The Topeka state journal., 1916-07-20
Child 3 Months Old Has Cried
Every Day of Life.
Mother Deserts 1t, Father I'm
knOwn-OnIy a Derelict.
WILL NEVER Be ABLE TO SPEAK
Upper Lip Only Teat of Flesh
Hanging From Nose.
If 1t Lives 1t Will Continue to
Have Cause for Tears.

The county commissioners think
they have a problem to solve, but
theirs is primary stuff compared with
that of the poor little deformed piece
of humanity who constitutes their
problem. The difference in the baby's
favor is that its problem must be
solved in the future while that of the
commissioners is an immediate
trouble.
Down in the county detention home,
on Van Buren street, is a waif. Its
mother, herself a congenital cripple,
does not want it. She does not know,
or at least has not told it's fathers
name. The mother is gone, back to
distant county where she made the
misstep that brought the innocent lit
tie unfortunate into the world
She, the mother, left it at the Crit
tenton home That was three months
ago. From there the child was taken
to Christ's hospital and then to the
detention home.
Baby Who Never Smiles.
1t is known as the baby who never
smiles
During all the three months the
child has lived, no one of the twenty
or more persons who have been
around it has caught it with a baby
smile upon its face. 1t has shown
none of the happy little traits of a
normal baby. 1t isn't old enough to
know, yet for it life is already seri-
Gus matter. Nobody wants it. Even
at hospital where almost any kind of
an unfortunate is taken, it wore out
Its welcome by crying constantly
Up to the County.
The county commissioners are re-
sponslnle for 1t now and they are try
ing to get ont from under. That is
only natural for while the child was
porn IN Shawnee county it does not
peIong mere. Its mother lives in an
other county, so does its father. That
county should take the responsibility
I0r the child and that is what the
shawnee county commissioners are
trying to arrange
besides being weakling, born of
d Weakllng, the child has double
cleft palate and a double hare lin
without series of operations n can
never speak. Its tongue cIeaves both
70 the roof and to the base of the
liIouth; Both the upper and lower lips
are split. In fact the upper lin comes
near not being a lip for there is
nothtng more than a teat of flesh
hanging down from the nose. The
! Iact that the baby cries constantly is
not surprising and if it live it will con-
llnue TO nave cause for tears.
Ihe mother, whose name is on the
county records. came to Topeka from
lodge City about four months ago,
She is young girl and has been Grip
pled since birth through a malfornaa-
tlon OF the hips. She gave birth to the
chlld and as soon as she was able went
back to Dodge City
Doctors Were Afraid.
| The child was eventually sent to
| the hospital in the belief that a series
OF operations might give it a SEM
! blance to a normal child and at least
a partial chance in life. Hot weather
came on and physicians at the hospital
were afraid to risk the operations. The
oaby continued to cry. Patients were
| annoyed Nurses were ANNOYED
Through the board of county commits
sloners, arrangements were made by
! OFFICERS of Crittenton home to place
the child in the county detention
home.
/ And there it is now. In its present
condition 1t will never know a father
or a mother. 1t will never know the
meaning of the word home. 1t will
never live the normal happy life OF
the normal child. 1t is miniatur4
human derelict. depending for it's f,l.
ture upon influences devoid of senti.
| ment. Nobody wants it And it has
never smiled