The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-09-11
WHOSE CHILD II IT7
A Notable Mix Up over the Right 10
the Body OF Little Roberta
Blaksley

v UlbNNFE HhN IffNIlf HllNfNfl W
the child after raising II up TO Ave
years Of age, and feels that she should
have II. The ease IL one In which 10
much was written and heard from M
the Calculator Baby, ''at the world =
fair in 81. Louis In 1904.
In brief, the history Of the case NJ
given by the Start Times is tina, the real
mother Of the child, Mrs. Bleakley Of
Spring IIill, Kansas, had trouble with
her husband about this time, aud went
10 the world y fair NJ ~. Louis. She
took sick, and was sent 10 a snnitarium
whore she ave birth to n premature
child. II was thought the child could
not live, but Il was put in an incuba
tor which was on exhibition there, and
was kept alive for most of the tim
during the fair, and thousands were
small for the number who were allow.
ed to view the baby.
Among those who were onlookcrs were
Mr.. and Mrs. James q. Barclay Of Buff.
alo, ". ", and unfortunately the All
wise had never allowed the stork 10
visit their home. They were we'll TODD
people, and took n great fancy 10 the
little one ~ IL laid in the incubator and
graspcd for breath, and set out to
adopt IL. When the mother Of the
child got well, according to the version
she gives Of the story. she was told
by the nurses that the baby had died.
aud tina, she knew nothing If anything
! further for quite n while and she came
back 10 her Kansas home ignorant ~
the fact that there was n child in ex.
i~tcncc which was her own real Mar
ion Roberta Beaklcv.
When the Barclays first begun 10
make inquiry NJ to adopting little Ma
rion, the nurses nj the sanitorium in
~. Louis told them that IL was the
child of n Mrs. Newman of Newton,
Kansas, hut when the time came 10
make out the papers. they had to tell
all, and give the real mothers name.
II il on this point the tale hangs, and
1t IL worrying the minds Of the most
learned Of many states. Mrs. Bleak
ley claims that the attorney that was
sent to her home by tie Barclays,
told her that THIS was the baby Of n
Mrs. Newman, of Newton, and that M
she was in st. Louis at this time IL
was necessary for her n sign these
papers, that IL nigh, be that by 40
doing, they could identify the child,
and get for IL a home by adoption,
which would he of great benefit. Mrs.
Blcaklcy now tcsti6es that she was
never appriscd of the fact that she
was signing away the rights % herself
as TO her W child, and that IL was
for over two years from this time he.
fore she found out that her own little
Marion was living. Immediately after
finding out that she had a sweet little
girl she undertook to get her and
bring her to her own home on the
Kansas prairies. She Found the Bar
clays at this time in Illinois, and went
TO them, telling them what she had
found out and wanted 10 take the child
for n short afternoon visit.
She secured a cab aud made way
with the little one, and reached the
depot where she was ovcrtaken by the
foster parents, who served the neces'
sary papers on her and before final
settlement the ease was taken to the
supreme const Of the state of Illinois
and the little one was returned TO its
foster parents, rs being the real par.
ents Of the child.
This did not daunt Mrs. Bleakley
however and she planned how to
get back her beloved child and finally
she go, little Marion by kidnapping
and brought her back TO her Kansas
home. The Barclays were fully as
aggressive as wa Mrs. Bleakley and
they too went to the lonely Kansas
home and got the little one. Thu case
was at this time taken 10 the supreme
court of the state Of Kansas and here
II was according to the supreme court
Of the state given 10 it's real mother.
Mr.. s.d Mrs. Barclay returned to
their far away home in New York, but
many were the sleepless nights and
fearful eyes Of the foster mother, who
had watched owe the little one and
kept II up after she was taken to far
away Kansas, and the Barclays once
more started to capture the child Of
their love.
About n week ago Mrs, Barclay
came TO the Kansas home with n de.
tective aud according to the papers,
abducted little Marion and left via
auto for her home. The auto broke
down aud another was hired, It broke
down and finally they were driven to
the railroad station in n wagon
aud they boarded the train, and start.
I'D for their home In the east. The Kan.
sas mother by this time had been ap.
prised NJ the fact that her daughter
had been spirited away, aud she imme.
diately set out 10 rescue her The
telegraph wires were started to going
aud all along the line people were on
the look out for Mrs. Barclay and the
detective.
When they reached Kansas City on
the Hannibal bridge were three detee.