The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-08-16
a FATHER REFUSED THE CUSTODY OF
HIS OWN CHILD.
a Death Bed Promise--AIenated Afseuon--A
Quid pro quo--Ihe End Not Yet.

The Geneseo Republic has d sensational
item, in which Davenport gentleman fig
ures as hero. 1t says that year ago last
January the gentleman : VIE died, leaving
a child four years Old-and that the nus
band promised that the child should be
given to his wife sister, which was done
Ever since that time the little one has been
III the care Of the latter lady. Lately the
father has been very anxious h obtain the
child. On Saturday last he sent a LAWYER
to Geneseo for the purpose, but the mission
was trultless. On Tuesday of last week.
considerable excitement was created in the
town by what was considered an attempt-
ed abduction OF the child The husband
Of the aforesaid sister was standiug lat
the foot OF the stairs with the little girl in
his arms, when an agent of the father
made rush for her The agent was
seized by third party, and thus his efforts
were rendered futile
This gives an entirely false complexion
TO the matter. One OF our most respected
Catholic citizens, whose profession in
Davenport has brought him into promi-
hence, and whose character as a true
christian and strictly moral habits chal-
lenge inspection, lost his wife about the
time named. His baby was then but four
days old, and his sister-in-law, Mrs. j b.
OF GeneseO, came into the chamber of
death while the bereaved husband was
standing by the scarce .igid BODY of his
deceased wife, and dramatically placing the
hand OF the corpse in that Of the husband
asked him to promise that if she took the
baby, 1t should be given to no other woman
In the excitement and sorrow natural in
such moment, the husband consented
The child has remained with the wife : sis
ter until now, periodically visited by its
fond father. Latterly, he discovered that
the lady was teaching the little girl that
her husband and not its legitimate parent
was Its iather, and, it is reported. has
boosted to that gentleman's face that the
girl would revere her husband more than
himself As the true father did not wish
TO see his darling's affection elsewhere
placed, he resolved to obtain her The
whole story of the ATTEMPTED abduc-
ton Is a fiction. The gentleman had a
writ OF hdbeds corpus as he feared the hold-
ers Of the child would remove her n, narts
unknown. As a guid pro qtto for the ex-
pense Of keeping the child, the father kent
the daughter OF the parties at the Sisters
'J III b"FSlpDIls at Il cost OF over
500 per annum, and they also appropria.
ted everything there was in the honse at
the time Of the wite's death The father
has determined to break no law, but 10 use
every legitimate means for the possession
OF his only and orphaned daughter.-Dac-
export Democrat, 18th,
The simple fact is, that these relatives
are endeayOrlng to prevent the father, who
Is one Of our respected citizens and highly
esteemed by all who know him, from even
enjoying visits to his darling teaching it
to call its uncle papa" that its father
was not its father, and its aunt was its
mother. Hence he did what any man
with heart to love his child would do-re-
sorted to legal proceedings to obtain DOS
session Of his little one. The 'attempted
abduction was the serving of a writ of
ha6eds corpus, issued by Judge Peasants
IN the uncle Of the child, recurring him to
bring the child to court and show reason
why it should not be given to its father
That is all there was Of it. The question
OF right Of possession will be decided bv
j Judge Peasants next week.
Gdsette, 1914.