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The unknown child found at Shelby about ten days ago by Infirmary Director Payne has been identified as belonging to a Mrs. Haley, of Galion, who gave birth to the child in the Bethel Home in Cleveland last July.  The matron of that institution saw an account of the foundling in the SHIELD & BANNER and addressed Director Payne, giving a description of Mrs. Haley and the child, and naming the marks on the child's clothing, which tallied exactly with the markings found and as described in this paper last Friday.  The description of the child's mother corresponded also with the young woman who left the babe in Shelby.

The matron stated further in her letter that Mrs. Haley came to Cleveland last June and was confined in July;  shortly after the babe was born she attempted to kill it but her plans were intercepted.  After going back to Galion, where she remained for several months, Mrs. Haley returned to Cleveland and told the people at the institution that she wished to take the child home.  A ticket to Galion, over the C.C.C. & St. L. was bought her and the conductor instructed to watch her, as she was suspected of an intention to get rid of the child by leaving it at some of the way stations.  She escaped the conductor's notice at Shelby and left it in the Junction House.

Mrs. Haley is said to have left her husband several years ago and at present is living with her parents in Galion.  Mr. Payne went over to Galion Saturday to investigate matters, but could find only Mrs. Haley's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Burwell, who said they knew nothing about the matter.

This morning Wm. Zimmerman, one of the Crawford County Infirmary Directors, came over to this city accompanied by Mrs. Isabelle Haley, the mother of the child.  When they arrived at the home of Mrs. Frees, where the child is kept at present, the woman said that the child belonged to her, but she manifested very little motherly love for it.  The Directors have concluded to allow her and the child to remain in the city at the residence of Mrs. Frees until next week, when, it is expected, the child will be able to be removed.

Director Zimmerman says that Mrs. Haley was married to an Erie operator by the name of Haley several years ago, but almost immediately left him, as he was a shiftless and worthless fellow.  To Director Zimmerman the woman said that the father of the child is an Erie freight conductor, who has been recently promoted to that position and who ha been married within the past year, and that on the promise of his helping her get a divorce and promising to marry her, she allowed herself to be seduced by him.  The name of the conductor Mr. Zimmerman does not give for the reason that he thinks the woman's statement unreliable and that it is probable she does not know who the father is.

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Later in the same paper ...

More about the Shelby Foundling

The unknown child found at Shelby last week by Infirmary Director Payne promises to become an interesting subject.  It will be remembered that Mrs. Frees, of South East Diamond St., was engaged to take care of it.  Yesterday, Mrs. Frees discovered on a band of the child's clothes the figures "5.8".  On the collar of its underclothes was found a small red piece of muslin about three-fourths of an inch square, and on the inside of the undershirt the word "Myra" was written.

This would seem to indicate that the child had been in the care of some public institution in one of the large cities, probably Cleveland.  The Infirmary directors  intend to investigate the matter and ascertain, if possible, if there are any institutions in the country that designate its charges in this manner. 

As soon as the child is able the directors will take it to a family in the country who wish to adopt it.

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