Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-20
OF kidnapping Of Young
Boy by His Father.
Andrew ". Babb Takes Son
From a BoVdoin, Me-, Family.
Had Been in a Gardiner Home...
Babb Bound Over to Grand jury,

OF Lewiston. Babb was arraigned in
the municipal court this morning on
the charge of kidnapping George Babb
seven years old. from the home of Mrs.
Isador Curtis of Bowdoin last Novem-
Der. He acknowledged that he took the
child, his son, but entered plea of nor
guilty to kidnapping. The boy in ques-
ton was an inmate OF the Good Shep-
herds Home in Gardiner last spring
and was formally given to the Home
by the. Gardiner municipal court. Mrs
Curtis took him to her home later and
it was from there that his father re-
moved the boy. The trial was continued
until this afternoon to give Babb a
chance to get an attorney.
The case was resumed this noon and
proved to be most pathetic. Mr.. Babb
had secured f. p. Sprague for his at
torney and the latter Immediately
made a motion to quash the complaint
but it was not allowed by Judge Dun
ton.
Mrs Ada F. Hunt of Augusta was the
first witness. Mrs. Hunt is an agent
Cruelty to Children She testified that
the child was neglected and that he
had been given into her charge by
Judge Larrabce of the Gardiner NUM-
cipal court. The decree of Judge Lar
r;bec was read. Mrs. Hunt stated that
she gave the child into the care of
Rev. Robert w. Plant rector of Christ
church, who is also the secretary of the
House of the Good Shepherd which is a
home for neglected and orphaned chill
dren. Mr.. Plant found a home for the
boy in Bowdoin. He notified her. and
the boy was sent there with her con-
sent.
Rev. Mr.. Plant testified that ne acted
in the matter for Mrs. Hunt and sent
the boy to the Curtis home on her APP
prevail. Cross-eXamined, he said that
the boy lived in q place called Jacobs
Ladder" in Gardiner. Attorney Sprague
suggested that thar signified much in
Holy Writ but Mr.. Plant replied that
ii did not enter the case. He stated
that when the child was given into
his care he was boarding with Capt.
Vinin of the salvation Army and was
in good condition when he entered the
Home. He said that he sent the sec
retarv of the Maine Chldren's commit
tee to see the conditions surrounding
the boy in his new home.
DEPUTY Sheriff James o. Roberts of
Bowdoin, who arrested Babb in Lew
iston, gave a brief testimony.
Mr.. and Mrs. Rabb were next sworn
Babb testified that he was 80 years old,
-. M nd
that he was at present residing IN
Lewiston. The boy in question was by
his first wife. who died five years ago.
He married his present wife two years
ago in Webster and they have daush-
ter aged nine months.
Last March, witness said. he was in
Gardiner and as Mrs. Babb was in bad
health he decided to obtain board for
the boy which he did with Mrs. New
ell. Somebody told him that the boy
was running about the streets and he
took him away from Mrs. Newell and
placed him in charge of Capt. Ninin of
the Salvation Army. He went into the
woods last March and returned about
a month later. When he returned he
was unable to find his boy and could
get no information hpooI hiih a. 'iiS
House of the Good Shepherd.
He stated that he was able to sup
port his wife and family. Three months
ago he heard that the boy was at the
home of Mrs. Curtis in BoWdoin and
two months ago he went after him and
found him in the road between the
Curtis home and neighbours with the
bottom of his shoes worn out and no
mittens and shivering with the cold.
He took the boy into his team and put
his fur coat around him. He stated en-
phaticaIly that he wanted his boy.
Mrs Bahb testified that she paid
the boys board at the Salvation
Army headquarters in Gardiner. She
wrote him a letter from Lewiston adj
dressed to the House of the Good
Shepherd telling him about the ar
rival of his litcle sister, and she got
a letter in return from Mrs. Curtis
which said that the boy did not wish
t. see them and that they would not
be allowed to enter her home.
In his argument for his client At
torney Sprs4gue made on of the best
pleas of his life. He insisted that his
submitted that the decree issued by
Judge Larrahee mad been broken and
that Mrs. Hunt had not carried out
it's provisions to the letter, that the
boy was put into the Curtis home
without any writing, agreement or le-
gal adoption, for them to use him as
they saw fit He dwelt on the fact that
the parents We're not notified where
the boy was and that the whole tran
sactinr vas cruel. He called Mrs. Cur
it's letter saucy. impudent and uncalled
for He also stated that the case could
have been tried in Androscog2in coun-
ty but had been ''plastered' onto Sag
adahoc. 1t was serious matter to
separate a parent from a son, es-
pncially in the present case where the
parent loved his hoy and the boy loved
his parent. and that in justice to
fathers and mothers the respondent
should be acquitted.
Judge Dunton stated that there We're
only two points for him to consider,
whether the child was taken from its
parents and whether Babb took the
child On the latter point he was de-
cided as the respondent had acknowl-