Show F L r ri 4 i 4 T t i 4 1 v. v I 1 r. r j t i I t- t ll 1 o. o t Y i 0 Mrs I Dan Daniel L. L Pitta Pittman ion and the t th The f Wanted ed Bab Baby y L Louise Madeline l wo a Both Mrs l Pittman and Ir 1 Mra r L J John C. C Garnet Garner Claim This I 1 Baby 33 t. t f y Their t j r I Own 1 I r. r j That f. f 1 And the e Real T Tragedy rag dy of the Poor Baby That Nobody Wanted Wanted Wanted-H w ant e How ow w Death D ea Solved o ve a aa Problem Once Left s 's a r y the I t to p fir t S jg r a. a v 1 y i r rI Wisdom if l ll I p py 4 a A AI Nt r of f f. f AM f S. S r K King In g W v T Q r f t J t o rb 4 Wf J 1 t AT Ii ft M r WN 1 Solomon Solomon L' L JI I IL r rN N e N q r r 4 j i 1 c S' S jh k r rf rm f m dc J f 4 r f 1 f I J 1 I Fro From the the Graveside in the Quiet Country Cemetery Where There Little Mary Iary Elizabeth s. s the Unwanted Un anted Bab Baby Was Vas Buried the Thoughts of T Two so Mothers i Turned to the tile theOther Other Bab Baby the One The They Both Wanted and Each Mother Was Hoping and Belte Believing g N That the Livin Living Child Was Her Very Own and the Dead Child the Other Womans Woman's I. I B y WA WARD WAR R D GREENE GR E E ENE N E s i t N the year B. B C. C two mothers stood before IN King Bins Solomon and claimed each for or herself the little child who lio lay between them Nearly three thousand years ears later Inter in in a n city in inthe the Bouthern louthern part of the United States an almost Identical drama wits was enacted save sa that it wa was even more complicated there complicated there were two children instead of one both mothers claimed one baby the other went unacknowledged and unwanted cd Solomon made a decision that is history Death decided the case in Atlanta Ga The pr principals in the Atlanta tragedy the lat last chapter of which has only just been written were John C. C Garner Gomer street car motorman and his wife good honest folk poor perhaps but loving each Qt other et and their dear ones with the great lovo love the poor so often have Daniel L. L Pittman grocery clerk and his wife as good as hon honest st as poor as the Garners and blessed with the same great love lo Mary Elizabeth Eizabeth last namo name doubtful eyed blue haired ind haired fair born May 25 26 1919 at the public hospital in Atlanta Janta Lo Louise ise Madeline last name doubtful brown brown- eyed and nd haired dark n k ired born May 25 6 5 1919 at the tho public hospital in Atlanta I Tagging the Babies It Wa was on the night of r. r May ar 25 5 1919 that tho the curtain rose on the drama that was to bring g such ch hea heartaches to tho the two mothers and the two fath cr ers such tragedy to one little little- girl such 83 sympathy pathos and and pathos to the many people who never knew them but had only read of tho the case That night the II stork to rk hovering over the At lanta City Hospital left little strangers in tho the arms firms of Mrs Pittman and Mrs Garner who had been patients in the tho maternity ward and ard t for tor or several weeks past Both babies were girls one eyed blue-eyed an and d fair fair- haired fair hatred th the o other her wa was was s brown brown- eyed and dark The he mothers rejoiced t to gether Kether t the e fathers meeting In the reception room room congratulated each other For three days tho the two mothers were proud happy and restfully content They were very in a D. hospital specially equipped for tor handling ma case cases Almost from the tho moment of et arrival ar ar- rival trained nurses had taken care core of ot the babies babie bathing them dressing them and keeping them either cither smiling or asleep Only Olly at meal ti times s were tho the mothers needed In some Borne large maternity hospitals tho the nurses have bave as many as twelve newly arrived youngsters Youngster on their hands at one time Most lost very young b babies bies look much alike to strangers although nearly neatly every mother of course is sure suro she would be able to pick her own baby out of a mi million But Bu to a stranger raD r a baby is ia just a baby babY babY- not baby not ot a ai a a I I of t. t J bit different in in looks size size sic or com complexion j lexion from an any other gab baby r a r r f There alwa always s 's has