SON OR CHANGELING?

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3222, 9 January 1917, Page 7

SON OR CHANGELING?

EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF A .MAN WHO FAILED TO REPORT. A curious story that his parents, when he was an infant, had exchanged him for another child, and that he was teal v a:i American, was put forward by Henry Reynolds, or Vernon, .1 iiius:chall artist, when he was charged at Bath (Fug.) with faiiink to report for military service.

He said'that a couple named Reynolds \\eiv hi> foster parents, and that they had told him, «s soon as lie was old enough, that he was born in America.: and .Mrs. Kate Reynolds, in support of tlii 3 statement, told an extraordinary story. She declared that s. birth certificate which had hen put in ii. that ui llcyuolds really related to her own child, from whom she parted \.he:i he was a lew weeks old. Aftciwards she was persuaded to adopt .". child. Reynold.') was that child, hut she was not at liberty to disclose where her own son was. It was not her secret only, and she lr.ul sworn oil a Testament never to divulge it. R»'.'nolds', or Vernon's, parents, .she declared, promised to reclaim him at the cud of two years. but failed to do so. and as slie. had grown to lo\'.' the child. she kept him. Evidence was given, however, that Mis. Reynolds v\as never without ■• child in'the how* for sj N „r seven months after the birth ol her son, although she had sworn that she parted with her own child when a few weeks old- and another witness .swore that Mrs. Revnolds' had said that her son was not going Ui lie a .soldier if *he could help it. ... The magistrates finally said tney del „„t believe the story ol Reynold* \ ll ien.an citizenship: hut ih he tmgh have believed it himsell, he was no! lined, and only handed over to the military authorities.