On a cold January evening in 1944, a young girl was seen carrying a baby around the neighborhood of West Third Street. Moments later, loud cries attracted the attention of passerby Percy Dechamp to the doorway of 34 West Third Street. Upon investigation, Dechamp found a baby dressed warmly in a shirt, jacket, and kimono. He was wrapped in two blankets.

The description of the girl was generic – average height, wearing a dark coat, and no hat. This made any identification impossible, and nobody came forward to claim the baby or identify his mother. Witness descriptions estimated her age to be about 15 years old.

The baby was taken to Miami Valley Hospital to receive medical attention for exposure and the nurses fell in love with him immediately and named him “Butch.” His weight was just under 6 pounds, and he was estimated to be about 2 weeks old. No information has been found to identify who Butch’s biological family is.

You can see the Dayton Daily News articles on this story here:
Third Street Doorway “Haven” for Foundling
Abandoned Baby Wins Hearts of Police, Doctors, Nurses