The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-07-18
Mrs. Alice Martin Says She
Left Baby at Zimmerman
Home to Save Her Daugh-
ter from Disgrace.
FOSTER MOTHER OF
BABE FOND OF 1T
And Would Hate to Give 1t
Up, Although Cincinnati
Woman States Child Has
Negro Blood.

The mystery attached to the find
ing of a five-weeks-old baby boy upon
the porch of Mayor Zimmerman's resi-
dence early Monday morning, which
has excited Richmond and it's environs
was partly solved last evening when a
woman, giving the name of Mrs. Alice
Martin 40, and her daughter Eva, IS,
were arrested by the police in Cincin-
natl, suspected of having been con-
| nected with a case similar in some re-
spects, at Ludlow, Ky.
/ In order to clear herself of the Lud-
low charge, Mrs. Martin was obliged
to reveal a story, which excited the
sympathy of members of the Cincin-
natl department who were working on
the case. Mrs. Martin, hesitatingly told
the story Stealing out of Cincinnati
late Sunday night with the illegiti-
mate baby of her daughter under her
arms, Mrs. Martin stepped upon the
| Pennsylvania train for this city, and
arrived here shortly before o'clock
Monday morning. She skulked along
Ft Wayne avenue until she came to
Seventh street, then going directly to
Mayor Zimmerman's residence and
placing the child on his porch. On the
train she wrote the note, which was
found beside the child Monday morn
ing. The note asked the mayor to find
a home for the babe, saying that hard
times had brought it there.
i Father Is Negro.
i After placing the babe on the porch,
Mrs Martin, who says that she form
erly lived in this city, returned to the
PENNSYLVANIA Union Station where
she took the next train back to Gin
4 cinnati.
/ According to the woman's story the
father of the child is a negro and her
4 daughter was seduced by him while
living in Richmond She says that her
husband is still here, looking after
property which is now in litigation.
To hide the ugly fact of her daughters
shame from the public Mrs. Martin
declared that she and the girl went
to Cincinnati prior to the birth of the
baby. The child was born about fiva
weeks ago.
The baby, which was placed in the
Home for Friendless Women upon the
. orders of the mayor was taken from
the home by Mr.. and Mrs. John STRAIT
ton, who live near Southwest Second
and E streets.
Doubts Its Negro Blood.
I in o
went to the Stratton home and inform
ed Mrs. Stratton of the fact that its
father is said to be negro. The mayor
asked her if she still desired to keep
the child.
well I'll keep it," Mrs. Stratton
said, ''in case the girl mother does not
wish it back but l would not want
to keep it until | get attached to the
infant and then have to give it up
don't believe it is a colored child, be.
cause it has no black streak on its
have bought new baby cab and a
lot of new dresses for it,"
Mayor Zimmerman this noon wired
the chief of police at Cincinnati that
Mrs. Stratton would keep the child in
case it was satisfactory with the moth.
/ er. AS yet, he has received no answer
: from the police.
!, The father of the child. according to
Mrs. Martins story had known heI
daughter almost from birth, and was
, looked upon as protector and faithful
1 employe Often. she said, during theiI
residence in Richmond she had left
him alone in the house guarding the
girl during her absence, and it was
during this time that he seduced the
daughter.
Were Once WeIi-to-Do.
Mrs. Martin told the Cincinnati po
lice that before this disgrace came up
on her daughter, the family was in
well-to-do circumstances. She said she
fled to Cincinnati TO avoid disgrace
When arrested last night she said she
had but a dollar to keep them
Mrs Martin, wringing her hands ir
grief, told of litigation over property
that is now being carried on in this
city against her husband. She SAID
$ she had been falsely accused of trying
: to set fire TO her house last fall anC
, had been indicted.
She said she suspected an outsidel
interested in destroying the girl be
fore she became a mother, applied the
g torch to the building in the hope o
: burning the girl to death. The latter
she said was i'll in the house at th'
time.
The authorities here declare tina
they do not believe the latter part o
the woman's story They say tha
{ there is no record of anyone bein.
charged with arson last fall AS far a
can be learned there is no litigation