The Salt Lake Telegram, Jan. 13, 1925. Image via Utah Digital Newspapers, the University of Utah
A century ago yesterday, as midnight neared, a Salt Lake man awoke to a newborn's cries and found himself briefly in custody of Utah's most wanted baby.
This is Old News, our weekly footprint on Utah's baby book.
What drove the news: Emil Kollmorgan, who ran a local bakery, said he found the infant on his Central City porch, wedged behind his screen door, around 11pm Jan. 12, 1925, with a note pinned to a blanket.
"Do not feed this child until Wednesday morning. Then get formula from doctor. All he needs is hot water; was born January 12."
It was Monday night. The instructions would have left the boy unfed for more than a full day.
The intrigue: Instead, the Salt Lake Telegram wrote, Kollmorgan called the police for help. They took the hours-old infant to the hospital in time for the news to make the next morning's papers.
The hospital was soon inundated with a "telephone stampede" of more than 100 calls from Salt Lake families who wanted to adopt the baby boy.
What happened: A doctor at the hospital "added the lot to his family," the Salt Lake Tribune later wrote.
