The New York herald., 1922-07-17
PARENTS REUNITED
BY FINDING LOST son
Married at 16, Stewarts Sep
arated When Child Was
Born IL Years Ago.
WILL MAKE A NEW HOME
Was Forced to Give Boy to
Man Who Abandoned Him
Month Ago.

Russell Stewart I'd. who was found
abandoned in a furnished room in New
Dorp, S. l., a month ago. has been
claimed at the rooms of the Children's
Society In Tompkinsville by his father
and mother. Mr.. and Mrs. Donald Stew
art who had been separated since his
birth. Finding of the boy after nearly
four years search by the mother was
attended by a reunion celebration and
the announced determination Of the
parents to found home in which their
son might obtain parental care.
The fight of young mother against
starvation and her final decision to give
the boy up for adoption. only to dis
cover later when she did want to get
her son back that the man to whom
she had intrusted him had disappeared.
comes to light through the reunion of
the Stewart family.
Agents of the Children's Society have
learned that Donald Stewart and
Marion Parker were married in 1905
when they were II and Is years of
age respectively. Religious differences
caused them to separate on different
occasions and led to n final break in
1911 when Russell was born Mrs. Stew
art then resumed her maiden name,
calling herself Mrs. Parker and did
various kinds of domestic work which
enabled her to keep her son with her.
There came a time. however. when she
found it necessary to put the child In
a home, where he remained for eleven
months, and eventually she decided to
let somebody adopt her boy. That was
in January. 1918. An advertisement Of
! fering the boy for adoption was In
serted in New York newspaper.
| A man who described himself as Rich
ard A. Field, a superintendent in the
| Bethlehem Steel Works. Bethlehem,
| Pa. called on Mrs. Stewart and as
serted he and his wife were looking
/ for just such a youngster.A He showed
Mrs. Stewart photographs of what he
said was his home in Bethlehem and
| gave as references the names of the
Mayor. postmaster and other officials
! of that city. Mrs. Stewart was duly
| impressed and let MIR. Field have the
/ boy on a probationary period of three
months. She said that if she had not
| obtained work by that time the adop-
/ tion would become permanent. Mr..
Field was agreeable and took the boy
away.
| Mrs. Stewart obtained employment
before the time was up and began look
ing for "Mr. Field" only to find he
had disappeared. Then began the search
Ior fuSSell Wnlch continued Tor fOui
years. There were no clews until June
IA. when the boy was taken from the
furnished room house in New Dorp to
1.-THE Chidren's Society. Mrs. Stewart
read of this in the newspapers an6
went to Staten Island Immediately.
She told her story to the authorities
but they were incredulous because the
boy did not recognize his mother. They
insisted Mrs. Stewart produce her hus
band. whose whereabouts she did no
know at the time. Through friends sh,
succeeded. however. in learning wher,
he was employed in Jersey City ans
4 he agreed to go to the rooms OF tn,
Childrens Society with his wife. The,
brought their marriage certificate. tn,
boys birth certificate and photograph!
of Russell which had been taken befor'
he was lost.
Officers Of the society accepted th'
Identification and turned the boy owe
to the couple. The reunited family lef
Tompkinsville arm In arm, intent upol
founding the new Stewart home some
where in New Jersey. In the mean
! while Mrs. Stewart is stopping witt
an aunt at 2l9 West 122d street