it over to other parties. From
this woman the ladies in Danville yes
terday learned the name of the family
in whose possession she found the
child and where some persons might
be located who could throw addition
al light on the child's history.
Following the directions given Tues
day the two ladies visited Lime Ridge
where they found a very old woman
with mind perfectly clear who knew
all about the baby taken to the coal
region and there so strangely abandon
ed to the care of others. She mention
ed the name of the persons involved,
which were the same as the ladies had
learned from the other source, thus
showing that the child she had in her
mind and the one whose mystery they
were endeavcring to clear up were one
and the same.
But" said the old woman, that
child was kidnapped' and she told a
story that was as pathetic as it was
sensational in its details. She named
the woman who had abducted the
child. She had procured a negro baby
which she substituted in the cradle
for the white child during the moth
er's mOmentary absence. 1t was not
until years after that the abductor
now dead and probably then no longer
living was discovered. Meanwhile
the mother of the child had become a
raving maniac and passed away. The
child had been adopted into well-to-
do family and was growing up to wo-
manhood The old woman, however,
was not clear whether the abduction
took place at Danyille, at Espy or at
some other point nearby. The latter
circumstance invests the story with
interest for Columbia County people
and will no doubt set the old timers
thinking.
Danville people too, will 10 doubt
become reminiscent and roam back
over the past to see whether they can
recall such an incident as the kidnap
ping episode. The old woman at Lime
Ridge said the affair created a great
sensation and that the papers were
full of it at the time.
The two ladies, hardly know what
to do. They are now inclined to dis
credit the story of desertion and think
there may be u good deal in the story
told by the old woman at Lime Ridge
which charges abduction. During yes
terday they called upon number of
our old residents who lived III Dan
willie in 1868. They found one person
who was able to vaguely recall case
of desertion. and another, an abduc
ton. In neither case was the infor
nation definite enough to be of any
value. If it is true that the child was
deserted by Is parents they take the
view that some one should be living
in Danville familiar with the occur.
renee. They remained in town all
night and Will continue their search
to ascertain if such a person exists.
In investigating the abduction story
the ladies will not be discouraged if
they fail to find evidence that such a
child was stolen in Danville. The
story told by the old woman of Lime
Ridge, taking it for what it is worth,
it will be recalled, left some uncer-
tainty as to just where the abduction
occurred Failing in Danville, there