“He Ran Away With His Child” 52 Ancestors: #16 Frank Drake

Newspapers are one of my favorite sources, where else can you get stories like the one below? This particular article comes from the January 5th, 1895 edition of “The Press” from New York, NY and features my 3rd great-grandfather Reuben Odell. I found it on the Old Fulton NY Post Cards website.

He Ran Away With His Child
And Then Hid Behind a Coffin in a Morgue

Frank W. Drake tried to abduct his infant child on Thursday. The child and her older sister were in the oyster saloon of Reuben Odell, at 55 Bleecker street, Newark. Odell is Drake’s father-in-law. Mrs. Drake left her husband a week ago, his treatment of her having become unbearable. Thursday she went back to her husband’s home on Pine Street, South Orange, to remonstrate with him.
During her absence he went to her father’s place. There were hot words between Drake and his father-in-law. Then there was a fight, and Drake was hurled to the sidewalk, bruised and bleeding. By and by he came back again. Odell was in a back room.
Drake saw his little girl sitting on her grandmother’s lap and asked the woman to let him kiss the child. He pleaded with tears in his eyes, and finally the little one was placed in his arms. Then he bolted out of the door and sped away down Washington street. Odell gave chase, Drake dodged into Mullin’s morgue and hid behind a coffin. Odell followed him in.
“Give me the child.” he said.
Drake hesitated a moment, and then placed the infant in its grandfather’s arms. Then he darted out of the morgue and made good his escape.

Mrs. Drake is Martha Odell, sister of Susan Odell Frost. The story does have a happy ending as far as I’m aware, Martha and Frank did reconcile and had four more children.

This post is 16th in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge series.