The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-07-14

3 gsaGn6pexyss 6xs xes rxArxArT. 70 A
yopxplnss~A WIZ tn1ee4eting and exciting
ease Nas triSd edxafda bet0rs Judge Larus Of
the Ard dixfriet cousk The plxintiff Ia the case
was MIA Wilhslntna Fables, who petitioned the
court Tor writ Of Asbeas ccrPus sgainst Mrs
Josephine Dewey, to require her to produce the
body Of certain infant child, named Augusta
WiIhem ma, aged twelve months, whose lawful
protector and custodienne she claimed To DO by
virtue ofthe following facts When the said child
was about two months old. it Was left at the door
OF house on Rampant street, adjacent to the
residence Of Mrs. Fabler, who, at the request Of
some persons, undertook lis charge, aud faith
fully performed her duties, until about seven
months ago, when. having to go to IL ,vana she
left the child in charge OF another person, who
delivered it over to the father of the corporation
or worthy mayor. by whom il was delivered to
Mrs. Dewey, who now refuses to surrender it,
Mrs. Dewey, in answer to the writ, produced
the child in court; but contended that she had
the nine points of the law in her favor, to wit,
possession that she had taken good care ofthe
infant, and would continue To do so--she there
fore sturdily resisted the prctension Of Mrs.
Fabler. The little unconscious infant lay in
the lap of Mrs. Dewey during the argument Of
the case, and amused itself by growing and cut
ting other infantile capers, very Buch to the de-
light Of its assumed parent, the annoyance Of the
sheriff, and somewhat to the discontinue Of the
learned lawyers in the case, whose grave expo
sitions were interrupted in rather an undignified
manner, by what old Horace called the viqitns
inantum.
The testimony. which was to the foregoing
purport, satisfied Judge Larue that neither
claimant had natural right TO the child. For
this reason he did not consider the rule laid down
1.xT IL OIL IND taf.r al t.1
in the books Of the Judges, as proper one for
this case His Honor, the Mayor, having
waived all claim to the property in dispute, the
con est was between two ladies, whose characters
did not satisfy Judge Larue, that they were
either Of them, very safe repositories and
guardians OF little tender blossom of woman
hood So after hearing both parties, and look
ing very expressively at the little rOundtaced,
bright-eycd chubby checked cherub, the judge
proceede very grayely to render decision, which,
for sound wisdom and philanthropy, is fully equal
to that of Solomon, in the memorable case refer
red to. The ildge said that he did not consider
il would be safe to leave the child with either
claimant, and az it was the duty ofcourts to pro-
tcct the unfortunate and helpless, he should d.
rect the child to be sent to the Camp street
Asylum, where, under the care of those noble
matrons, the Sisters OF Charity, It would be
properly taken care OF, and reared up IN virtue
and usefulness. He therefore ordered that the
child should be taken by the sheriff and delivered
over to the Orphan As ylum, and the entrance
fee he would pay himself. The jolly deputy
sheriff then advanced to Mrs. Dewey, who, with
loud outburst of sorrow and lamentation, de-
livered the child into the outstretched arms
Of the officer, whereupon the little Wilhelmina
in spite of the very amiable and fascinating look
assumed by the sheriff for the occasion, raised
a most vigorous cutlery, which rung through the
court buildings, to the great alarm of many an
xious papas who were there assembled. AT The
same time Mrs Fabler, the plaintiff in the habed'
corpus, also joined in the general cry, and these
three voices. together with the urgent expos!u
lations in basso Of the sheriff, made as effective
"a quartele as we have heard for long time
Finally, however, the little. one was borne of ii
triumph by the deputy sheriff, and is, no doubt
whilst we now write, sleeping sweetly and limo
Gently in a heat, clean, little cradle, faithfully
watched by those tenderest Of al parents, those
sisters Of charity, virtue and philanthropy, who
devote their lives and affections TO the protection
and nurture of the children Of misfortune.--N
o. Delta.