Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-09-02
PROBABLY NOT MUCH GROUND
FOR THIS BRAND NEW IDEA
Topeka Capital Has Story About In.
cubator Baby.

The Topeka Capital has new
story about the incubator baby case,
1t is to the effect that J. ]. Bleakley,
who now resides southwest of Abb
lene, is backing Mrs. Barclay, the
foster mother Of the incubator baby.
The Reflector tried to obtain an in
terview with Mr.. Bleakley by phone
today but he was in the field and
could not be reached. There is prob
ably no foundation for the report.
The Capitals story is:
A new phase was added to the
story of little Marian Bleakley, the
kidnapped incubator baby, yesterday
when the rumor became current that
the person who is responsible for the
contesting of the parentage of the
little girl is Joseph Bleakley, the
grandfather of little Marian. The
report is substantiated by people who
were neighbors of the Joseph Bleak
ley family in Leavenworth county.
The story dates back to before the
time of the marriage of Miss Char
lotte Thompson to Robert Bleakley.
At the time Miss Thompson, who af-
forwards became Mrs. Bleakley, lived
with her mother and sisters in Lea
wentworth where they had moved
from farm nearby. The Bleakleys
lived outside of the town on farm.
Miss Thompson was school teacher
and had met Robert Bleakley, who
started courtship which soon as
sumed a serious nature. Finally 1t
was announced that the young cou-
pie we're to marry and Immediately
the parents of Robert Bleakley began
to oppose the match. Notwithstand-
ing this opposition, young Bleakley
married Miss Thompson shortly after
the announcement made. The match
according to those who knew, was
not happy, largely on account OF the
opposition which continued to come
from the father of young Bleakley.
The young woman was not taken into
the home of her husbands parents
and Joseph Bleakley did not favor
their living together. Within few
months. Mrs. Bleakley was sent to
st. Louis and placed in the sanitar-
ium where her child was born. Then
comes the story of how the baby was
placed in the incubator at the Worlds
Fair and afterward adopted by Mrs.
Barclay, according to Mrs. Bleakley,
against her will,
From that time on Joseph Bleak
ley, the grandfather of the child
claimed that the child which was
born to Mrs. Bleakley had died and
that the child which Mrs. Barclay
had adopted was another baby. To
this statement of the grandfather Is
added the statement of the neighS
bors that it is we'll known in the VIC
unity in which the Bleakleys lived
that Joseph Bleakley had favored
at all times after the birth OF the
child, its adoption by Mrs. Barclay
and has endeavored in a number OF
ways to aid the woman in retaining
possession of the child
Now comes the story which P1s
been built up by those who are &C.
uuainted with the circumstances at
tending the marriage Of the young
couple and their separation. This
theory goes to show that Joseph
Bleakley, the grandfather, is now
and has been ever since the child's
pirth, working to get it away from
the real mother and then complete
the separation Of mother and child
by its adoption by Mrs. Barclay.
Mrs. Bleakley's family is compare
lively poor while Joseph Bleakley is
considered reasonably rich. Ulti'
nately some Of the money which the
grandfather will leave at hts death
might 20 to the little girl Marian
as one Of the heirs. But the grand
father dislikes both the mother ana
child, and, It is alleged, 1t is his de-
sire to keep the child out of the fam
lily.
This theory is further substantiated
nv the evidence which has been stat
ed by Mrs. Barclays attorneys as
that which will be offered II the
case of parentage Of the little girl
comes to trial. They have said that
they will lendeavor to prove that
Mrs Bleakley's child died shortly
after birth and that the present Mar
ian Bleakiey is not the child Of Mrs.
charlotte Bleakley, but another child
Altogether. II this could I'm any
way be proved It would then place
Aa,s f.-ovor 0flNnf the Bleakley