Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-19
Is Dead, and the Chi

Ton. Why send him out into the world
""eii the most crucial period of his baby.
hooa ana early childhood was over?
she wanted to free herself of the obli.
Sation. said some. We know there was
no sacrifice this mother would have beep
unwilling to make. Why, then. tho AN.
preme sacrifice OF her child? This
mother made her decision only whom
confronted by some supremely crucial
situation 1t was matter seriously A.
fecting the boys future. 1t was a situa.
ton in which only abandonment was the
better thing.
This mother knew that In great cities
there were organizations that took care
OF deserted walfs-that took them into
homes, gave them food, care and an ed,,.
cation II he were left In a great city
some rich and childless people might
chance upon him. They could give him a
home such as she could not give him.
they could give him better clothes
than the msde.over garments that were
the best she could afford They would
give him schooling, whereas IL she kept
him he might not receive any schooling,
but would have 10 go TO work--to hard
work on q poor farm.
How We Know the
Boy Was Not Catholic
The boy was taken 10 New York and
lett on the steps OF st. Patrick's Cathe.
drai Why was he sent to New York;
Ne" YORK has been the scene of many
romances in which foundlngs adopted
by rich people have figured New York
Is the greateat city in America This
mother knew there are richer peonle IN
New York than elsewhere In New York
the chances for the boy finding a happy
ana luxurious home were more favorable
IMAM In any other city. Then, too, the
boy must not be traced back TO his home.
Inc newspapers In towns and cities that
reached the region where the child lived
must not publish news of his desertlon
All trace after he was abandoned must
ne lost. New York. being far away and
the centre Of wealth, was the one city
In which TO make the gamble OF her son
against chance. He should be taken
there and left before the great Cathedral.
The parents OF this child were Roman
Catholica, said some OF the detectives.
Whoever deserted the boy decided that
devoted Catholics thronged into the
great church. and some OF these, being
kindly and pious. would be most likely
10 take the child.
But these theorists are wrong The
parents OF the boy were not Roman
Catholics.
We know that the boy. after his adop-
ZION, compared a swimming buoy 10
angels wings. He had been taught OF
angels by pious mother But he did
not cross himself when he prayed, nor
did he know the prayers to the Virgin
Mary which Catholic children know.
Why. then. was he left before st. Pat.
rick's Cathedral?
The cruel sacrifice made by the mother
Of this child was made in the hope OF his
meeting fate better than she
could give. She wanted him
taken into a comfortable home.
reared amid kindly and auspi- .zsm.,.
cious influences. She had read fssI ~
of the rich people who lived on a.@ osst
Fifth avenue Therefore she s..
decided he should be left on u
Fifth avenue. She had read e<
OF the palatial homes Of the
Astors. Goulds and Wander 81
bilts. She had read of their r.
weddings and magnificent en-. assa.
tertainments. She had seen sx&Ss8
pictures in the newspapers Of ~sas
their imposing residences She
knew the Vanderbilt home was
near the great Cathedral of ssss sssss&=ssss
st. Patrick. That was why 4~sS@asssssss
she selected the steps OF the
church nearly opposite the
Vanderbilt home as the place
for the child's abandonment.
Why was the child not left
on the steps of one of the