Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-22
Mrs. Della jerks, of Waterloo,
Leaves Baby Daughter to
Care of Strangers
FOUND LYING ON CLOSET FLOOR
Depot Men Discover The infant, Coo
ing and Blinking at the Light, Notify
& Officers and Warrant Issued for
Mothers Arre.t-Woman is Prostra-
ted When Deputy Sheriff Arrives.

wonen's lavatory at the passenger
station in this city Saturday night.
boarded the train again, and was placed
under arrest when she arrived at her
destination. When Deputy Sheriff
Nicholson arrived in Waterloo to serve
a warrant charging Mrs. jerks with
abandoning a child under 6 years of
age. the woman was Frustrated, and
unable to accompany the officer to this
city.
Mrs, jerks is a young woman be-
tween 25 and 80 years OF age. and is the
wife of Guy jerks. a barber, who pass
ed thru this city Saturday evening at
{ o'clock on his way to Des Moines to
take q position. Mrs. jerks reached
Aarshalltown from Des Moines on the
Great Western No. 2 at 1855 o'clock,
her baby, a pretty little girl. having
been born just four weeks ago in the
Salvation Army Rescue Home. Mrs.
jerks has another child, Two
sears OF age, who is at
present In the care of Mrs. jerks
mother, Mrs. Swartz, widow of a former
well-known Waterloo police officer.
Abandonment Appeared Deliberate.
Passengers who We're on the Great
Western train Saturday night. after
Mrs. jerks had abandoned her child,
say that they remembered the woman $
actions to have been strange ON the In
tire journey from Des Moines. She
seemed very nervous. and at each stop
would ,,eem to take view of the sur
sroundir.gs, act as If she had formulated
4 plan Tor some action, and yet hesitat-
ed in carrying 1t out. Conductor James
Latour, Of the train. noticed immedi-
ately after the train left here that the
woman did not have the baby with her,
ard asked her about 1t. She replied
that the babe was not hers and that
she had left 1t in charge of the people to
whom it belonged at Marshalltown.
The conductor thought the story a
strange one, and especially SO because
of the womans highly nervous condi-
tion, and was not at all surprised when
he received telegram at Reinbeck, an
.nouncing the find Of the babe, and a
request that the woman be placed
under arrest.
Little Thing Was Happy.
The finding Of the babe took place
barely five minutes after the passenger
train left D. w. Ingham, night oper-
ator, was anxious to reach nearby
barber shop before IL o'clock and +. r.
Drechtbili the night baggageman. was
IN the act OF turning out the lights af-
ter the departure OF the train. Both of
the railroad men had gone to the ladies'
waiting room, where Mr.. Ingham was
holding open the lavatory door while
Mr.. Blechtbill turned down the light in
the closet. Mr.. Ingham noticed bum
die on the floor as did also Mr.. Brecht-
bill, al about the same time. Brechtbill
remarked someone had left doll in the
closet, for he could see chubby little
hand sticking out from under the
swaddling clothes. In another instant
the HIND moved. as did also a little
head, and upon turning down the
clothes a pair of blue eyes was blink
ing al the light, and tiny COO showed
that the babe was anything but fright
ened.
Officer Sent For.
DEPUTY Sheriff Nicholson was tele-
phoned Immediately, as was also DR..
Rosa Liebig. humane officer. Both
arrived shortly before 12 o'clock.
Several whose business kept them
near the depot had gathered by this
time and the innocent little bundle
In white clothes was the center of
an Interested throng. Big Orson Shan
non, night bus driver. no.
ticed that the babe was cold, and re-
moved his coat, which was wrapped
about the infant. He drove the rest OF
the cold night without the needed
wrap. Until IL O'Clock the baby was
quiet. and seemed happy and contented.
but shortly after midnight it began to
cry. Dr. Liebig managed to find
baby's bottle, hurried to a restaurant
and flled 1t with warm milk, and in
little while, with its stomach full, rest
and quiet came. Night Baggageman
Breclltbili volunteered to care for the
find, which he claimed as his, and took
the babe to his home. sos Iowa street,
at l.: 80 Sunday morning. The babe is
a very pretty little thing, with dark
hair and blue eyes. and is still a guest
III Lie GoTGCIlDlil UOfiiE, where IL uOLGn
women have already said they would
take it and rear it IL the mother cares
to p,lrt with it.
Conductor Notified.
Night Operator Ingham got busy
with his telegraph instrument shortly
after the find was made, and when the
train reached Reinbeck Conductor La
tour had message acquainting him
with the facts. At the next stop the
conductor wired West Waterloo. where
police officer boarded the train and
rode over to the east side, the desti-
nation of Mrs. jerks. Here she was
placed under arrest. AS soon as Dr.
Liebig had learned the facts she swore
out an information, charging abandon
ing child under 6 years of age, and
Sunday morning Deputy Sheriff Alva
Nicholson went to Waterloo to take
charge of the prisoner. He found,
however, that Mrs. Jinks had become
Frustrated, at about 2 o'clock Sunday
and at the time he left Wat
erloo she was still In an unconscious
condition. Sheriff Caldwell will bring
the woman to this city Tuesday after
noon If she is able to travel. AT any
rate she viii b delivered into the