Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-28
A FIGHT FOR A CHILD.
A Worthless Father Attempts to Recover
the Custody OF schild he had Deserted
Desperate Resistance to the Decree Of
the Law.

the Custody OF aChild ne had deserted
Desperate Resistance to the Decree Of
the Law.
The Baltimore A,nsriedn tells the story
OF a strange scene which recently tran
spired in y court room In that city. One
james Z. Strong had deserted his family,
leaving them In affect want. AFTER
months Of struggling the deserted woman
died of hunger, leaving an infant boy
and daughter Of sixteen. The lAtte'
obtained work IN factory ut low wsget,
ont of which she managed 10 support
herself and her little brother, the two
living with their aunt, Mrs. ELLEN Por
ter. The boy Is four years old and the
father nov declares be IL able to support
II, and got out a writ of habeas corpus to
enable him 10 recover possession.
There was no legal reason why the
custody of bis son could be refused him,
aud Judge Pinkney, with spoken regret,
ordered II to be delivered to the iather.
Then transpired tcene thus described
by the dmericdH
The girl Sat apparently stunned beside
her brother, the aunt aud other female
fri,n d. few feet distant, when the
father and some Of his relations ad-
vai ced IN the crowd 10 take the boy.
TIE little fellow screamed wildly not 10
LET them take him. This reused the girl.
aud she ro.e like lionees def,nding hei
Young, aud, with eyes flashing and Arms
raired. she ordered them 10 stand on,
declaring that she would die before the
hoy should be taken from her. she cried
that the ghost af her poor starved mother
would haunt her If she gave him up, aud
LA 4 al LII lsAW
than let him have the boy. Never before
was there such a scene OF excitement 10
Court room. The crowd sympathized
with the girl, the Judge raped for order,
but no one heard 1t. The bailifis tried "
do their duty, but, for some time. there
was pushing, struggling and threatening
over the little boy, who never, for mo
ment, intermitted screaming AT the top OF
his voice. At last the daughter was
seized and held. The screaming child
was taken by the father, and given TO his
cousin, stout fellow, twenty-eight OF
thirty years Of age, named j. Wesley
Strong, who carried him out OF the
court room.
In the hall the ehild's hat fell of, and
II Is caused delay. so that, although the
girl was held for three minutes after the
child had been carried of by the father,
she hurried out after the child ana sue
ceedcd in oyeItaking him. The little
| fellow struggled violently, and gave a
good deal OF trouble TO the man who
carried hin, but they had got as far Ne
directly opposite the Office OF Squire
| VI yers, on ST. p ,ul street, when the girl
aud her friends gathered around them,
aud a curious street scene occurred. The
father WAS struck and thrust aside, aud
the man who carried the boy WIS knocked
down aud his coat iOrn almost from him.
An effort was made TO keep possession Of
the boy for the father by putting HIN IN
tue window Of MIR. Davis law Office
hut Young fellow, who Is said to have
been a cousin To the girl, jeTked the boy
ont Of tue window and started on a run
with hin. Turning the corner he ran as
fast ns he could with him down Fayettt
street, when policeman No. 1903 gave
chase, AS also did great crowd o.
screaming women, curiOus spectators
eunrl baliiis, black and white. The young
fellow who had the boy made fast time
but the policeman, without knowing ex
aclly what il was I'll about, made desper
ate efforts 10 catch him, aud WAS within
twenty feet of doing 50 when the younl
fellow dashed iuto Red Lion Hall, oppo
site Bafnum's Hotel, and found shelter Il
some one of the numerous law offices. Ii
five minutes the entrance aud stairway
up to the third-stoTy were packed will
he excited sympathizers with the girl
The crowd Of curious people, the father
aud the man whose coat had been torn
he gill, her aunt, and the policeman
Angry recrimiDatiOns began, and then
Nas every prospect Of a serious confic
on tue Stair, when the policeman cleare
the place. lie knew nothing Of the case
and was not clear to what was his duty
) Int he knew that there should not he
hrrach Of the peace on the stairs. Tn
father aud the man with the torn Goa
rIud the different doors and found then
all locked. They peered through KEY
holes, but could see nothing, aud the
! finally went down the stairs, As also Ill
the girl and her aunt, when they wer
I informed who had the boy. The crow
! Ia the street WAS now very great, th
u SPECTATORS watching with curious intere'
q to sec thu reset Of the affair. In n shol
? time Deputy Marshal Fry and Detectly
Il CIune arrived, ~ also did the Clerk {
u the Baltimore City Court, who ha
II strongly sympathized With tue cir
When Marshal Frey understood the situi
lion be advised the father to get anoth'
" process for recovery of the child, who
Is he was not likely otherwise W get. N
father aud the man with the torn COZ
, then went OF together, They tried to e
81 ,hr NEW ir.,a.Ss, hut did not succeed.
o. iul Of ioke's thcu got around them in 5
ID Paul street, and assured them that u
y people would certainly lynch Them
j soon IA. II became dark. They were eS
IDENTITY troubled by the information, al
~ ~uon lift. THE crowd slowly dispers
" ron around Red Lion Hall upon lear
NJ Ing that the 10y lad been quietly taxi
~ out by the young man who had pick
u him up when the iracus occurred On
Paul street. Duiing the evening the lol
20 was discussed along 81. Paul sire
y whether there was Il contempt ct Coz
DE m picking up the boy and running avn
De- With him, or whether il was kidnapph
e. hut all agio,d IN sympaihizing with
gil.