The San Francisco call., 1903-09-26
TO HIDE
BABY'S IDENTITY
Very Peculiar Actions
Of a Self-Styled
physician.
Talks Mysteriously of the
Infants Parents, but
Withholds Facts.

Much mystery surrounds the identity of
a baby girl whose welfare has recently
become the care Of two of the citys char
liable societies. The little ones guardian
is a man who chooses to call himself DR..
William Locke and who refuses to tell
from what quarter of the earth he comes.
A woman who had temporary custody Of
the child tells story Of mysterious hap
penings
Mrs. REQ F. Bean Of s1e Pennsylvania
street advertised about a month ago for
a baby to board. An answer was received
from ''Dr. W. Locke" of Fruitvale. Sub
sequently young woman who gave her
name as Miss Pretty" called at the home
of Mrs. Bean and left the baby. The vis-
itor said the child's name was Elsie Max
well, and that DR.. Locke would call reg
ularly to see about the health of the in
fant He called within a few days and
objected to the manner in which Mrs.
Bean cared for her charge. He prescribed
some castor oil and a patent food and de-
parted.
Mrs. Bean asserts that she spoke of the
matter to a reputable physician and that
he said such a course of treatment would
result after a time in the death of the lit
tie girl. The woman continued feeding
the infant as she had done previously,
and when Locke called he became en-
ragged thereat. He threatened to remove
the child to another place. and she i'm
mediately referred the whole affair to Sec
retary White OF the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Children. The last
named directed Mrs Bean to request
Locke to call at his Office.
Locke called on Mrs. Bean within day
or two, but refused to see White on the
ground that White was not interested in
the matter. Yesterday Locke in company
with Mrs Lydia Prescott of the Chill
drens Protective Society. took the infant
from Mrs. Bean and placed it with an
other family
Yesterday afternoon Locke stated that
the child was the daughter of Robert
Maxwell of St. Louis Mo. The story was
/ that the physician, Miss Pretty and Mr.
and Mrs. Maxwell started from ST. Louis
/ for California about four months ago
Mrs Maxwell gave birth to the little cir
! in Denver and died within a week. Max
well, who is alleged to be a travelling boot
and shoe salesman, returned to St. Louis
and Locke, Miss Pretty and the baby con-
! tinued on their way to this State.
Locke admits that he does not possess
| a license to practice in any State. He sub
sequently stated that he had never had
/ an Office. Finally he owned that all the
names he had mentioned might be aliases
/ and that he was not from St. Louis He
/ also said that he had neglected in Denver
! TO record either the birth of the child OIL
/ the death of the mother.
Locke says that the body Of the dead
woman was shipped back to Maxwell il
! ST. Louis. He asserts that the expenses
! of both himself and the little one are
paid by the father. Miss Pretty. who is
said TO be a nurse, is employed, as the
! alleged physician declares, somewhere
/ in the Shasta region" Locke says that
| he Will place the infant in a nice family
| and care for it until the father orders
otherwise.
He lives at 1855 Howard street at pres
| ent He absolutely refuses to elucidate
/ the mystery surrounding the identity oil
/ the little girl. Mrs. Prescott says thai
she is only an agent and knows nothine
/ of the facts which Locke wishes to con
! ceal- The child is suffering from cuta.
/ neous disease, which Locke AYERS was
| contracted at the house of Mrs. Bean.