The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-07-01
Exciting Scene.

esting account of James Strong trying to
recover his child from Mrs. Ellen Porter,
in whose charge the child was.
1t was alleged by those resisting his
claim that he had abandoned the mother,
who died few months afterwards, and
that then the daughter Of the claimant,
only about sixteen years of age, took the
child, her little brother, now between three
and four years old, in her care
She worked for low wages in factory at
Woodbery, and from her scanty earnings
supported herself and the child at the
house of her aunt, Mrs. Ellen Porter. The
girl Emma c. Strong) evinced rare affec-
ton for the child, and cared for it with no
bic, selEsacrifcing devotion. The father
claims he was not allowed to go to Mrs.
Porter's to see the child, and he therefore
got out writ Of habeas corpus to regain
possession of it.
He claims that now he can support the
child, and he proposes to give it to the care
of an uncle of the boy who has no children,
and promises to do we'll by the little fellow.
There seemed to be no legal reason why
the father should not reclaim his child, and
yet the heart of nearly every one present
considered it cruel hardship.
Judge Pinkney, in giving his decision,
made most eloquent remarks, in which he
paid the highest compliments to the noble
hearted girl, who has been so true and so
self-sacriicing. He admitted the hard
ships of the case, but, with eyes filled with
tears, he bowed to the law, and decided
that the father must have the child. The
girl sat apparently stunned, beside her lit
tie brother, the aunt and other female
friends few feet distant when the father
and some of his relatives advanced in the
crowd to take the boy.
The little fellow screamed wildly not to
let them take him. This reused the girl,
and she rose like lioness defending her
young, and with eyes flashing and arms
raised she ordered them to stand off, de-
claring that she would die before the boy
should be taken from her. She cried that
the ghost of her poor starved mother
would haunt her if she gave him up, and
threatened even to kill her father rather
than let him have the boy. Never before
was there such scene of excitement in
the court room.
The daughter was seized and held. The
screaming child was taken by the father
and given to his cousin, stout fellow,
twenty-eight or thirty years of age, nam
ed j. Wesley Strong, who carried him out
of the courtroom. The little fellow strug-
gled violently, and gave a good deal of
trouble to the man who carried him, but
they had got as far as directly opposite the
Office of Squire Myers, on st. Paul street,
when the girl and her friends gathered
around them, and curious street scene oc-
CURED. The father was struck and thrust
aside, and the man who carried the boy
was knocked down and his coat torn al
most from him.
An effort was made to keep possession of
the boy for the father, by putting him in
the window of Mr.. Davis law office, but
young fellow, who is said to have been
cousin to the girl, jerked the boy out of the
window and started ON run with him.
Turning the corner, he ran as fast as he
could down Fayette street, when policeman
No. 103 gave chase, as also did great
crowd of screaming women, curious specta-
tors, court bailiffs, blacks and whites. The
young fellow dashed into the Red Lion
Hall, opposite Barnum's Hotel and found
shelter in some one of the numerous law
offices.
In five minutes the entrance and stair
ways up to the third story were packed
with the excited dsympathizer with the girl,
the crowd Of curious people, the father,
and the man whose coat had been torn by
the policeman.
They peered through the key-holes, but
could see nothing, and they finally went
down the stairs, as also did the girl and
her aunt, when they were informed who
haG the boy. When Marshal Frey under
stood the situation, he advised the father to
get out another process for the recovery Of
the child, whom he was not likely to get
otherwise.
They tried to get the new process, but
did not succeed. A lot of jokers then got
around them in st. Paul street, and assur-
ed them that the people would assuredly
lynch them as soon as it became dark
They were evidently troubled by the infor-
nation, and so left
A Mobile Merchants Corpse the Prey Of