The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-20
Woman Who Stole
MOtherlesS Babe IS
to Be Prosecuted
ny NORMA T.. ABRAMS

tiilda Custer. whose yrnrning
mothrrloVe led her To steal IA
mothericss new born baby. ~ in
the Pierce county Jail. charged
with kidnapping.
Bah, Bcal. who. In his life Of
Nix days. has lost his mother:
been stolen by u mother who
had lost her baby. aud who has
been the center ~ one Of the
most battling police mysteries
known la Tacoma. II safe la his
cradle 1T his grandparents
home. With his tiny twin sister.
lac II quite unconscious ~ the
furore lac has caused
Ia another cell az the county San
sits Fred " Custer. husband of the
woman who ins confcaacd 90 the
theft ~ the child lie la not angry.
lie understand how badly "Hlida"
must have felt over the loss Of her
own baby To- have driven her 90 such
lengths The prosecutor ~ deter.
mined to filo kidnapping charges. Al.
ready Tacoma attorneys have volun.
trcred to defend the woman without
pay.
Custer H. charged with having con.
niv~d with his wife in carrying out
the kidnapping
-Four times had illda Custer wait.
81 with loyfui anticipation FOR tho
coming ~ child Each time just
az complete happiness seemed within
her reach death dashed u from her
Kept rlan Secret
When within "a day or 80 after tho
birth and resulting death Of her
fourth child. Mrs Custer read an nc.
count q tho death Of Mrs Real. sh.
became obsossed with mania 20 ~.
cure one % the tiny newborn twins
left behind
II didn't think they'd miss one 80.
lie tiny haby whom they had 30
many she told tho police
Carefully conc~aliuE from her hus.
band the loss ~ her own child Mrs.
Custer told him that she was going
90 Wait a friend IN Woodland. on
her return few hours later with
the B-al baby. stolen from itH home. I
wherr she had applied and been ac. 4
cepted nurse. she told him that
their child had bccu horn while nhe
was with hrr friend
Cannot Speak
rnul Mrs cuatcr'a confession aft +
- her arrest. her husband refused 60 .
believe that the baby was not HIS
own
Now they sit In tho county Sail In I
racona-in scparaie cells. alone /
They have not been allowed TO .
speak 20 zach other since arrested. /
Mrs. Custer Rricvcs for the baby /
taken from her after days uoascs. I
sion. and fears the trial. which. reern. 4
lnTlr. cannot be avcrted
As noon az the family was aniesp
took Tho baby" aid Mrs. Custer. /
u didn't make noise. and wrap. 4
ped {, up well 10 Il wouldn't CRY. No. /
sir. ! didn't hurt I, or put anything 4
In It's mouth ] know how 10 handle /
babies 30 they won't cry
And she looked up with a riinten.
Inr pride In her eyes aa she spoke OF
her knowledge
Waited for Gar
IT waited for n street car. and
non. came. Then an automobile
-amr along I was afraid Baby
would set cold. So 7 stepped on;
and stopped the machine. asked
ihe man for y ride. and ho took me
IN. We rode 20 the Mccormack
store. and he ie, me out there.
walked up tho hin to ms home"
She Was Happy Again
The would.he mother went N.
r~ciiy 10 bed. taking the baby
with her. and while the happy
husband. who thought he was
the father. looked after them
both. Mrs. Custer sang softly to
the infant and rested happily Tor
the first time In years.
II knew I had a baby at last. and
verifying was all right. We were
~ happy again
Il suppose my husband won't love
no ri, alt now" wept the distracted
Woman as she finished her unusual
'ecitai
But b" wouldn't love me- any way
Z didn't have children. oh. Cod. !
Why didn't they lot mo keep that
'hby7 We would have been no
iappyr'