The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-22
REAL STORY
. Of CHRISTMAS
IS TOLD HERE
CHILD DESERTED BY FATHER
BECOMES CHRISTMAS PRE-
SENT FOR A CHILDLESS
PARENT
Three Year Old Clara Venetia Sapp
Taken to New Home in Ander-
son by Local
People.

The theme for a real Christmas
story, Which centers about the pretty
IMPLIED face, of three wear old Clara
Yenetia Sapp, was found in Plymouth
Wednesday morning. Deserted by an
rratic father, with four brothers
and sisters thrown upon the are OF
an invalid and suffering mother, fin
lilly discovered by a ehildless wife
who plans to surprise her husband
With the beautiful darling, as q
Christmas present ARE the chapters
which constitute this Yule tide story
unconscious of the JOY which she viii
ring into a pair of lives, the little
irl. while at the l.. E.. & w. station
Wednesday morning only smiled at the
passengers and reporters and display
4 her pretty big doll, which had
zen given her by her cusrodians
Meanwhile DIR. and Mrs. C.. M
Metsker, who have taken care of the
little girl. since the final abscondins
Of her father, have become so attach
ID TO the child, that they n hardl!
able to give her up, and pied will
the prospective foster mother, to al
'ow them to retain, and adopt Clara
The girl will be adopted by Nh. ant
Yrs. Goodykoontz, retired farmers o
anderson, Ind, and Mrs. Metsker ac
'ompanied the child to that city Wed
nesday. Instead of considering tn
'dea of giving up the girl Mrs., Goody
koontz, who made several trips t,
Plymouth to see Clara became NOR
impatient to take her home, and a
times almost decided to forswear tn
pleasure of surprising her husband
ard instead take the girl home a
once.
Father Abscounds.
The story of little Clara Sapr
with that of her mother, and sister
and brothers, is a sad one. Severa
months ago, her father Joseph SapI
left Plymouth in company with an
other woman, and was unheard from
He left his family destitute, and wit
out means of support. The deserte,
wife, was of feeble health, but wa
forced to do washings, and othe
work, to earn a livelihood, for hersel
and children. The oldest of the fv
children was but seven wears of age
Last fall, local officers obtained
/ clew to the whereabouts of the dc
linquent Sapp, and succeeded in az
compFshing his arrest. He was Ey
ing with a woman in a tent, nea
Walkerton. Sapp was brought I
Plymouth, and thrown in Jail on th
charge of VIE and child, desertiol
The unnatural father, SEN for hi
wife, and plead with her in the ia
70 forgive him, and take him bacl
He promised to be faithful, an
grieved over his miserable conduc
Friends of Mrs. Sapp, advised her I
prosecute her husband, who was Ion
known to be a worthless characte
and send him to the state prisoI
where he justly belonged. The vii
however, listened to the entreati,
and promises of her husband, an
asked the officers to Tighten IL
Fl arge against him, TO which
world plead guilty. The charge W;
ehanged to wife desertion, and SAY
ntered a guilty plea before Juds
Bernetha. He promised the judg
md be faithful to them. whereat Il
sonrt suspended a two to fourtet
ear sentence in the Jeffersonvil
prison. Sapp did return TO his far
ly, aud accepted employment four
For him by the state parole officer,
he Edgerton Manufacturing plal
lere He was good for only a coup
of weeks, when he again disappeare
nd his whereabouts has not bee
|, learned.
Gives Away Children
Meanwhile the health of Mrs. SaI
lad become poorer, and upon the a
: pIication of friends and institution
: he placed her children in 9th,
; lomes. Every one of the five, We
, disposed of, and Mrs. Sapp remove
20 South Bend where she is supper
: ng herself by honest employment.