New-York tribune., 1919-12-17
Bellevue Baby
May Be Lost
Arthur ,Wentz
Mrs. Humiston Sure Mother
Has Identified Nellie Bly'
Infant Found in Grand
Central Terminal Dec. 8

Mrs. Grace Humiston, the woman
lawyer, and John Hoffman, private
detective employed by her, yesterday
found at Bellevue a baby they said
they believed was Arthur Philip Wentz,
who was kidnapped from in front of a
department store at 15oth Street and
Third Avenue on July 80.
The child is known at the hospital
as "the Nellie BLY, baby" because Of
the note pinned to its clothes when it
was found in the Grand Central Ter
mlnal on December 8. This requested
that the child be turned over to the
writer whose pen name that is.
Accompanied by Mrs Humiston, Mrs.
"entz went to the hospital yesterday
afternoon, and, it is said, positively
identified the child as her own. She
then went home, and Mrs. Humiston
disappeared, leaving her private de-
tectlve on guard at the Wcntz door to
prevent Mrs. Wentz talking to news
paper men.
Husband Denies Child
AT II o'clock last night Adolph
entZ, the father Of the missing child,
arrived at his apartment at 400 East
hlghty-second Street, and according
TO Detectives Clark and Dolan Of the
Police Department, who were in the
Nat at the time, said fatty that the
child was not his and did not even
resemble the kidnapped baby. Mrs.
"cntz, then. the detectives say, said
She would not keep the child unless
her husband became convinced that it
WAS theirs.
Later Mr. Wentz talked 10 news
paper men and said thai he was still
certain it was not his child, but TINT
he would wait until to-day to make his
final decision.
According to Mrs Humiston. who
made a statement before she dsap-
peared. she was told that the missing
Dapy pap was IN the foundlings' ward at
Bellevue by some one who talked to
ner over the telephone. hut refused to
give his name. She went to the hospi-
tai, she said, and found child closely
resembling the Vent baby, and then
summoned Mrs. Vent to identify him.
Sne also announced that she was
working IN cooperation with District
Attorney Martin, of The Bronx, and had
been retained to investigate the kidnap-
ing by a client OF George Gordon Bat
tie, whose name she withhold She
added she expected the arrest of the
kidnaper shortly,
Detective Guards Portals
Reporters who called at the Wentz
home last night were confronted by
a closed door on the other side Of
which stood Hoffman. He called
through the keyhole that he was acting
under Mrs Humiston orders and that
she had told him not to permit Mrs.
"entz to talk to newspaper men.
Detectives Dolan and Clark. who are
attached to the Morrisania station and
nave been working on the case, came
IN during the evening, and while they
were still in the apartment Mr.. Wentz
appeared.
When told by reporters that his
baby had been found he exclaimed:
I'm glad!' and ran up stairs
A 'e" minutes later Clark and Dulan
came down and said that Vent had
discla'med the child. They quoted him
as saving when he caught sight of the
foundling
That isn't my baby. 1t hasn't the
blue eyes or the rusty mark on the
side Of its neck that my baby had. The
whole shape of its face and head is
inherent. 1t is not my child"
Ready to Adopt Child
AT this point, the detectives said.
Mrs. Wentz began to weep and her
husband added: "I'll adopt the baby if
Mrs. Wentz really wants him."
To this, they say, Mrs. Wcntz re-
plied
~ don't want to keep him unless YOU
are convinced he is ours
Although the father insists that a
birthmark on his baby's neck is miss
ing from the child brought to his home
yesterday, II was birthmark that
made Mrs. Wentz positive that the baby
was hers. This was red spot behind
the ear visible only when ArthurWentz
cried. The NELLY BLY, baby" was cry
ing when Mrs. Wentz visited the hos
pital Yesterday and it had red mark
behind the ear
Finds Child in Hospital
On July 80, Mrs Vent left her baby
carriage in front of Blumenstein's store
while she went in to do some shopping.
When she returned The carriage still
was there, but the baby was gone. The
police were notified al once and search
began that spread rapidly to other cities
and states.
No trace of the child was found, and
no announcement had been made that
clews had been developed until the
mother identified her baby yesterday.
The Nellie BLY, baby" was placed in
the arms Of Harry l. Loise, 1s Beech
wood Avenue, New Rochelle, at the
Grand Central Terminal by man, who
Louis says, was evidently a foreigner,
with the request that he "hold it min
ute"
Loise held the baby for an hour and
then notified the police. When the
child was taken to the East Fifty-fr st
Street police station the following note
was found pinned to it's dress:
ITO Somebody: For the love of Mike
take this kid He is too much for the
family. Give him to Nellie BLY,. He is
seven months old and as healthy as