The St. Louis Republic., 1903-02-13
Mrs. Maria Streeter, Wife of Chi
cago Squatter, Died While
Husband Paced Cell.
TOLD STORY OF AN ABDUCTION.
Woman Claimed That Her Daugh-
ter Was Stolen at Birth and
Adopted Into the Family
of an Uncle.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Chicago, ILL.,, Feb 12.-While George w.
Streeter. Lake Front squatter. who was
recently convicted of mansaughter. was
pacing his cell in the County Jail last night,
his wife, Maria, was breathing her last IN
a barn in the rear OF No. 4S East chicago
avenue. within 800 feet OF the beach where
she and her husband were wrecked years
ago. When told of her death. the Cap
tain shrugged his shoulders and said:
Il s'pose they're satisfied, now. I'm on
the way to the Pen and Mariar. she's
cashed IN. Marer was good old soul. we
were a credit to the deestrict, Mar1er ana
me-.
Maria Streeter was 60 years old, and, aside
from the notoriety that came to her as the
talk by declaring that sne was the mother
of the Princess Chimay. whose escapades
have made her known on two continents.
SOLDIERS DAUGHTER.
According to Mrs Streeter's story she
was born in Spring Wells. Mich. the daugh-
ter OF Simon Mulholland. former British
soldier. At the age of Is she was married
to John Jordan. becoming the mother Of
two children. One of these, she contended.
was named Clara, and became the Princess
Chtmay. This is the story she was wont to
tell:
THE Princess Chimay. my daughter. was
abducted on the night of her birth by my
uncle. Eben B.. Ward. He was wealthy.
His highest ambition was to have daugh-
ter. He had been married twice and had
boys. but never a girl.
He carefully planned to steal my child
at its very birth. So we'll were his plans
executed that l was never able even to set
up claim to the daughter that was born
to me. Mr.. Ward provided me with a
phydcian, whose name was never able to
learn. l was given opiates and stupefied.
For several days l was unconscious. There
was nurse attending me. too,s but her
name was also kept from me-.
Upon consciousness returning to me the
nurse had disappeared and the doctor alone
attended me- Ward never came to the
house during my Illness. I begged and
pleaded with the doctor to tell me what
had been done with my child. He told me
that 1t was born dead.
BECOMES NURSE.
=. Il told him there and then that he was q
liar. He was not man enough to contradict
me. 1 asked him where my child was
buried. He would not reply.
"One day the doctor asked me II l would
ssondessend to become a nurse. Broken,
the more recent loss of my child. felt that
some consolation might be derived from
taking care Of a child. Therefore. con,
serted.
THE doctor got carriage and drove with
me to the Ward mansion. was greatly
surprised. but the Wards evinced no aston
1shment at my coming. In fact, they
seemed to expect 1t. / had not heard that
any chlid was expected at the Ward home.
was frequent visitor there and certain
~ would have known 1t.
Here was at home. the home Of nv own
klth and kin. to be nurse of their child.
An air OF mystery surrounded everything
ana at once aroused my suspicious I took
charge Of the baby and a mothers instinct
my own child"
Captain Streeter thinks this story a pure
inVentlon on his wife's part.