hos been a n danger danger dan dan- ger that a n dozen such little babies iE v when stripped and bathed and dressed all at I again one time might knight get mixed up and then the he f d f first thing you u r r i know a n nurse u r s c might be distri distributing y s buting pink and r y lv 6 t powdered darlings Y S r F ma t r rt f a R i r f 4 Y 4 Mi f r. r V y i I ri T Nr t Y i 1 r i YR u 11 I I Supt S. S R R. R Johnston of the Atlanta City Hospital and the Two Babies Louise and Mary l They Were Born in the Hospital on the Very Same Day and May lay Have Been Accidentally Exchanged to the wrong mothers Such calamities have been known to happen and it is in order to prevent that tha sort of thing that babies wear numbered tags on the arm ann during their hospital days As a further urther precaution against a n possible up mix-up babies nowadays nowadays now now- are arc being printed finger-printed or rather foot foot- printed so that their identity can be established quite read readily In the Atlanta City Hospital th the young babies are tagged During the n afternoon of or the fourth day when a nurse toed tip-toed to Mrs Garners Garner's bedside and deposited deposited de de- de po posited in her arms anus a 3 pink and expectant baby Mrs Garner began to cry and refused at first to receive it This isn't my baby declared Mrs Garner Youve brought me mc the thc wrong child Mrs Garner was assured there could bo no r rt t r ra a mistake Each bab baby was ta tagged Jed with its name and md its mothers mother's name its crib was also tagged and the tags s were never removed except when the babies were verc bathed Yes it was possible there could have been an error admitted the hospital hospital hos hose pital authorities but it was not probable Besides Besides Be Be- sides Mrs Pittman had made no protest and did not Mrs Garner say that this child if not her ber own was Mrs Pittman's I 1 dont don't care declared Mrs Garner I KNOW V this is not my baby and that the baby Mrs Pittman has IS my baby Its It's a poor mother doesn't know her own child wrong declared Mrs lUrs Pittman She h has s her baby and I 1 have mine I 1 KNOW it Indeed Indeed In In- deed its it's a poor mother doesn't know her own child Service 1920 1 I T IF T s. s 1 1 1 7 m f ts A V i t 1 4 P h C i. i Y f of f 1 Y u y oft v y 1 feb Db r y L- L w iI Iff tY r. l- l V 7 I fi ff fj i. i r WA A S P Jit f t tl r. r J f J I fo fl i i t 1 4 J Y 2 4 1 1 i t o i Jl 1 This Is Mrs 1 John C. C Garner and the Unwanted Baby Mary Elizabeth of Which Neither Mrs 1 Garner Nor Mrs l Pittman Believed She Was Vas the Mother l Baby Mary lary Died While the Dispute Was Vas Still On The hospital authorities were satisfied Mrs J Pittman was satisfied Mrs Irs Garner was not satisfied satisfied sat sat- but finding her protests were of no avail she took the baby given her when she left teft the hospital still convinced it was not hers but determined determined de de- de to have some child whether it was hew hers or not Time passed In the Pittman home little liUla Louise Madeline brown e eyed brown ed and haired fair grew apace The forgot the incident almost entirely In the Garner home little tittle Mary Elizabeth eyed blue and haired fair grew apace But Mrs Irs Garner did i not nol How the Dispute G Grew ew This is not my child she often said It was never my child I will will never bo be satisfied I dont don't know what it itis itis itis until I ha have hae e my mj own baby is that tells me but I KNOW V the other baby is is mine She told her husband her convictions At first he put her off even en laughed at her a little But Bu ehe had no peace she felt so thoroughly convinced convinced con con- vinced that the babies had been exchanged At last he came to believe that she was right and that they the Garners Gamers had been wronged had been given a baby that was not their own The next day he went ent to the hospital and en entered n. n a n formal complaint and amI a t formal request for Louise Madeline The Thc daily newspapers told tho the story Pictures of or Louise Madeline and Mary Elizabeth adorned the thc front pages Pictures of ot their mothers appeared Some Somo persons said that Louise Madeline was the image of Mrs Garner Others declared Louise