Evening star., 1953-05-20
Kidnapped Baby
Found, Woman
Is Charged
D. c. Girl, Brother
Held in New York;
Father Investigated

A year-old girl abducted from
her Washington home five days
ago was found unharmed in New
York early today with a carnival
dancer charged with kidnapping
her and an older brother.
A taxicab drivers tip led to
discovery of blond, blue-eyed
Diane Bradford in a residence on
One Hundred and Sixtieth ave-
nue., South Jamaica, Queens.
Police took into custody Mrs.
Barbara Grimm, "a, of Tulare.
Calf, identified as the woman
in the red dress who disappeared
here Friday night with Diane
and her two-year-old brother,
Clifton Eugene Bradford, jr.
They are the children of Mr.. and
Mrs. Clifton E. Bradford, of 941
Ninth street NV.
After hours of questioning,
Mrs. Grimm was booked at Eliza
beth street police station on the
kidnapping charge. District At
torney Frank S. Hogan said the
case would be presented to the
grand jury.
BLACK Out" Claimed.
Mr.. Hogan's Office said Mrs.
Grimm admitted taking the chill
dren but that she had "blacked
out" and was not aware of the
act until she reached Philadel-
phla. She said she hitch-hiked
to New York with a man named
Vince" and left little Clifton
with a parking attendant at
Central Park.
She also admitted escaping
from a California institution for
wayWard minors in 1945 and in
1851 driving a stolen car from
Arizona to Richmond. Va. Ar
rested in West Virginia. she
served a year and a day there,
and after her release last sum-
mer joined carnival in Miami,
Fla. as an "eXotic dancer" New
York police said.
Clifton was found Sunday
afternoon, dering alone
through Central Park Zoo. Since
then more than so detectives
had gone over every foot OF
Central Park and conducted a
door -to-door search for the girl.
Has Mother Complex"
New York Police under the
direction of Inspector James B.
Leggett, and FBI agents ques-
toned Mrs. Grimm today.
Inspector Leggett said Mrs.
Grimm has a mother complex"
perhaps resulting from the death
of son she said she lost about
two months ago.
Mr.. Bradford was reunited
with his son briefly yesterday at
the Children's Center in New
York.
Seeing his father. Cliffie shout
ed joyously and ran into his
arms. Mr.. Bradford embraced
him sobbing, Thank God" He
had few words for reporters. Il
pray Diane is all right" he said.
Child Still in Custody.
The district attorneys. Office
refused to turn the boy over to
his father pending completion of
the investigation. The girl, ex-
amined by a doctor and found
physically sound, was taken to
New York Founding Hospital.
Discovery of the girl was as
strange as the disappearance of
the children last week.
Early today 103d precinct po-
lice in New York had a call
from John Small, colored, a
cab driver of South Ozone Park,
Queens. He said a girl answer
ing the description of the miss
ing Washington child was at
the home of his mother in South
Jamaica, Queens.
Drove Woman to Church.
About 8 pm. yesterday, Mr.
Small explained, ne was seated
in his cab in front of his mothers
home when a woman walked up
with a baby in her arms. She
asked for directions to a Long
Island Railroad station so that
she might go to Brooklyn to put
(See CHILDREN, Page A-3D