Dekalb-Cobb County GaArchives News.....A Strange Story March 18, 1879 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Blum-Barton http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000645 July 10, 2006, 6:39 pm The Weekly Constitution, Atlanta, GA March 18, 1879 A Mysterious Female in Stone Mountain and Her Mysterious Disappearance. Special dispatch to The Constitution. Stone Mountain, GA., March 10. -- On the 6th February last, there arrived in this place a woman who claimed to be from Cumberland county, Kentucky. She stated she was in the last stages of consumption, and had come to this place that her health might be improved. On making inquiry if she could procure board with some good family in the country, she was informed by Mr. J. H. Kimbrell, Jr., that she could probably procure board with his father, who lived a mile from town. She asked if he would take her out to the place named, which he did, and board was procured. She had been at Mr. J. H. Kimbrell's, Sr., about two weeks, when one night about two o'clock she arounsed Mr. Kimbrell and wife, stating she was "suffering a great deal and wished he would send for a physician," which he did. Soon after the physician arrived she gave birth to a boy child. Up to the time of the birth of the child she had told no one on the place that she was quick with child, and so well did she keep her person concealedby wearing a large cloak, that no one even suspected she was pregnant. Mr. Kimbrell becoming offended at the imposition she had practiced upon him, and suspecting her to be a woman of "ill fame," requested that she would give him some reference that he might know something of her character. This she refused to do. Under kind treatment, she remained at Mr. Kimbrell's residence for two weeks after the child's birth. On the 6th inst. she left his residence, stating she intended going home, which place was in Cumberland county, Kentucky. When she reached town, while the innocent little babe, which was two weeks old, was smiling in her face she drew the nipple from its teethless gums and gave it away to a negro woman, saying as she did so, "None of her children knew anything of it nor ever should." The negress to whom she gave the child does not give suck and is not capable of rasising the child as it should be. After she had given away the child, she boarded the cars and went to Atlanta. While here she gave her name as Mrs. E. F. Benton, but when she arrived in Atlanta she registered at the National hotel as Maudgrass. Of her whereabouts we have no clue. We only know that on the same night she arrived in Atlanta at 11 o'clock she left the hotel and boarded the Western and Atlantic cars. All the letters she received while at this place were postmarked Marietta, Ga. Up to this writing the babe is well, and receives all the care that the negress is capable of giving. But shall the babe ever remain in the hands of the present owner? Shall the innocent babe ever suffer for the sins and heartlessness of its demon mother? Or will some steps be taken to find the mother, and when found, be made to raise it as it should be by a mother. And if she cannot be found, for humanity's sake will not some person of its own race and color take it and raise it as it should be. NEHOC. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/dekalb/newspapers/astrange1436gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.7 Kb