The evening world., 1908-10-09
Mrs. McCloud Now Denies
That Father, a Lawyer, Killed
Son to Hide Scandal.
THINKS 1T ACCIDENT.
Husband Left Woman After
Revelations of Her Early
Life.

Mrs. Frances McCloud, who last night
identified the clothing of a boy found
drowned in Raritan Bay as that of her
seven-year-o son Frank, created sur
prise among Brooklyn detectives work
ing on the case to-day by repudiating
charges she had previously made of
kidnapping and murder against the
father of the child.
She says she has no doub. that the
body found in New Jersey is that OF
her son, who disappeared on Sept. 80.
but denies that she believes the death
OF the child can be laid at the door of
the man she originally accused.
Little Harold, u tine-lookiHg boy. who
lived with Mrs. Semitic Bennett at No
S43 De Kalb avenue, Brooklyn, went
out on the street to play a week ago
last Wednesday evening. and did not
return. His mother, living at No. 2o5
Schermerhorn street, was notified, and
she FASTENED to the Classon avenue sta
ton.
Gave Name to Police.
There she said that although she was
married TO man named Alexander
McCloud, a contracting carpenter, who
deserted her some time ago, McCloud
was not the father of the boy. She
gave the name Of the man she said was
the father, and spent several days with
detectives looking for him.
Yesterday she read in the newspapers
that the body of a boy dressed in a
blue sailor suit had been taken from
RaHtan Bay at Bedford, N. ]. She
went to Red Bank and identified the
clothing as that worn by her son at
the time of his disappearance. The
body had been buried.
Mrs. McCloud said in Red Bank that
she felt sure the father of the boy had
abducted and murdered him. in order
to hide the scandal OF his birth. She
added that ne had met the man on
the street in Brooklyn three weeks ago
for the first time in years. and had
told him where the boy was. Ee con-
fded to her at that time that he was
going to be married. and said he had
successful law practice.
Returns to New York.
Coroner Tetly. OF Red Bank expected
Mrs. McCloud to visit him this morn
ing. and go more thoroughly into the
matter Of Identification. Instead she
returned to New York. and at the
home of Mrs. Bennett in Brooklyn de-
clared 1t 10 be her belief that her son
wandered down to Wallabout Basin, a
few blocks from where ne disappeared.
and fell in. The tide could have swept
he body from the East River to Raritan
Bay.
Half a dozen detectives were sent out
to find the man in the case despite Mrs
McCloud's strange reversal of opinion.
Thus far no trace of him has been dis
covered at addresses given by Mrs
McCloud.
MIS-. McCloud wher Questioned by an
Evening World reporter this afternoon
said she took out a policy for IS on the
life OF her son three months ago, and
ext ects to collect 1t. She paid Mrs. Fen,
nett Sl.50 week for caring for him, and
lived at the Schernerhorn street address
because she had to pay two fares to get
to her place OF employment from Ds
kalb avenue, and could travel for one
fare in the subway from Schermerhorr
street.
Woman Aided Kidnapping.
On the day OF his Disappearance,
Harold and a number OF little chap.
were playing in the street. when a troll,
ley wire broke at De Kalb and Wander
around the sputtering wires. when yo-