The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-08-08
BOY LEFT HERE
ON DOORSTEP
CLAIMED
Actress Writes to D. c. Youth
Abandoned Nineteen
Years Ago
Continued from Page H.


Continued from Page ~
ten in pencil. In 1t was photo
graph Of the writer. The woman
said she was an actress.
Text Of Letter.
The letter follows:
"My Dear Boy:
81 have every reason In the
world to think / have the right to
call you son. / will tell you my
story and let you Judge for your
self. Some twenty years ago,
when ! was a girl fifteen years
old, 1 had an unpleasant life at
home. was a telephone operator,
and had sister living in st.
Louis. Mo. left home to 20 to
my sisters, and on the train l
met dashing young fellow. who
made violent love to me. When
the train arrived in st. Louis and
my sister didn't meet me. the gen.
tleman took me to a hotel and then
found my sister. And she, Of
course, was very angry with me,
and accused the gentleman of dis.
grazing me.
"She had him arrested and
made him marry me i'm the City
building. We only lived together
few weeks, for was so mat at
both him and my sister that
again ran away. OF course, l
soon discovered / was i'm a deli.
cate condition, and instead of
going to my husband and remain
ing with hlm-I was too proud
i went to some friends / had, and
my baby came, a little boy.
nearly lost my life.
Left ON Steps.
al had a very dear girl friend
at the time. She took the baby
as soon as it came, as we had
made it up between us that she
would take it to Washington and
leave 1t on the White House
steps. But she got afraid and
left 1t on some other door step.
"She did not tell me this until
saw an account of a baby
found on the MarcerOn doorstep
Editors note: Young John, six
days old, was found on a south
east Washington doorstep by
AlexiuS MarceronO then she ad-
mitted it. was i'm such poor
health and trouble all that year.
But, oh, how always lOnged for
my little boy that / never saw.
Years went on and my girl friend
died. Several times / have been
In Washington and tried to find
out but could find no trace. At
the home they would give me no
information.
Prayed For Boy.
But little boy, o mine, there
has never been a day or night
in these nineteen years that my
mothers heart has not cried out
for you. i thought 1 would go
insane for a while. 1 never told
anyone, not even my dear old
father, who passed away last
November. have carried this
grief and secret in my heart all
these years, but always prayed to
God to show me the way to my
little boy, for you have always
remained little to me. And it
seems God has been good.
You have nothing to be
ashamed of, my boy. Your father
and / were married, although l
was but a child. i am now thirty.
five years old. Your right name
is Qhere a name is given. That
Is what l would have named you.
Your family on both sides are of
the finest, most aristOcratic fami-
lies in the South. The civil war
brought my family to reduced
circumstances, from which we
never recovered.
"My mother died when / was a
child six years old. My father
married again. After you were
born, took up the theatrical pro-
fessiOn and have been in the dra.
matte business ever since.
Has Other Children.
III am now a widow again and
have two wonderful little boys,
one five and one seven. Tie
smallest boy is with the grand
father and his grandmother in
New York State. And Billy is
with me. He is a wonderful boy,
attends military school, and is
home for his vacation.
"NOW, my dear boy, IL you can
forgive heartbrOken mother who
HOS SOA pau ph ACO dI
/ have done, then write me and
let us arrange to meet somewhere
where we can talk things over.
am starting East to Join theatri-
cal company In New York State
and will como by Washington il
you say so. / will leave here ON
the 18th. Somehow feel you
will know am your mother
when you get this. Then, when
we know each Omer, want the
whole world to know. / look
pretty young to have q son as
old as you, but your wife and you
and 1 will just be pals.
$50 write me at once. / hope
this reaches you. am inclOsing
a good likeness of myself. Oh,
little boy, II you will only give
me the chance l will try to make
up for all these empty years.
shall thank the Buffers for what
they have done for you. 1t is my
wish, dear, when we establish
your identity, that you take my
maiden name, the name / now
60 by. 1 will explain all when I
see you. With love and love and
love for you both my children.
May 1 sign my name
your MOTHER"
up. S.-ExCuse pencil. am
spending my vacation" here at my
sisters and writing this in my
ROOM"
Writes for Meeting.
The letter was dated August 8
from a small town in the central
part of Kentucky. John has written
to the woman, expressing a desire
to meet her as soon as possible.
Young John started a search for
his mother about a month ago. He
asked The Washington Times to