The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-30
"THE WANDERING HEIRESS.'
HER CASE BEFORE TffE COMMls.
sIONER QUICKLY ENDED.
The Young Lady Triumphant-Both
Sides of the Story Given.
The Adopted. Father We. The Adopted
Daughter.
A MATTER-OF-FACT ROMANCE.

-IIOUl mdSlSl VI dOOptcu
father, Mr.. John Demmer, Of Trenton, New
Jersey, was brought before Commissioner
Peasants yesterday by the officers Of Spring.
Street Home responding to the warrant IS
sued. The girl was not brought before the
Commissioner. though she was near. at hand
and could have been produced in five min.
utes, the understanding being that the law.
points involved should be first settled.
Mr.. William Green appeared as counsel
for Mr.. Demmer, and Judge Ould for the
officers of the Home and the girl. The Com
missioner asked under what law he was ex-
pected TO act, and was referred to an act of
Congress of 1903 Gin relation to persons
escaping from the service of their masters"
and an act amepdatory and supplementary
thereof passed in 1850, popuIarly known as
the fugitiye-slaye law.
THE FUeITrvEsLAvE LAW REPEALED.
Judge Ould said that if that was the au-
thority under which 1t was proposed the
Commissioner should move, he would show
that both acts had been repealed. He re.
ferred to an act of Congress, In the Statutes
ut Large, approved January %, 1864, as fol-
lows:
:. be al enacted By the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States Of An1e-
RIGA in Congress Assembled, That sections
and OF an act entitled An act respecting
fugitives from Justice and persons escaping
from the service OF their masters passed
February u, 1893, and an act entitled 'an
act TO amend aud supplementary to the act
entitled an act respecting fugitives from JUS
tce and persons escaping from the service OF
their masters passed February II, 1893,
passed September, 1850, be and the same are
hereby repealed" -;
Thereupon the case WAS dismissed, and the
parties left the Commissioners Office
THE ADOPTED FATHER OF THE HE1RESs'
Mr.. John Demmer, the master, or, as he
calls himself, the adopted father OF the girl,
is a respectable-looking man, and is about
tbirty.fiye years of age. He says he is a
native of Prussia, and his wife of Louisiana.
They have been married mauy years, and
have no children. He Is music teacher by
profession, and is regularly employed as or
gapist of St. Mary's Catholic church Of Tren-
ton, n. From his account it appears that,
wishing to adopta child, he and bis wife went
to Philadelphia in November, 1870, and at
1.-The Home for Destitute Children "a
Catholic nstitution-were offered Mary.
They inquired about her antecedentS, and
were told that her parents, who were, re-
spectacle people, were dead; that she had
brothers and sisters and other relatives
living, but that they took no care of her, and
that at five years Of age Mary was brought
| to the Home; that she WA, soon afterwards
adopted by q gentleman, apd in his family
| lived four years, when he failed in business,
and Mary was returned to the Home. Mary
| was willing to go with Demmcr and his wife,
| and they liked her, and it was agreed that
| they would receive, raise, and educate her as
| their child. She was at once taken to Trenton,
N. j., and nine months after arriving there
being then between ten and eleven years of
| age-was regularly indentured to Demner,
as he says, to prevent her from being inter-
lered' with by outsiders, but he never in.
tended for her to know of the indenture, and
always meant to treat her, and always did
treat her, as his daughter. He taught her
music, and his wife gave her Instructions in
the elementary branches of learning. Dem
mer represents that Mary was generally a
weil-behaved girl, and that she lived in bis
family conteutedly until about year ago.
MUCH TROUBLE ABOUT SMALL FORTUNE.
About year ago rich uncle Of Mary's,
named Henbest, died in Philadelphia. In
his lifetime he had never contributed the
smallest amount to The maintenance of Mary
or her sister and four brothers. BY his will,
after making few small bequests, be left his
whole fortune for the establishment Of an
asylum for ipfirm people; but the will hav-
ing been made within thirty days of his
| death, by the law of PenDsy ylvania in rela-
| ton to bequests was declared void,
| and the entire fortune reverted to- his
heirs. Mary'S portion was about one
thirtieth of the whole estate, say
between $4,000 and $4,000 net. Demmer
declares that he positively refused to quIllfy
as her guardian, but that she voluntarily
chose Mr.. Jesse s. Wilson, Of Bucks county,
Pa, who resides just across the line but two
or three miles from Trenton. He was re.
qnlred TO qualify upon her estate, estimated
" be worth not less than S7,700, but has not
| yet done 80, Us his brother, who is to become
his surety, is an officer in the army and is
stationed at or near Boston. Two OF Mary's
brothers sold out their portions to specula-
tors. They never visited Mary until
she became an heiress; then they came
to see her, and one Of them desired to have
himself installed as guardian in place of
| Wilson, as Wilson had not qualified. The
visits of Mary's brothers produced in her
mind discomfort. On the 9Th of December,
when Demmer and wife were absent from
home, she absconded. Demmer' asserts that
upon bis first visit to her here, about two
weeks ago. Mary told him that gentleman
named Myers (she beieved) bad bought her
| ticket for her. He learned OF her whereabouts
through a Philadelphia drummer named
StubDs, and this was his second visit here to
get possession of her his daughter he calls
ber.
LETTER FROM TIE MAYOR OF TRENTON.
Mr.. Demmer has the following credential
from the Mayor of bis city:
"MAYoR's OFFICE, CRY HALL,1
"TRENToN, N. j., January %, 1876.
"Mr. John Demmer, who is about going
to Richmond, Va, to endeayor to obtain
possession of his adopted daughter, is a gen.
tleman of character and standing in this COM
munity, where he has long resided. Having
resided opposite to them on the same street3
for some time, and having been personally
acquainted with both him and bis wife for
years, take pleasure in bearing testimony
to their exemplary standing as citizens;
and from my personal knowledge cannot
think that either of them are capable Of in
any way maltreating child, but are direct
ly the opposite. Having some knowledge
of the means and parties by which the girl
was induced to leave her adopted parents and
the reasons therefor, am satisfied that both
Mary and her interests would be safer in the
hands of MIR. Demmer. Respectfully,
'sJoHN BRIESr, Mayor"
TESTIMONY OF Mr.. DEhMER's PASTOR.
Mr.. Demmer has also the following from
his pastor:
"ST, MARy's CHURCH, TRENTON, N. J.,l
january "a, 1875.
" To Whom IL May Concern:
This is to certify that John Demmer,