The news & observer., 1905-12-30
Does Matilda Holt Know
Its Mother?
.TRIBULATlON is HERS
Letters Rain on Her From Many Who
Would Adopt The Child. Forbidden
to Part With 1t. She Says the
Babe Comes From Raj
eIgh.
eIgh.
(Snecial to News and Observer.

Especial to News and Observer
Greensboro, n. c., Dec. 29.-Sev-
eral days ago in this correspondence
it was told how a strange woman had
driven in carriage just before Christ
mas to the house of Matilda Holt, d
colored woman living on the outskirts
OF the city, and deposited with her a
three weeks old baby with a 500 in
cash for it until called for. 1t was
also published that the old woman was
about to dispose OF the baby unless
the strange lady came after 1t. rms
notice has brought about as much
illustration" to the old colored woman
as did the baby. Any quantity of
news paper clippings containing the
story have been enclosed IN letters
from all over the country and the
enquiry made of her if she would let
the writer have the child. But along
with the other letters came one post
haste mailed in Concord, n. c., from
the strange lady. saying that under
no circumstances must the baby be
surrendered but that it would be sent
| for in a few days.
! Several people in Greensboro have
| offered to take the baby and three ad-
vertisements have appeared in the
! local papers, telling the old lady
where she can get q fine home and
new parents for the little waif. Four
| couples have come here from dis
| tance to adopt the child. But all have
| been disappointed, for While the old
! lady was "studdin whether TO let
! them have the child, an answer to Il
great number OF APPLICATIONS after the
matter got into the newspapers. the
| Concord letter came, telling her the
/ h. hN 20
days by the party who left it, the
money, the crib and the clothes and
the dainty blankets.
A Childiess Couples Yearning.
OF two couples who went to the old
woman'S home yesterday one was a
| childless husband and wife from Ran
dolph county Ten years ago they
| adopted q girl seven years of age and
she had gron into fine young Wo-
man, but a month ago sickened and
died. AS soon as they saw the notice
husband to come here with her and
get the little baby. When they went
there yesterday, with q couple of gen
tlemen they well knew in Greensboro,
they found seven or eight colored peo-
| pie in the house where the child was.
and they were making "mirations'
over the piles Of letters and news
papers being delivered by the postman
| at the uOOr OF 11Oll, col.
The baby was lying in it's hand
some crib finely dressed and covered
with elegant but dainty blankets. II
was a "wee little thing" about half
the size of real good-siZed baby It
was handed around and fondled ana
when the "ole nanny" informed the
party that sits owner had wrote not
| to let it CO." the lady in the party
/ seemed greatly disappointed for she
Fol In, will q
first sight. The baby was of dark
brown complexion, and the ladys
husband, to assuage her disappoint-
ment, remarked that the child was
not of white but of mixed blood.
Matilda's Mouth Leaks.
At this Aunt Matilda waxed wroth,
declaring that it came from Raleigh
and had Jess es good blood in it as
any white people in the State on both
sides" She said the woman who
brought it here, she had found out,
was one who made it business to
help big rich folks out of trouble and
was not the chilG's grandmammy as
she at first supposed. She said the
young mother upon awalzing from
morphine stupor following intense
pain had called for the child the first
thing, but was told that she was crazy
there wasn't anything of the kind.
1t is all mystery, except the Dapy
is there, it will be kept a week longer
for it's real owner And will not be
! given up to any body until after that.
| Whether the old woman is romano
| ing" about its place of rightful resi-
! dence is also nebulous, but as she
got mad at the insinuation OF its mixed
| blood yesterday she in defense OF the
| little one didn't hesitate to make the
above statements. She said you could
tell it was white by one thing, pink
| spot behind the ear. Pushing one of
| the elf like ears of the baby forward
| with her thumb she exclaimed in
| triumph, NOW look at dat, see dat
spot"
The visiting lady left an application
for the child.
Other Greensboro News.
Mr.. A. P. Cone, formerly chief dis
patcher OF tha Southern Railway hera,
but later trainmaster on the Charlotte
division has accepted the appointment
as trainn,aster of the Washington di-
vision. succeeding Mr. G. X. Miller, |
who will come to Greensboro to take
the place as trainmaster of branch
lines made vacant by the recent resig- |
nation of Mr.. w. ]. Coapman, who is
now with the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois Railroad.
An involuntary petition in bank
ruptcy was filed in the United States
court on this city by creditors Of r. L. (,
WARRINGTON. a merchant of CasWell |
comfy. and Judge Boyd signed an or
der returEable before him January |