Madeline and Mrs Pittman Pittman Pittman Pitt- Pitt man were certainly of the same flesh and blood Look at Mary Elizabeth declared ons on's one read read- er she exactly like 1 Mrs rs Garner 1 This Mary Elizabeth asserted another exactly resembles re ro ro 1 Mrs Pittman J 1 j f I If It r rR f t M. M R l r e I ft t f Po Letters taking one ono side and another wen wm f written Articles were prepared advocating the Ij w print finger-print system for maternity wards ward Doe Doc T Dx-T tors when asked their opinion declared that med f cal science could not help At Attendants at the hospital were appealed to but they could not wy sty urt for sure whether there had been a mix up or not not ratters Matters camo to a n climax when the Garners Garneri f determined to press their claims to the end took V out in court a writ of habeas corpus for the pos pes pos 1 i DI session session of Louise Madeline who ho was in the Pittman Pitt Pitt- Pitt-J Pitt man homeI home declared Mn Mrs I love lo little Mary Iary Elizabeth Elizaboth Garner er I have taken care core of her as though she ah were my own child Buta But a mothers mother's heart wont won't bo be deceived I know she is not my baby and that thet Louise Madeline is The Unwanted Baby's I 1 ro rou u ral r Mrs Garner is wrong rong said Mn biro I am sure Pittman I know Louise Madeline is my little mUe the courts decide against us I will win stake s girl firs But if Elizabeth k and care for her though I Ican Ic if take N Mary ary love her like liko I do Louise Ma MaIn Madeline never ne can an homo Louise Madeline crinkled crinkle the Pittman In d clenched her chubby fists and and- adf her brown eyes Elizabeth Garner home borne Mary crowed her In blue the eyes clenched her chubby crinkled and ended with a n little cough The i ib t tried ed t to o crow had begun to ail nil a little Garner said A Mrs firs b baby bY f f days s' s scon in the fie last few ana anacon tads the question pro debating And the public waited for Judge Geo George r g e j trial for tl the waited con county superior court to Wk I. I ft Fulton L L. Bell Ben of tho the I the thc decision of Solomon r make that role to play Judge Bell Ben was never But in February c of winter afternoon dreary On a n happened 1 things the present year two mother In a t Louise Madeline placed by her n chair in front of the tho grate fire fell feU and burnt i hearthstone j her ber faco face a on n the hot 7 suddenly weaker an sad and Mary Elizabeth Elizabet h grown more ailing than ever developed double J 1 1 i imonia mania monia and died of the j the chapel Ne Next 1 day thousands came to undertakers where the tiny white casket lay Jay to see Sec the baby nobody wanted They bent abo andt andr the coffin they looked at her wee white face they draped flowers wreaths and wreaths wreathe of elJ k them about the room They put Mary Elizabeth to rest in th the co cotry coon coon- l COaD try cemetery at Ramah Palmetto Ga generations of Garners were buried burled before lit 1 She too was buried a Garner She Sho whom nobody ne no no-i no i body wanted in life whom no mother would own owal had a Garner mother and a Garner Gamer father ia 11 tears above her r rAnd And from the gra graveside of the unwanted tho the thoughts of two o mothers turned to tha the oth 1 f baby the one they both wanted and each mother motet o was hoping and believing that the living Jiving child chUd was her very cry own and the dead child the tha other othe womans We Ya loved her s said id Mr and Mrs G Ga we Vc loved her though she was not our own if we could we would bring her back t to us o 0 OB r or not not nett But they could not bring her back Nor Northey Northey Northey they the tho heart to go on with their court figs tir L Tho The habeas corpus petition was withdrawn the case was dropped I Louise Madeline adeline is recovered from her herat b bat b bat at the Pittman home She is theirs now f 1 ever But some day when she is a woman gro grov perhaps some o will wilt tell her of or that other lit liton bab baby whose life ife was so strangely woven coven mW wi hers and antl perhaps she will go to Ramah Ga on the tiny g gravo rave beneath the oak trees tree plat wreath in memory o of Mary Elizabeth th tho a f nobody wanted r jn |