The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-12
PARENTS
WHO LEFT HIM
ON STEPS
Youth, Now 10 and Married.
Was Abandoned Whom
Six Days Old

II
and found records showing he wa
adopted in 1910. He went to tn
Board Of Children's Guardians an,
found he was an orphan.
I wish had known years age
that I was founding, for I woult
nave started a search before thi
Tor my parents, John said today
A thorough search Of police ant
Board of Children's Guardians rec
ords today revealed that nothing Il
known OF the boys parents.
From the Board of Children'c
Guardians the boy learned he was
known on their records as Chester
Benton. Board officials state, how
ever, they do not know the origin
Of this name.
81. don't know what my real name
is, but / surely would like to fine
out, the boy says.
II do hope can find something
about my mother. Why she ma.
be living right near me and M
know 1t. I'll never give up the
search"
Story Like Fiction.
The young boys story reads like
fiction.
On cold night, March 10, 1905
Alexia Marceron, then living at FL;
Second street southeast. donned hi!
hat and coat to go to the store. JUS
as he opened the door, he heard 8
noise on the iron steps of the house
He looked out and saw a bundle O,
clothes in a basket. He picked II
up and called Arthur Keys. livinG
in the same house. They took Il
inside.
Marceron, Keys, a Mr.. and Mrs
Rogers, woman remembered nov
only as Lulu" who kept a board
ing house at that address, gathered
in the front parlor and examined
the bundle. In 1t they found ar
infant. They made fruitless eff
fort to find a note in the bundle
Policeman Ray c. Ault, now at
tached to the Harbor precinct, wa.
called from the Fifth precinct sta
ton, and the baby turned over t.
him. Later records show Police
man w. T. Clinton, of the same
precinct, turned it over to Minnie
Ward, the District police nurse, .wht
then lived at 1875 G street south
east.
Search Is Futile.
All efforts to trace the child
mother proved futile.
Mr.. and Mrs. Rogers, of tn,
Second street address, indicated 1
willingness to adopt the youngster
They visited it several times, bu
were not able to get custody.
Newspapers of March, 1905, which
John looked over today, contain
accounts of his being found on tht
door step. The Washinton Times
Of March IA, 1905, had full &C
count of il
Since learning he is an orphan
young John has located Mr.. Mar
ceron, who found him on the door
step. Mr.. Marceron, who lives a
us Tenth street northeast, and II
employed at the Union Iron Works
told a Times reporter about thu
incident today.
Had Almost Forgotten.
"I had forgotten all about thu
baby until several weeks ago wheI
some young people came to my
house." he said. CThe visitors wer'
young John, his wife, and severa
of his wife's relatives.)
"They asked me whether hat
found a baby on a doorstep on Sec
ond street southeast about nineteer
years ago. l recalled that I had
Then the boy with them spoke III
and said: Well, l am the baby yol
found My, but it was a surprise
1t almost stunned me. SHOOT
hands with the boy and told him
was glad to see him.
'"Then l told him how I found
him on the doorsteps and brough
him in. And I told him abou
Arthur Keys, Mr.. and Mrs. Roger
and a woman named Lulu VIII;
was there. He asked me to helI
him locate his real mother. I vii
do everything I can"
After the boy was turned ovei
to the District nurse, he was ther
sent to the Bruen home. Sixteer
months later, July IS, 1906, JohT
was turned over to Mr.. and Mrs
Butler. Four years later. in 1910
the Buffers, becoming attached t
the boy, legally adopted him. They
named him John Lester Butler.
The years passed. John went tc
grammar schools. later to Business
High School for two years. He
then entered the employ Of the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company. He is a cable splicers
helper.
Falls in Love.
John met and fell in love with
Doris Palmer. He remembers the
date exactly-says 1t was October
10. 1922-on a Tuesday that he met
her. They were married June 16,
1923.
II want to say a word about the
Buffers" John said today. "They
surely treated me fine. They
brought me up from the time !
was a baby gave me an education,
and did everything in their power
for me. I certainly owe them a
lot. They were a real father and
mother to me. 1 hope some day !
can repay them for all they did
for me-"
The young man is anxious to sex
his mother or find out something
about her.
Fellow employees of John said he
has talked of nothing else but his
mother in the last few weeks. One
of the employees came with him to
The Times where he told the story
to a reporter.
II hope that through publicity we
can find his mother" the telephone
company employe said. John Is d
fine boy and has many friends III
the company, We are all interest cd