The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-10

|BORROWS BABIES
TO PROVE Her CASE
Tries to Palm Off Child as Her
Own rs the Woman
Mad

-
Events shifted rapidly for Miss Leona
f. Underdahl in the district court yes
terday afternoon, and the young wom-
an who was the prosecuting witness
IN quasi criminal case now occupies
cell in the county jail awaiting an
investigation as to her sanity.
How she was able to deceive lawyers
and friends to the extent of haling
divinity student from Chicago is hard
to understand. Not less batting is
her motive. She made no attempt to
secure money from the man she was
prosecuting. and made no claim upon
his love. On one hand she displayed all
the cunning of a mad woman only to
commit blunders beneath those of an
imbeciIe.
Even when she declared she was
being prosecuted her demeanor was
stolid and her only solicitation appeared
to be for the borrowed babe which she
carried in her arms. If she is mad
there is but little if any method in
her madness.
Miss Underdahl was in court charg-
Ing that the prisoner at the bar, Her
man Wennermark, was the father of
her child which she had in her arms.
Young Mans Future In Balance
For one day the case had been on trial.
The outcome meant much to the future
of the young man. A graduate of Gus
WennermarR was aei compefing TIM ahsr his DIVINITY Unity
education In Chicago. warrant issued
at the instance of Miss Underdahl COM
PEELED n. him ,t,e to come to St Paul to face the
She had been positive. Dates and
circumstances were mentioned and
contradict herself had been unsuccessful.
Outside of court the tragedy was also
being played. Information had come to
the attorney for the defense that the
woman had secured from an orphan asy-
lum the child that she was carrying in
court The attorney for Miss Underdahl
had Investigated and was convinced that
the information was true. Miss Under
| dahl, when accused of producing a child
not her own, denounced her accuser and
said that she would appear in court with
| The court, the attorneys and one or
| two others were advised of the situation.
| II was the general belief that Miss In
derdahi would not appear. A few min
uteS before the time set for the renewal
of the trial the young woman walked
INTO the court room and in her arms she
not about her the embarrassment that
might be expected on the part of
! person who realized that discovery of
/ her plot was certain.
and the attorneys stared at the court.
Everybody looked at the woman They
WdtCliS0 ulSS 8OnQ6fQdQt taxing the COW
ering from the child's head. and realized
that she was In possession of a real
DaDy. But there was something about the
child that caused those present to be-
neVeE It was not the same baby that had
been in court Saturday, when the defend
ant went on the stand and told her story
OF the wrong she had suffered.
Story of the Plot
Some four months ago Miss Underdahl
secured from the Catholic orphan asylum
on Carroll street an infant on the plea
to adopt it. With this child She visited
| lawyer and others, asserting that the
child was born to her on July 5. She had
previously prepared for this. This child
was returned to the asylum as unsatisfac-
tory. something that is often done. Friday
OF last week she again called at the insti-
| tuition and once more secured child on
| approval; She came in carriage and
claimed to be wealthy. She was given the
infant and appeared in court with it Sat-
urday. She returned the infant Saturday
afternoon and secured another through the
aid of the Salvation Army Rescue home
Her method. here was the same as that
| at the orphan asylum.
With the woman and a child in court
! the attorney for the plaintiff, the attorney
for the defense and the court, faced
| startling situation. The opening of court
/ was delayed. The telephone summoned
1T was necessary to prove what had been
| surmised. Through it all Miss Under
dahl sat Unconditional and unmoved, ten.
| derly caring for the baby. Questioned
/ closely, and charged with bringing into
| court different baby from the one pro-
duced on Saturday. she smiled sadly and
emphatically denied the charge. She con-
| tinued to act in this manner until taken to
| jail on the order of Judge Kelly, sullenly
/ contending that she was prosecuted
Mother Josephine, of the Orphan asy-
lum,, accompanied by Sister Celestine, en-
| tered the. court house and went directly
1 to Judge Kelly's chambers, it having been
| agreed that their testimony Should first be
heard away from the Jury There were
present Miss Underdahl the plaintiff
| Wennermark, the defendant, their attor.a
| neys, Judge Kelly. the stenographer and
two or three others.
ronfron4.I
''''o.'sea Dy sisters
Have you met this woman previous to
this occasiong asked the attorney for the
oeaense, Gideon s. Ives
That is the person gave the child to
She came to the orphanage in carriage.
She was very nervous, and when asked
said that she feared that the hack dr;Sa,. Snr
would go away. She called to the driver
whom I afterwards learned was M
Il ~