Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-11-30
UNCERTAINTIES OF
LIFE MANIFEST
IN THIS STORY
Child Abandoned at South Bend,
Indiana, and Location OF
Parents Is Unknown

Here is a story which has in il
plenty of winter. William E. Miller
probation officer, South Bend, Ind.
has written Chief of Police S. A. Pei
ton that little Fred Morris, aged three
years, has been abandoned there. Mr.
Pelton has been Investigating the
case and has unraveled the following
complex and startling incidents.
The Fred Morris mentioned by the
probation officer is son of Fred Por
ter. who died in the first ward in this
city as the result of being shot. pre-
sumab1y by himself After his death
the child was legally adopted by Mr.
and Mrs. Ray Dubois of Baraboo, the
adoption being made in July, 1915, &C
cording to the records in the court
house at Baraboo.
The mother of the child is Mrs
Inez Brown who now resides in the
third ward. Mrs. Brown is daugh
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Henry w. Bates
of this city and was the wife Of Fred
Porter at the time of his tragic death
According to the letter from Proba
ton officer Miller to Mr.. Pelton about
a month ago the child was left with
a Mrs. Smith at 402 East Fox street
South Bend, by a couple who gave
their names as Fred Morris and Lila
Morris. They represented the son
as theirs and said the name of the
child was Fred Morris.
The couple paid the boys board
one week in advance and have not
been seen since. Mrs. Smith learned
the man and woman left their room
ing place and their places of employ
ment on the same day or possibly the
day after, and so far as can be learn
ed departed from the city at that time
deserving the little boy. The proba
ton officer says he tried to get some
clue to the Morris couple, but has
failed.
They Spun Not
Mr.. Miller also learned that the
couple went from Baraboo to South
Bend about three months ago, and
understands their railroad fare was
paid by the South Bend Wooden Man
ufacturing company. He learned the
Morrises had represented themselves
as good spinners, but as neither prov
ed to be competent they were employ
ed but short time. Mrs Morris then
found employment for about two
months in boarding house, and Mr..
Morris worked for the Winkler Manu-
featuring company, and later with the
Studebaker corporation. Before leav-
ing the city Mrs. Morris was en-
ployed for a short time in a restau-
rant.
Mr., Miller also learned that after
the couple had been in South Bend
for some weeks, Mrs. Morris came to
Baraboo and returned with the little
boy. She told the landlady at the
clearinghouse that her parents lived
a short distance from Baraboo and
the landlady thinks she got letter
from her mother while there.
The officer sent an excellent post
card likeness Of the couple for the
purpose of Identification.
AS nearly as Mr. Pelton can get at
the facts the Mrs. Morris in the case
is Mrs. Ray Dubois and is the daugh-
ter of Ted Reed, who resides on the
Golding farm near the head of Mirror
Lake. Her name was Miss Lillian
Reed before she married Ray Dubois,
a son of Mrs. Carrie Dubois at 913
Center street.
Ray Dubois is said to be the pro-
prietor of the Quick Meal restaurant
The name Of the man who gave his
name as Fred Morris at South Bend
used another name while in Baraboo,
it is thought. This is not definite.
He boarded in the west part Of town.
Mr.. Pelton has sent picture of the
child to the probation officer and if
the boy is the one thought to be, he
will probably be brought to Baraboo.