BLUE-EYED BABY KIDNAPPED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15234, 22 February 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

BLUE-EYED BABY KIDNAPPED.

j "*?HAi*CE MEETING. i Cr>"' r JS CONFESSIC-iV>.: : '. J Oj,t of t :•: >>/»- ixi.; -ordinary stories of the kidnap ag >a -.Iractira baby ever told in a London court was related; 'brongh evidence and » c.mA' : . : o<-"to the magi j tr.-.'-.e at IV., ,■ ¥-<Aot \ci"\tn ; , c) A lew dfvs b i < 1.-.«^.V ? ~ <;] taken out Aet *?-; '.v.'\'-A> J i rt lrf ktjy. it v? ' li: ' only the second' time Ahst ha had been out of the house, and Yh- 'pother, very proud of him, took; him ' ;>o.: show to .the nurses of a charitable institution in tfts j borough. On the way home die W.&' stepper*. at the corner of -Thomas Street by is young woman—a stranger, but we'll dressed and -well spokenwho begged to b? allowed to peep at the baby, and was j rearJiy immediately to ; stag his pri\iso& j Especialy she admired hi? fine blue eyes. She asked to be permitted to call to 'see, him again, and explained that she was very fond of babies; the gratified mother, with a laugh, gave her 'her address.; On a Sunday afternoon she called- The mother, on being interviewed, told the following story:— " The woman wore s, Jong grey coat and a targe black Jjjtat trimted with ribbon, i\riii b]>ck '■'s&?&. i 7 i& askerV if she j iidgh'; take the : :^abi";'', ; ;b.v:-. .% wait;, but I objetied. 'Shu mads tL v ' recast several times, saying / she wanted to show it to a friend. I made several excuses, but after a iofc of preying';i; ; corusentud to her taking it for a little whila. / Shf* came upstairs and watched ma wash it, rnd than, opening a brown paper parcel which she was carrying, produced' a:, baby's cap, long white gown and underclothing.'. ; .*;.'. Offering to King Baby. •■; "They were of good ' material, and she I said she had brought them as -a present j for ths ' dear little chap.' I. dressed! the j baby in ; them, and. then,* borrowing a laige white / wollen ; shawl, r she :■ left, the houses, cuddling the little chap ; close to j her. She: promised to return before five [ o'clock. ' , y'i "Even at- the. last moment I did /not/ like her having the child, and '/;as she walked down the; ; street ' my/ nephew suggested that he fchould follow her. He did so, and she walked as far; as the Elephant and Castle, where/she took the tram'to Tower Bridge. ■//That, is the last/ that was seen of my baby." ■ ; ; : //- : ' V -';/"'''/;- A: k'/^ r When evening passed without \ any return of the lent baby; the /parents were distracted. Baby's X well-spoken /admirer had said that she was/the daughter of/abailiff of the country, arid/the first chap*. ter of this eventful history ends with a mystery as deep arid complete the most romantic novel reader could require. The second /is 'as • dramatic, ) and -1 equally astonishing. ,After two days, which had; yielded no crumb of information /and/-rib; indication thai ';; parents" or police would ever hear of the : child again, the woman in the long grey coat; with the sunken eyes, (suddenly arrived iat the Sweets' complacent, ;■ but • minus the baby. Mrs. Sweet (tho Jxiother) was.iii the hall, while her BWiter-in-law (Mrs. Owen) was standing on the doorstep, and Mrs. Owen recognised ; he woman as she came down the street. 1 Directly' the stranger entered the hall Mrs. Oweii slrat the door. - ■ " I have / brought back your baby's shawl," the visitor said, calmly, and, handed over? a brown paper parcel in which it was wrapped /'•'■ "But is my baby? What have you ■ dona with my ■■: baby?" the .mother cried. ■ - ■■ "Oh, that's all right," was the easy . rejoinder. "It is with good., friends.;, If you will come with me I will "take you to it." ' , " ■;. < Mrs. Owen advised her sister-in-law not ib leave, and suggested"tliat a"policeman, should be called, whereupon the Woman exclaimed, "You won't take ;.;me to the police station will you ?/ What is all this fuss about -But a visit to the police station was insisted on, and there/ the returned half of a /ticket from /East, Grinstead was found in •■ the possession, of the bailiff's daughter from the country. / That afternoon, in the company of a detective, /Mrs/ iSwtet /took? the train to Copthorne, in Sussex, and there, in the tare of the girl's mother and an aunt, at; a little waysiie/cotiage/ she-; found, her/ blue eyed boy, safe <incl ready to smile upon his mother again.. Begums; inv : Trinßaph. .-.■; \^:±y : :££& Shortly before midnight. the mother returned with her baby, when, quite a reception was accorded, them /by the sympathetic neighbours. < ' • ■ ' In the Tower -Bridge Police Court /the girl gave the name, oi Kathleen Jleed and said who was. a housemaid when accused of kidnapping. •;.■' : " : She made the following Statement at the police station; said an office*") explaining : that /she'' was'; a j housemaid at the Tower Bridge Hotel, and. left the "taby on the Sunday/ night - with a Mrs.; Crowniurst at Kilke Street, Fulham, paying her four shillings. \- Next day, she pursued, she grew anxious about the baby;/ " I then went again to Fulham and saw : Mrs/'Crowhurst and got:the. baby, arid T then took it to 11, New Town, Copthorne; where I stayed withfit all /Monday - night at the house of; Mrs. / Allen. ! /I sold -/her that it /was my : clfild, and asked ? her to look after it for me. y I agreed ib/pay/her 5s a week for the keep of it. T left there about 7.30 a.m. to-day and went and saw Mrs. Sweet, and she brought me to the | police station.; I took /the child ; because I liked it, • , > • . • .. ; - The girl also said: ,' I bought some i things lor a baby hefore Christmas. I . intended to have a baby ' from ■ someone, , but' I did not intend to steal one."' • The magistrate ordered the .woman to be remanded for a medical i report as to , her mental condition. • -