The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE HIDDEN CHILD

THERE IS A HOUSE ON MARTIN STREET, DIRECTLY ACROSS
FROM CHADSEY HIGH SCHOOL (DETROIT) IN WHICH SOME PEOPLE
LIVED WITH A SMALL BABY GIRL. THE LITTLE GIRL WAS
MENTALLY RETARDED AND THE PARENTS, QUITE ASHAMED OF HER,
HID HER DOWN THE BASEMENT. THESE PEOPLE SOLD THE
HOUSE AND LEFT THE LITTLE GIRL THERE. OTHER PEOPLE
MOVED INTO THE HOUSE, AND ONE NIGHT WHILE THEY WERE
WATCHING TELEVISION, THEY SAW A LIGHT IN THE KITCHEN
THAT THEY HAD NOT TURNED ON, SO NATURALLY, THEY THOUGHT
SOMEONE WAS THERE. BUT WHEN THEY WENT OUT INTO THE
KITCHEN TO LOOK, NO ONE WAS THERE. AFTER THIS, THEY BEGAN
TO HEAR NOISES, WHINING, AND MOANING FROM DOWN THE
BASEMENT AND WHEN THEY HEARD THESE NOISES, THEY CALLED
THE POLICE. THE POLICE HEARD THESE SAME NOISES, BUT
COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING EITHER. AFTER A THOROUGH SEARCH,
THEY FINALLY FOUND A TRAP DOOR TO THE BASEMENT AND WENT
DOWN IT AND FOUND A GIRL WITH HER HAIR HANGING DOWN TO
HER KNEES AND SHE WAS HUDDLED IN A CORNER. IT WAS THE
SAME MENTALLY RETARDED GIRL THAT HAD BEEN PUT DOWN
THERE ABOUT NINETEEN YEARS AGO.

Submitter comment:

MR. LOWE CLAIMS THAT HE HEARD OF THIS HOUSE ON THE
RADIO ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
OF THE TWO VERSIONS OF THIS STORY, THE FIRST ONE
FROM MRS. KOZOREK SEEMS TO BE MORE SUBSTANTIATED
AND THEREFORE MORE CONVINCING THAN THE ONE HEARD
FROM MR. LOWE.

Data entry tech comment:

SEE NEXT ITEM.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 10-00-1963