Lawrence Harding

[mah79]

Hi Everyone,
I was just curious...was there ever any update in the Lawrence Harding case? This was the story about a 10 week old African American infant who was kidnapped from in front of his home by 2 teenaged girls, in the summer of 1944. He was never heard from again, and his young brother Geoffrey has been searching for him.
I had the opportunity to watch this case recently and it was very sad. It also strikes me how different times were in 1944. Geoffrey's mom seemed so trusting, and did not seem to realize how dangerous things could happen. She did things that I could not even fathom doing--I could never imagine leaving my baby even for a second while attempting to put away groceries. I may have struggled and may have moved very slowly while attemptin to balance the baby and the packages without falling, or the baby falling, or dropping anything--but i could never picture leaving my baby for a minute. I would have asked the neighbor to either come down and help me with the groceries, or to physically HOLD the baby while i went inside. Unfortunately in this generation it's like you don't know who to trust anymore...fears that perhaps Lawrence's mother didn't have. I really felt for Lawrence's parents though...they were told eventually to give up hopes of ever finding their son again, and to just move on with their lives.
I was also struck by what happened to Lawrence in the St. Louis train station. The older woman who had taken care of him probably had no clue that he was kidnapped, and probably thought that she was doing the right thing, by assuming that he was an abandoned child, and taking him into her home. Still, I don't know why she waited until she got to St. Louis to notify anyone (the RR porters).why didn't she ask the conductor for help while she was on the train, or why didn't she seek out a police officer.
What do you think of the 2 girls who kidnapped Lawrence? What might have been their motive? I think that perhaps one of htem had faked a pregnancy, for whatever reason, and was looking for a newborn to pass off as her own. (Remember the Lathan WIlliams case?) Why do you think they eventually abandoned Lawrence? Did they have a change of heart--i.e. either decide that what they did was "wrong," or that they couldn't handle taking care of a baby--and decide to abandon him to an older woman who looked like she could be trusting?
This case intrigues me. You know, I have access to the Chicago Tribune/Chicago defender archives through my school's online library database. I'm really tempted to go on there, and see what I can find on lawrence.

[mah79]

Hi Everyone,
I just found an article on Lawrence from the Chicago Tribune...in fact, this was the article that you hear Lawrence's mother reading in the re-enactment. It was dated July 9, 1944; I remember the article date b/c July 9 is my birthday. For some reason, I'm not able to link back to the page, as one would need a student ID to access the article. Instead,I transcribe verbatim the article here:

FBI REPORTER IN SEARCH FOR KIDNAPPED BABY

The federal bureau of investigation was reported to have joined in the search for the 10 week old son of Corp. and Mrs. Lawrence Harding, Negroes. The baby was kidnapped eight days ago by two Negro girls.

Spencer Drayton, head of the FBI office in Chicago, declined comment. According to federal law, however, a kidnap victim is presumed to have been taken across a state line seven days after the abduction occurs. It then becomes a federal crime.

Parents of the child have made appeals through the TRIBUNE and churches, urging the return of the baby and requesting its abductors to see that it receives the proper feeding formula. THe child was taken by the girls, described as 17 or 18, from its perambulator in the back yard of the Harding home at 6150 Rhodes Avenue.

[mah79]

This is from the Chicago Defender (which again, I transcribe, as I am unable to link the PDF document to this page). July 8, 1944

Two Girls Kidnap Soldier's Baby

Lawrence Harding Jr., two months old, was kidnapped from his crib on the front porch of his parents' home here Saturday by two teen age girls who have not yet been found.

THe child, the son of Lawrence and Marguerite Harding, is a grand nephew of hte late Frank Gillespie, founder of the Liberty Life Insurance company and is still missing.

Onlookers reported that two young girls were seen walking away with a baby in their arms although they left the blankets and milk bottle containing the special diet upon which Dr. Edward Beasley, child specialist, had placed it. The baby's mother fears its health may be affected by improper feeding. The child's father is a member of the armed forces.