The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-22
BLUE-EYED BOY IS ADOPTED BY
 THE SHEPARDS
Lad Abandoned at Cathedral Is Found in Orphanage by
 Charity Worker.


 Adoption papers have been filed in the Westchester county clerks on1ce here giving custody to Finley J. Shep- ard and his wife, Mrs. Helen Gould Shepard. of John Doe No. 1o4. alias Austin McC4eary.'' four -year-o1d rounding discovered on the steps of St, Patrick's cathedral New York; September IT, 1914.
 who the boy is that has come so strangely into the affection of Mrs. Shepard and her husband and into a line for the heritage of the Gould es- tate, what his antecedents were,~sh how he came toc be honelessof those things there is no trace. When picked up irlstheashadow of the-cathedraI late in the evening last September, he said his father had left him there and told him sto wait. Afterward he said it was not his father, but a strange man. He did not know where his home was, and his name, as nearly as the baby words could be distinguished was Austin McCleary.''
 At any rate as this, alias John Doe 104,t he went on the official records He was kept at the Children's Society until October O. 1S14ss when be was taken before Justice x4eyt in the liI-s' dren's Court an d sent to St Chris topher's Home at Dobbs Ferry He has been there ever since, with the exception of visits paid to the Shep- ards
 Mrs. Shepard found him on one of her charitable trips and was attracted by the boys light hair, blue eyes and bright manner Last February he was taken to the Shepard house at j579 Fifth avenue and in company with the two children of Frank J.. Gould, also staying with Mrs. Shepard, was strick-z en with chickenpox and made an en- forced visir of unusual length. He has been in Lyndhurst Mrs Shepard s place near Tarrytown, several times , and moved there pernianently from the home some days ago
 Mr-& Shepard said today that he, cared to say little about the adoption The papers knew, he explained, as much of the boys history as he did He had spent some time with Mrs. shepard enough to satisfy his wife and himself from his general makeup that he was of good stock; he was wholesome and fine looking and they had grown fond of him
 Mr. shepard also mentioned the unwarranted long aisit at the time of the chickenpox
 Mrs Shepard, seen at fI4yndhurst, admitted the adoption of the boy Both she and MT. Shepard, 1t was said ton secret for time, but gave up when they discovered the adoption record was a public on Mrs Shep- ard spoke Of his blonde hair and blue eyes and laughed a little and said --1So' when asked if his hair is curly. The request of photoGraphcFs to take. his.pfcttlre was denied
 The petition for 1ne adoption was made by MT. and Mrs. Shepard though the law firm of Leonard & Walker of 125 Broadway The Shepards. with Miss Emily Fowler, president of St. Chris topher home appeared before Coun- ty Surrogate William Al Sawyer and after the necessary agreements had been signed the surrogate made out the formal order placing the boy ex- clusfvely in his fosterparents' cus- tody.
 Attached to the petition and order were the regular adoption instrument prepared under the domestic relations law and signed by Miss Fowler as of the home, the Shepards, and affida- wits by Miss Fowler and Robert Cos grove, an agent of the Childrenss socie- ty. Cosgrove's afidav1t asserts that the child was found September IT,. 1914 when years old, abandoned and not having a home, and being inn properly exposed and neglected.'' Miss Fowler asserts that he came to St Christopher's in October, 1914 by or der of the Children's Court of New I guardian has since claimed him.
 surrogate Sawyerss order recites That said infant child has been aban- donedt by its parents and furthermore I, Being satisfied that the moral and temporal interests of said child will be pro7npted by allowing the confirming the zadoption for the reason. that the said proposed foster parents are per sons of good moral Character and of reputable standing ffi the community and of sufficient means to properly maintain and educate said child
 Itsconcludes with a confirmation of the adoption and the wish of the fos- ter aparents that the child be known as Finley Jay Shepard The entire collection of papers are entered in the court record under the caption: Adoption of John Doe, No 1o4, alias Austin McC1eary, by Finley J. Shepard and Helen G. shepard"
 Little would be said by the officials of St. Christopher's Home about the boy last evening beyond the story of his being found on the cathedral steps. The Rev B. ". Brown. head of the home, asked that all connected with it be excused from speakingy as they wished all information to come from the Shepards. The home shelters orphans and is supported by volun- tarY contributions It is connected fndirectIy with the Methodist church. At present 900 children are there
 MT. and Mrs. Shepard were married at Lyndhurst, January 26 1913, their engagement having been announced a little cxer a. month before. Mir. Shep- ard had been assistant to President Bush of the Missouri Pacific lines at St. Louis before the marriage, but af- terWard moved to New York The en- gagenent and wedding came as a sur rise to the many friends of Miss Gould as she had been always wrapped up in phiIanthropic work and it was sup posed that she was too busy to think of n1atrinony. She inherited from her father, Jay Gould, he Gould home on Fifth avenue with all it contained 5000 a month household expenses and $10.6O0, 600 Of his estate, which placed her among the richest women in the