The Mena weekly star., 1907-09-05
INCUBATOR BABY CASE
Adopted Mother Causes Scene at Sedan, Kan, by Attempt to
 Kidnap Child.
MRS, BARCLAY AND DETECTIVE ARRESTED
The Buffalo Woman and a Former Kansas City Officer Tried to Take Frcibe Possession of Baby at Home of the Mother--Defendants Released on Bond.

Sedan, Kan, Sept. 3.-Mrs. James c. Barclay of Buffalo, N. r., and detective named McAnany, formerly of Kansas City, were arrested here Sunday on charge of attempting to kidnap the incubator baby" from its mother, Mrs. Charlotte Bleakley. Each woman claims the child and the fight for its possession has caused several lawsuits. Mrs. Barclay claimed it by right of adoption and Mrs. Bleakley by right of motherhood Saturday Mrs. Barclay and McAnany tried to take the child by force from Mrs Bleakley's home.
 The two accused persons were taken before Richard Speed. justice of the peace, and released on bonds of $1.000 each, furnished by thei. attorney, Senator w.. s. Fitzpatrick and c. H. Ingfield of this city. Their preliminary hearing was heard be fore Judge Speed Monday morning at g o'clock The defendants have been in consultation with their attorneys all day, and Sunday afternoon late they and MT Fitzpatrick left town in a carriage and it is said that they have gone to Elgin to epdeavor to get the matter settled out of court This report, however, has not been verified.
 For the last six months Mrs. Bleak ley, the mother of the child, has been living quietly at Chautauqua, but last Thursday moved to Elgin, where the grandmother of the child had been employed to teach in the city school. Mrs Bleakley's identity had been kept a secret to all except few close friends until she was stricken with fever a few weeks ago.
 At the time she feared that she was going to die, so she wrote to the husband who had deserted her. imploring him as her dying wish to take care of the child and not per. init 1t to fall into the hands of its foster mother.
 This letter was made public and gave the clew to Mrs. Barclay. Then she and McAnany started for Elgin. IAey waited at the hotel until only a few minutes before the arrival of the train. and then rushed into the Bleakley home and found the mother, grandmother and child seated at the dinner table.
 They grabbed the child and started for the Santa Fe station. Immediately the mother recognized Mrs. Barclay and started after them, crying to those .on the street that her child had been kidnapped. The kidnapers rushed into the little station and bar ricaded the doors, but the railroad agent and the citizens who had been attracted by her screams forced them to open up and the stories of both women were listened to. Then there was free-for-all scramble for the child. Seeing that their plans were frustrated, the child was returned to it's mother.
 Eugene Hayes, who had assisted the two in securing the child from the house, says that he thought he was assisting a mother to get a child that had been stolen. A letter from Kansas City detective had given him that impression.
 Mrs. Bleakley is too i'll to come to Sedan, but her mother. Mrs. Tomp- kins, will be here with others to testi- fy in the criminal case. The sherifi had three men guarding the house occupied by the baby Sunday night and says that he will protect the child so long as it is in Chautauqua county It is not believed now that Hayes will be prosecuted for his part in the affair.