1914-11-17oo

“Wrapped in a dirty, threadbare shawl and tucked in a fruit basket, a baby boy, not more than two days old, was found on the sidewalk near St. Joseph’s convent, Park street north, at 9:30 last night.”

Hamilton Spectator.   November 17, 1914.

Two young men, Peter Grant and John McNichol, fortunately were walking along Park street on a cold November evening when they heard a weak, muffled cry, and then spotted an abandoned baby, left on the sidewalk :

“They stopped, looked around and found the basket, containing the infant, and they immediately took it into the convent and turned it over to the mother superior. The wee infant was almost dead from exposure.”¹

¹ “Infant Deserted : Foundling Left Out in the Cold and May Not Survive”

Hamilton Spectator.   November 17, 1914.

A call was made to the Central Police station and Detective Goodman responded.

The next morning Police Constable Pinch was sent to the convent to make arrangements for the little one to be taken to the Home of the Friendless at Bold and Hess streets. At the same time, Detective Goodman returned to the neighborhood :

“Detective Goodman conducted an investigation in the neighborhood, but no one saw the basket placed on the sidewalk. There are no marks of identification on the shawl and it is probable that the infant’s parentage will never be known.”¹