The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-19
Foster Parents, Nh, and Mrs,
McCafferty, Report Disappear
aRCe Of AfabeIa Andrews
FROM MARTIN SCHOOL
CHILD DRIVEN HURRItOLY
Strange Action of Mrs. Andrews-His
tory of the Case-PossibIy Con-
tains No Criminal
Element.

The facts and circumstances surround
ing the abduction of little Miss Arabella
Andrews, foster child of Mr.. and Mrs C.
J. McCafferty 1926 North Fifteenth street,
are SO unusual that they might suggest
fiction.
The little girl was called from the Mar
forcibly placed in a carriage. was imme-
diately driven away.
Since that time, Mr.. and Mrs. McCaf-
ferty have seen nothing of the child, and
there is desolation in their home.
A strange feature of the case is that
Mrs. MeCafferty believes Arabella An
drews was abducted from Birmingham by
her own mother Exactly what the OBJ
ject of the mother could have been is
yelled.
The mother of the missing girl, accord
ing to the report made to police head
quarters, had not seen her daughter for
nearly twelve years. The mother and
father of the child are now living at AL
media. suburb of San Francisco, to
which place, it is believed, the child has
been taken.
The Abduction Planned.
According to the belief of Mrs. McCaf-
ferty, the mother of Arabella Andrews,
after an absence of twelve years, APP
peared in Birmingham three days ago,
and boarded at the residence of Mrs.
Cox.
1t seems that Mrs. Andrews made no
attempt to see her child before the alb
duction yesterday.
1t is stated that Mrs. Andrews was
anxiously awaiting a letter, and that
while she waited. busted herself with the
making of a childs dress The letter
arrived day before yesterday. The alb
duction occurred yesterday at noon.
A women believed by Mrs. McCafferty
to have been Mrs. Andrews appeared at
the Martin school with a man whose iden-
tity cannot be established. The pair
drove up in carriage and alighted, the
woman asking that she might see Ara
bella. The girl came to the door and was
led to the carriage steps. There she was
raised from the ground and placed with
in the carriage, which was driven away.
These are all the facts known. In the
entire matter there is no criminal ele-
ment, according to Chief Wier The
mother of the child had a perfect right
to carry her wherever she chose
Remarkable Features.
In spite of the fact that possibly there
was nothing criminal in the action, the
strange manuvers of the childs mother
| Impressed everyone who heard the story
yesterday.
I'll fa1
is the daughter of the brother of Mrs.
MeCafferty. The mother of the child.
therefore, is Mrs. MoCafferty's sister-in-
law 1t seems that when Arabeia was
three weeks old, her mother was so des-
perately i'll that a trip to California was
| necessary. Mr.. Andrews planned per-
manent residence there, and on account
of the tender age Of little Arabella, she
was left in charge of her aunt, Mrs Nc
Cafferty From the report at headquar-
tiers, it seems that it was intended that
Mrs McCaferty should adopt the child,
and it was stated that the parents left
all their property in Birmingham as the
childs heritage.
Arabella has known no other mother
than Mrs McCafferty. In spite of this
fact, it seems that she was not given the
surname of McCafferty.
The Probable Reasons.
Just what the object of Mrs. Andrews
in secretly adbucting her own child, with
out giving her sister-in-law an intima-
ton even that she desired to take pos
session of her child, cannot, of course,
be positively stated.
1t is probable, however, that a MOTH
ers innate love for a child is behind it
ALL Mrs. Andrews it is thought, wished
to get her youngest daughter again into
her arms, and took the manner employed
as being the most expedient.
| 1t is probable that she feared that Mrs.
McCafferty would have refused to will
ingly turn over the guardianship of the
little girl she had raised from an infant,
and on whom she had bestowed a moth
er's love.
Therefore, it is believed that Mrs. An
drews abducted her child rather than
run the risk of its foster parents refus-
ing to relinquish their own rights. For
had Mrs. McCafferty refused and Mrs.
Andrews had determined to get the child
1t might have required law suit to set
tie the matter.
Have Probably Left.
The police believe that Mrs Andrews.
the unknown man who accompanied her.
and the child have left town. The poles
think that the couple got aboard a Pratt
City car at Eighth avenue. and arriving
at Pratt City, went aboard the Frisco
train for Colorado, thence to California.
| This train leaves Birmingham at 1920
o'clock
| The case is SO mysterious that in spite
of the chiefs statement that it contains
no criminal element, the department Is
doing all in its power to unravel it. 1t is
believed that Mrs. Andrews quietly re-
manned in Birmingham until she had re-
ceived the letter which she waited fol,
and that this letter contained either In
structions from some one interested in
the abduction, or money. 1t is. believed