The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-05-27
NOT BED
FORD'S BABY
Widow Admits FaIsifying Certificate
Of Birth.
HEIRS ASK FOR CLEMEN0Y.
In View of Woman's Plea OF Guilty
she Gets on with a Fine OF $50.
Keeps Infant as Adopt
ed Daughter.
HEIRS ASK FOR oLEMENoY.

London, May Mrs. Cunning S.
Bedford, who was arrested at Queens
town May 16 on the arrival there from
New York of the Cunard line steamer
Umbria, charged with making a false
declaration Of child's birth, was
brought up on remand at the Bow
street police court here and pleaded
guilty, She admitted the child was not
her own and said she had adopted it.
Mrs. Bedford was fined $50.
Mrs Bedford, when she appeared in
the dock, was pale and agitated. a
formidable array Of counsel appeared
for both sides, The prosecution show
ed Mrs, Bedford came to England from
Paris In December and that she had
advertised as Mime. B., DESTROYS Of
adopting female child, with the re-
suit that the illegitimate baby Of a
working girl in Isleworth was trans
ferred to Mrs. Bedford's keeping under
the name of Margaret Carnette. Mrs.
Bedford registered the child as her
own and took it TO Paris and thence to-
America.
Counsel for the prosecution added
that as the above facts had been es-
tablished and the child could no lon
ger be claimed as the heiress of the
Bedford estate they were not DESTROYS
Of severe measures and asked the mag
istrate to deal with the case as a tech
meal offense and not to send it to the
higher courts, where penalty Of sew
en- years Imprisonment could have
been inflicted. After consultation with
counsel Mrs. Bedford admitted heI
guilt.
Marshall Hall, K c., in behalf of the
prisoner maintained that Mrs Bedford
only acted in accordance with the de
sire Of her deceased husband, who
wished 10 adopt the child and make III
their legitimate offspring, as permitted
in the case Of married couples under
the French law. There was no in.
tenhon to defraud or to Illegally SO
cure a legacy.
Mrs. Bedford retains the baby as
her adopted daughter.
History of the Case.
Cunning S. Bedford's father was the
late Frederick Bedford Of New York
When Frederick Bedford died lie left al
large estate, valued at between $500,
600 and 100000, in trust, the interest
from which was to 90 to his son, Gun
ming S. Bedford. during bis lifetime
and after his death to his children.
If, however Cunning s. Bedford died
ehildless. the interest of the estate was
10 go to other heirs of Frederick Bed
ford. Cunning S. Bedford for years
did not enjoy good health About 1896
he was married TO a Miss Middleton il
Washington Some years afterward
Mr.. and Mrs. Bedford went to Paris
For the last few years they lived at OIL
Rue des Martyrs.
Mr.. Bedford's health grew worse to
ward the end Of last year and his con
dition was such that his physician gave
very little hope Of HIS recovery. Lasil
December Mrs. Bedford came to Lon
don and remained here several days
She then returned to Paris,
Mr. Bedford grew worse and died OF
Feb. is Of this year Immediately fol |
lowing the announcement Of bis dealt |
his friends were surprised to hear thai
a daughter had been born to Mrs. Bed |
ford In December, during the time she
was in London
Accompanied by the Child, she went t
New York, taking with her the body oil
her husband. After d funeral at the
cathedral in New York Mrs. Bedford
called upon the trustees Of her late ia |
ther-in-law's estate and presented the
child, showing the certificate Of its
birth, which stated il to have been borr
in London on Dec. III, 1902
She claimed that the interest in the
Bedford estate was now the possession
Of her infant daughter On the face OF /
things everything appeared regular
and the trustees apparently had nc
thought Of there being anything wrong
In Paris, however, the strange facl
that nothing had been known Of the
existence Of the child until after Mr.
Bedford's death and that Mr.. Bedford
himself had never spoken Of its birth
gave rise TO much suspicion
other Heirs Grow Suspicious.
This talk reaching the ears Of sew
eral other heirs Of Frederick Bedford
they put the matter into the hands Of
the law firm Of Coudert Bros for in
vestigation The birth Of the alleged
daughter of Mrs Bedford had beer
registered on Dec. is, 1902, at the Of
fee in Tottenham Court road, subdis
trict of st. Pancras. The place OF
birth was given as Upper Woburn
place.
Inquiry soon showed, it is said, that
the address was a fictitious one, It'll
was next discovered that the address
given by the woman who gave the no
LITIGATION TO the registrar Of birth and
who claimed to be an aunt Of the child
was also fictitious and that there was
every reason for the belief that the
woman was none other than Mrs. Bed
ford herself
Upon these facts being communicat
ed to the heirs they decided to make
complaint against Mrs Bedford, charg
ing her with having given false in.
formation Of the birth Of the child 10
the parish authorities Of St Pancras.