FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, WE PRESENT A MYSTERY IN MURPHYSBURG
In honor of March as Women’s History Month, we bring forward a true unsolved mystery set in Joplin’s Murphysburg Historic District.
It was a dry 71-degree summer night on July 11, 1945 at 10:20 p.m. in what is now Joplin’s Murphysburg Historic District. World War II in Europe had just ended with Germany surrendering on May 8, 1945. The conflict in the Pacific (Ocean) Theater would soon end when Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945.
On this particular Wednesday night, Mrs. Jennie Potlitzer was at her home at 219 South Sergeant Avenue with her sister, Mrs. Ruth Weil, and a nurse, Mrs. Don Sanford. Jennie had suffered with a heart condition since 1933, which could explain the presence of a nurse at such a late hour. Jennie’s husband, George had passed away 14 months earlier. The Potlitzer’s daughter, Mildred was living in St. Louis, and son, Sidney was living here at the home.
Ruth was also believed to be widowed sometime between 1935 and 1939 and was visiting Jennie on this fateful night. Ruth’s son, Edward Weil, Jr. was in the army and would not rejoin his mother in Joplin until his discharge in January 1946. But surely a nurse and two loving mothers were perfectly capable of managing the situation that was about to unfold.
Mrs. Sanford heard a child crying outside, so the three ladies went to investigate. They found a blue-eyed, red-haired baby girl, not more than eight weeks old, hidden in the shrubbery! The child was well bundled and at its side were clothing, baby powder, oil, and other needs for its care. Most likely the baby would have been shielded from view of passing traffic due to the jagged-top, three-foot high stone wall that surrounded the property.
Baby Abandoned in the Bushes
Of course, the police were summoned. City Detectives W. D. Holladay and Roy Isgrigg took the baby to Dr. V. E. Kenney, the city health commissioner. He determined the baby was healthy in all respects. The baby was then taken to the home of Reverend William Kelley, the county juvenile and probation officer, who would decide, along with Juvenile Judge Woodson Oldham, what to do with her. Mrs. Kelley looked after the care of the child. Dr. C. C. Coats, the city physician, also examined the infant and said she appeared to be a perfectly normal baby.
The next day more than 50 Joplin families offered to adopt the abandoned baby—telephone calls bombarded the juvenile office and the Kelley’s home. However, Reverend Kelley remained hopeful that the mother would change her mind and claim the child, which he believed would be the best solution.
The Joplin Globe’s headline on July 13th was “Clew to Identity of Baby Obtained.” (see sidebar) The first rumor investigated by the county probation office was that the baby could belong to a 15-year-old Webb City girl—but that soon fizzled out. The Joplin Globe’s headline on July 14th was “Police Work on New Clew to Identity of Baby Abandoned Here.” The second rumor was provided by a Neosho physician claiming
to have delivered a baby girl to a 17-year-old McDonald County girl seven weeks earlier. Police Chief Henry Vermillion and Newton County Sheriff Cline visited the mother of the girl, who said her daughter had taken the baby and left July 3 to visit her father in California. On July 14th, via a telegram from California authorities, the red-headed baby in question was found to be safe with the suspected young mother in California. Headline reads, “Message from West Voids Baby Case Clew.”
On September 5, 1945 the Joplin Globe reported “Abandoned Baby Redhead” to be thriving, healthy, happy, and growing at the home of her foster parents. The baby was to remain a legal ward of the juvenile court for at least two years unless the real parents appeared and could establish parenthood to the satisfaction of the court. After that, she could be legally adopted, probably into the foster home where she had been placed.
The foster family identity was never revealed in newspaper reports or even the first name that eventually was given to the baby. The baby was assigned a birthdate of June 1, 1945.
The Joplin Children’s Home cared for many orphaned and otherwise unfortunate children between 1905 and 1957. However, while researching this story, the orphanage was never mentioned in local news articles as an option for the baby.
Background
George and Jennie Potlitzer were very well known in the Joplin community due to their activities in welfare and civic affairs. George and his father owned Potlitzer’s store specializing in women’s wear at 419 and later 418 S. Main Street in Joplin. George and Jennie lived at 219 S. Sergeant for about ten years. George was president of the United Hebrew Congregation and the Jewish Welfare Board for many years. He was involved with the Joplin USO Council, Joplin War Dad’s Club, Salvation Army, the Shrine, United Cities Lodge, B’nai B’rith, Joplin Elks, and World War II bond and Community Chest campaigns. George was born in Germany in 1878 and came to Joplin with his parents when he was two years old. He died on May 22, 1944 at the age of 66. His will stipulated a bequest to the Joplin Children’s Home and numerous other charities. George married Jennie in Carthage in 1904 and they had one daughter, Mildred and one Son, Sidney. Sidney was a manager for the Potlitzer’s store.
Jennie was born in Neosho. She was a member of the United Hebrew Congregation of Joplin and the Temple Aid Sisterhood, Joplin League of Women Voters, and the Joplin Woman’s Club. In 1932 she was chair of the Council of Jewish Women unit that was part of the Red Cross sewing committee which made clothing for impoverished families from cloth furnished by the government. This small portion of her life is interesting since the Potlitzer’s livelihood was based on ready-to-wear retail clothing stores.
