The Detroit times., 1910-12-02
BABE KIDNAPPED BY
unknown WOMAN
Stranger Whom Mrs. Amelia Gruba
Had Befriended Carries Off Latter's
Five-Weeks. old Child.

| Detectives are securing the city in
search OF mysterious woman, who
after enjoying the humble hospitality
offered by Mrs. Amelia Gruba, No.
219 Williams-ave., departed. Thurs
day afternoon. taking with her Mrs.
uGrudas five-weeks-old baby.
Mrs. Gruda Is widow and since
the death Of her husband, four
months ago. has been dependent OH
city charity. But three days ago,
when the strange woman came to her
door. asking food, drink and warmth,
the widow took the stranger in.
Mrs. Gruda has not the faintest idea
who the woman is. She never heard
her name. Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday the woman went away In
the morning and returned at night,
saying she had been doing washing.
Thursday night, when she came home,
the woman gave Mrs. Gruda some
money and told her TO go and buy
meat. Then she gave the two elder
children a penny each and told them
to get some candy.
When the children returned, the
strange woman was gone and 80 was
the baby. Mrs. Gruda came home
aroused the entire neighborhood. The
police were notified and detectives
were put on the trail.
Some children say they saw wo-
man answering her description at Lin
den-st. and Maybury-ave.
The neighbors have evolved all
sorts of theories in an effort to ar
rive at some explanation Of the kid
mapping. Some believe the woman Is
crazy; others contend that she de-
liberately stole the child for GAIN not
that she expects reward from Mrs.
Gruda, for the poor woman is almost
penniless. but in the hope. perhaps,
that she could put II out for adoption
for consideration. Still another
theory is that she was hired to steal
the child spart Of some sort OF
plot, but this is given little credence.
The identity of the woman Is as
much a mystery as the motive for
the kidnapping. She first made her
appearance in the neighborhood about
month ago. Thoephile Morawski,
baker on Williams-ave., near Magno-
last, says young man known as
Harry Davis or kid" Davis, baker
by trade and with some local reputa-
ton as a wrestler, brought the wo-
man to his place, explaining that he
had found her crying on street car.
The woman appeared to have no
home or friends, and as she was
Polish he brought her among the
Polish people for shelter, he explain
ed. She appeared to be about %
years OF age and not very attractive.
Mr.. MOrawski gave the woman a
quarter and suggested that she go
down town and look for aid. Then a
Polish groceryman happened along,
gave the woman so cents and took
her to the home of Anthony Smolin-
Ski, at the southwest corner OF Will
liams and Magnolia. He asked the
Smolinskis to take pity on the wo-
man and give her place TO stay,
and they did.
The woman had ben at the Smolin-
skis, on and on, for the past four
weeks. At times she would be gone
three or tour days at time. When
she returned she would say she had
been working. an donce she claimed
she had been struck by car and
luhell W a. HOSplldl. one uCltu rather
suspiciously at times. and though
che claimed that she could not talk
English, she was caught frequently
listening TO conversations between a
married daughter OF the Smolinslis
and the latter's husband
During all this time the woman new
er gave her name. All she would say
about herself was from the farm"
but was never more specific.
1t was on Monday evening that she
went to the Gruda home, just across
from the Smolinskis. Mrs.
Gruda has a woman boarder. and had
no room for the stranger, but the lat
ter begged SO hard to be allowed to
stay that she was finally allowed to
sleep on feather tick placed on some
chairs.