Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-23
GIRL, SEEKING HER BABY,
KIDNAPS CHILD AS OWN
Parents of Baby Withdraw
Charge When Youthful Mother
Breaks Into Sobs
4 seyenteen.year.old mother kidnanned a

A seventeen.year-old mother kidnapped n
| baby, believing It was her own missing
child, but II was not Now she must begin
the search for her baby all over again.
The pity.awakening STORY Of mother love
unsatished told between sobs in the Office
OF Magistrate Harris. 1925 Market street,
today, so affected the parents Of the child
that they withdrew the charges against
the grl.mother-Mary Il. Martin, daughter
Of Mr.. and Mrs. William Martin, of 9i7
Springfield road. Darby. The baby. four.
yearold Grace Paulson, daughter of Walter
F. Paulson, Of 6s31 Woodland avenue. was
returned TO her parents. The other baby
the "only baby"-no one knows where
she is
''Oh, you don't kno,l how ! want TO see
my baby" cried the mother again and again
in the story Of her search for the baby
that resulted in her arrest by Detective
Quigley, Of the SiXty-flfth street and Wood
land avenue police station a week ago, when
the Paulson baby was found I'm the home
OF family named Weir, nearby. She has
seen her baby only twice. she said the
frst time when II was born in a hospital
that she cannot find and the second time
when its father took her TO see It in
childrens home that she cannot find
III only John Cassidy would tell me
where the baby IS !" cried the girl. Cas-
sadly, she said, Is the baby's father He Is
in Honolulu, in the army.
81 met John Cassidy three years ago"
she told Magistrate Harris I'VE we're good
friends. When I knew that was going
to have baby John took me to a hos
pital A little girl was born. I named
her Lillian. Then ! was very sick They
kept me in the hospital three weeks.
FATHER TOOK CHILD
when was able to leave John told me
he had taken the child away to a home
for children in Reading My parents knew
nothing about all this. They thought was
too busy at the mill to go home.
John told me that as soon as I could
take care Of Lillian he would brirE her TO
me.
"A year went by. and all the time was
thinking more and more Of Lillian. I
wanted more and more to see her. Finally
John took me to Reading and showed me
in an institution there a baby girl about
year old that he said was ours Still he
promised to let me have her later
John enlisted I'm the army. He Is in
Honolulu now
81 went to Reading and tried to find the
place to which he had taken me- | could
not recognize IT. Nobody knew anything
about my baby girl SO ! wrote to John,
pleading with him to tell me where he had
taken her.
SHOWS LETTER IN COURT
MISS MdIlln nandeu Magistrate Harris
a letter, written six months ago from Homo
lulu and signed John Cassidy" in which
the writer promised to send money TO the
baby's mother, but evaded the question of
where the child had been placed In the
letter, Miss Martin said, was a photograph
which she displayed. 1t was a picture of
the year-old girl Miss Martin saw I'm Read |
ing
But all wanted was my baby. Lillian" |
I,a tInr t,11 IL,
used 70 cry at night I hae to keep my |
secret, but ] used TO walk up and down |
the streets, hoping | could catch a glimpse |
of Lillian.
when I saw Grace Paulson on the |
street I was struck by the resemblance
! asked her whether her name was Lillian |
and she said Yes | gave her some candy |
and took her 10 the Weirss home | bobbed |
her hair because | wanted her to look az
she did with her hair cut shorter"
The recital ended. and then the girl |
cried, "Oh. where is my baby"
Magistrate Harris found it necessary to
take off hiS glasses and dust them thor
oughly.
Witnesses from st. Vincents Home told
Of Miss Martin having asked for her baby
there She paced up and down I'm front
Of the building, they said being found there
one morning at o'clock
After the Paulson baby'S parents with
drew their charges, Magistrate Harris al
lowed the girls father to sign a $500 bond.
for her TO appear when wanted" lie also
asked the girl to promise not to try TO see
the Paulson baby.
"She looks so much like my baby with her
hair bobbcd," said the mother But
promise"