Jennie died on June 4, 1958 at the age of 75. Jennie and George are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City.
Theories & Timelines
- Is it possible that Jennie or her guests did know who the baby belonged to but chose to keep it a secret?
- Assuming the baby was full term, she would have been conceived sometime in September or October 1944 during World War II.
- Did the baby’s mother know the father’s identity? Was the baby’s biological father a defense worker or a Word War II serviceman who passed through Joplin or Camp Crowder in Neosho? The Joplin USO Council operated at 310 S. Wall Avenue (extant) from September 27, 1942 to June 30, 1946. The Negro Service Council of Joplin operated at 221 S. Main Street (non-extant) from February 6, 1944 to September 1946. The Neosho USO Clubhouse on Park Drive was opened on February 22, 1943.
- Did the baby’s mother become pregnant elsewhere and chose to abandon her baby in Joplin?
- Was Jennie’s son, Sidney Potlitzer the father? He would have been around 37 years old at the time and single, having married Louise Newman on September 1, 1946. Was Ruth’s son, Edward Weil, Jr., the father? He would have been around 20 years old at the time and single.
- The baby’s mother/father/family may have been familiar with the neighborhood, the Potlitzer & Weil families, and or the fact that there was a nurse on duty at the house.
- Is it possible that the baby’s mother/father/family wanted to leave the baby specifically with a Jewish family?
Better Options Today Borrowed From History
Many states have adopted legal and safe procedures for a parent to give up their baby. The Missouri Safe Haven Laws were set up so that infants, 45 days old or younger, can be handed over to an employee at a police station, hospital, fire station, maternity home, or pregnancy resource center. If the baby has not been neglected or abused, parents will face no prosecution. For complete anonymity, many states have recently installed “Safe Haven Baby Boxes.” Funds are currently being raised to put a box at Joplin Fire Station No. 7.
But the drop-off box is not a new idea. The concept can be traced back to the Middle Ages and has existed in many countries throughout the world. There are many names for the box such as Baby Hatch, Foundling Wheel, Stork’s Cradle, and Turning Cradle.
Conclusion
Did the baby ever learn about her biological family and situation? She would now be close to 79 years old and possibly still living in the Joplin area. Hopefully she had a safe, loving, and a happy life. While we respect the sensitive situation for all concerned and the possible need for confidentiality and privacy, we would appreciate knowing how this story began and ended. By state law, juvenile records are closed and even records for old cases such as this one could not be disclosed. If you have any information regarding this Mystery in Murphysburg, please contact Historic Murphysburg Preservation, Inc. at [email protected].
ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORY OF THE LENNAN HOUSE
The house is named for the first owners, Thomas and Charlotte Gregg Lennan. This stately home was built in 1917 and was designed in the Colonial Revival style by renowned Joplin architect Austin Allen. He designed many structures that still exist in Joplin such as the current Joplin City Hall at 6th and Main, formerly Newman’s Department Store. Austin also designed the United Hebrew Congregation Temple at 7th and Sergeant Avenue and Joplin Elk’s Club at 4th and Pearl Avenue; both of which were within walking distance and handy since George was an active member in both organizations.
The most unique features of the house are the massive exterior brick chimneys, pierced with windows. Gabled wings project from the north and south sides of the house. Inset arched dormers rise on the top floor front roof. The central mass of the primary elevation has five symmetrical bays. The center bay has a historic wood panel door with multi-light sidelights, a carved frame with Doric columns, and a segmental arched wood transom with curved pediments.
In 1893 Judge Oliver Hazard Picher owned the entire block of Moffet and Sergeant between Second and Third Streets. He landscaped it as a private park surrounded by a stone wall. Picher’s mansion was located at 206 S. Moffet. Eventually, the block was divided into five properties. During the Great Depression (1929-1930s) the owner of the house lost all his money and the bank foreclosed on the property. Rather than find a new owner, the bank demolished the venerable old house. Amazingly, the stone wall around the block remains to this day—the very wall that protected the blue-eyed, red-haired baby in the bushes.
EVOLUTION OF CLEW TO CLUE
In Greek mythology, Theseus unraveled a ball of thread as he went into a labyrinth and used the thread to trace his way back out after slaying a half-man and half-bull creature named Minotaur. The idea of using a ball of thread (clew) came from a woman named Ariadne.
Clew is from Old English cliwen and cleowen, meaning a ball formed by winding yard, twine or thread and is still one of the meanings of clew.
As the original image of a ball of thread used in the labyrinth, clew was gradually forgotten, and the literal sense of clew became obscured. The word eventually took the modern meaning of something that helps to solve a problem or unravel a mystery, its prevalent form/spelling being clue.
Although the “clue” spelling is now the prevailing one for this situation, the old spelling of “clew” can still be found in American newspapers from as recently as the 1970s.
