Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-09-05
II IrOpeI Suif.
A Child Claimed by two Women--IIow
the Judge Decided a Question--Aaect-
ing Incident In Court.

W
the Judge Decided a Question--Anect-
Ing Incident in Court.
In the Circuit Court in Baltimore.
on the 3lst, upon the petition of Geo.
IL. Perry and Elizabeth Perry, writ
OF hdbedS corpus was issued, directed
to Edward Landers and Margaret
Ferrell, requiring respondents to pro-
duee in court the body of Hester
Louisa Bartling, aged eight years,
(alleged to be the daughter of Mrs.
Perry, one of the petitioners, before
marriage,) who is detained from its
mother by respondents The answer
of Edw. Landers, one of the respond
ents, alleges that the child is the
daughter of his wife, Margaret Ian
ders, by a former husband, whose
name was Ferrell, and that the name
of the child is Margaret Ferrell.
Mrs. Perry testified that the child
was born in the almshouse before her
marriage that being unable to take
care of it, she left it with woman
named Mrs. Loughlin, who was to
support it for So per month, and that
s6 was paid her on account that she
shortly after went to Frederick, and
on her return found her child in pos
session of Mr. Ferrell, at whose house
she was married for the first time in
July, 1866, TO Mr.. Perry it was in
evidence, also, that Mrs. Loughlin,
with whom the child was left with
her for over six months, attempted to
place it in some asylum, but failed /;
she then gave it to Mrs. Ferrell, who
adopted it, gave it her name, and
fixed upon it certain property in Phil
adelphia. 1t was also in evidence
that the child was claimed to be the
daughter of Mrs. Ferrell before her
present marriage, and that its name
was Margaret Ferrell The evidence
was conflicting After the examina-
tion of one or two witnesses, the
respondents asked that the case be
postponed to enable them to produce
certain witnesses, and the court grant
ed the postponement. The counsel
for petitioners asked that the child, in
the meantime, might be kept in the
custody of the sheriff, to prevent its
being carried beyond the jurisdiction
of the court.
At this point Judge Alexander di-
rected two chairs to be placed at one
end of the court room. He then
requested Mrs. Perry, one of the petit
TONERS, TO take one of the seats, and
Mrs. Ferrell, one of the respondents,
the other, The child, during the
hearing, had been standing upon the
platform, at the side of the Judge.
Judge Alexander then turned to the
child and told it to 90 to its mother.
The child started down and then turn
cd around and asked the Judge, "Can
20 10 the mother / want ?" The
Judge said ayes, child" when she
sprang forward and threw herself into
the arms of Mrs. Ferrell, exclaiming: /:
"This is the mother / want She
was received with passionate kisses.
During these proceedings the eyes Of
the large number of women as well
as men present, were directed to the
movements of the child, and when
her choice was made, the women rose
to their feet, and gave vent TO their
feelings, in ordinations of delight.
"The darling child" says one. "She
knows her mother" says another.
Sobs and tears accompanied the de-
monstration. The countenances of
men were not without emotion, and
it was sometime before quiet Of the
court room was restored. While this
scene was being enacted, Mrs. Perry,
the petitioner, looked on, and soon
after left her seat and took a chair
beside her counsel, at the trial table.
Judge Alexander then directed Mrs.
Ferrell to take charge of the child,
and produce her in court on Saturday
He also told counsel that the child
was in the custody of the court, and
refused the application to place her
in charge of the sheriff.