The New York herald., 1875-07-13
Passionate Devotion of a ChildleSS Couple
to an Adopted Child.
KIDNAPPING BY AN OFFICIAL.
A Heartleee Superintendent
and a Treacherous Priest.
A Country Abandoned to Pre-
serve a Daughter.


founding, and her refined mould Of features and
remarkable intelligence gave evidence that she
was OF no common pGrentage. In the month
above mentioned Mrs. samuel ]. Coursen, lady
OF q leading family OF Sussex county. N. J., was
visiting the family OF Mr. J. IL Goodale, she Super
intendent OF the Orange county poor. While there
she saw the child, which called by the name
OF Mary, and formed a peculiar attachment for IL.
Before she went away she obtained gtfs OF the
child from the superintendent promising TO
ma it good home. 1t was at nrst
the Intention OF the lady to take the
walf into her own family, but objection being
made TO 1t by other members she gave the child
to a family named oHara, in Newton, N. J. The
| o'Hara family was In humble circumstances. but
honest, industrious ana well thought OF Between
Mrs. Coursen and Mrs. O'Hara although there
was wide distinction in their respective social
| conditions, strong friendship existed, the latter
having long been faithful servant IN the formers
family. The O'Aaras were cnildless, ana knowing
their sterling Qualities, ana their desire for a
child to make their home happy Mrs. Coursen
placed little Mary in their care, to be to them
their own child. The Olaras at once mani
tested the greatest anection for the
little one, and gave 1t tho name OF
Mary Jane o'Hara- Tney had her baptized in the
Catholic faith, and 1t was O common remark among
nappiest child In Newton. She was always clothed
as well as any child, and when she was old enough
was sent to the public school In Newton, where
she made rapid progress in her studies.
| Living In Newton were relatives or Mrs. Cour-
sens husband, who were lot on good terms with
her. The affection manifested by Mrs. Coursen for
the child she had brought rom the almshouse and
for Its loster parents was wen known throughout
Newton, and in
TIE FAMILY DIFFICULTIES
that then prevailed Mrs. Coursen had no
warmer defender than Mrs. o'Hara, who fire.
queDtly gave the relatives above mentioned
'.plece OF her mind" These relatives were partic-
ular friends OF Superinte1 lent Goodale, and rhe
people OF Newton pus "this and that together"
and account satisfactorily for the circumstances
that ensued in the case OF the adopted child
In the early part or October last Superintend-
dent Goodale appeared in Newton. The little
O'Hara girl had then been over three years with
its adopted parents, and was at school on the DAY
Goodale went to the New Jersey village. He drove
up to the scaoolhouse door. alighted and went in,
asking for Mr.. Allen, the principal OF the school,
and that gentleman appeared. Mr. Goodale told
him that he had received letters from Newton
which stated that the O'Haras were in-treating
the child Mary, and that as superintendent OF the
Orange County Alnshouse he had como to take
her away. He refused to tell by whom the letters
mad been written, or to show any author
iGy for his statements, and Mr.. Allen
declared that the alleged letters were
false in the Information they contained
and that the child would be taken away only at
Goodae's peril Little Mary was in the room
which the superintendent had entered, and she
recognized him aud shrank away from him at his
approach. During the conversation between
Goodae and the teacher they had retired to the
hon che
to be sent away. Az the close OF the. interview
Mr.. Allen sent the child back to it's ROOM ana
closing the door, bade the Superintendent good
day and went mp stairs. As soon as
he was out OF sight Goodale re-entered the
room IN which the child was sitting trembling
In her class. took her up bodily despite her cries
and pitllul appeals and struggles ana carried her
out Of the building 10 his carriage Placing her in
tnat and covering her up with lap robe he
drove rapidly out OF town. and was out of reaon
before the analr had scarcely become known Ia
WHEN MRS. o'HARA
was N ade acquainted with the kidnappinr OF tina
child she was almost crazed with grief and would
Rave started afoot for Goshen but Ior the
the universal opinion at once that II
Goodale had received the letters he pro-
iessed TO have received. they were written
by the Coursen relatives, VINO by the Kidnapping
OF the child at once reTenged themselves on Mrs
Coursen and on Mrs. O,hara lor her defence OF the
former. 80 deep was the popular Indignation that
q petition was drawn up signed by every clergy
man, lawyer end promt ent citizen III Newton,
asking Tor the return Of the child and stamping
the statements as TO the Ill treatment OF the enid
as false in every particular THIS paper was pre-
sented TO Goodale, who snubbed the committee
presenting It, and said he mad the child and in
tended to keep her. All efforts OF citizens OF
Newton to regain the child or see ner we're una
vailtng ana they finally gave her up, and tue
affair became no longer one OF public interest and
was forgotten. The adopted parents did not ior-
get IL, however, nor give up their Efforts TO
RECOVER THE CHILD
When the efforts made BY their friends failed to
hand herself. she went to the Orange County
Amshouse and begged to have her child. Tae
having been sent out of reach Of the o. Haras,
he said, and they would never see IL again. She
men applied & Father odaTs Of Ne Goshen
ne mad been deceived by the letters
rom newton, and pledged himself to Gnd
home and waited in patience the making
good OF the priests pledge. At mis- suggestion
they gave up their home IN Newton and removed
10 Middetown, n. T., Father O'Hare telling them
that they would be more Liable TO obtain word OF
the kidnaDped child there. Both MIR. and Mrs.
O'Hara went about the country in all directions,
sometimes on loot ana sometimes aided by friends
In wagons, inqqiring Of every one they met and
Months passed In this way and the fruitless
search began to have It's effect on the minds OF
b0Jn Mr.. and Mrs. O'Hara The lost child was the
BURDEN OF ALL THEIR TALK,
and every movo they made was secondary to the
young lady OF Middetown, who had been teaching
school IN the vicinity Of Goshen hearing the story OF
Mrs. O'Haras search Tor the child told the latter
that child answering the description of Mary was
last winter living with Mrs. Murphy, an old lady,
near Goshen, but had been sent somewhere into
Pennsylvania. Mrs. O'Hara proceeded at once to
Goshen ana found Mrs. Murphy, but all her tears
and pleadlngs could not prevail upon her TO dis
close anything in relation to tue child. INQUIRY
among the neighbors however, eliotted the fact
That child answering the description OF the lost
glri had been some weeks with Mrs. Murphy and
had been sent 30 live with daughter OF herS Mrs.
Peter Burke, somewhere In Wayne county, Pa.
Win this clew to work on Mr.. and Mrs. 0'fiara,
alone and unaided by legal or other advice,
started at once for Wayne county to make further
investigation They arrived at Honesdale Tues |
day evening, jaded and almost exhausted with
travel, and went TO CoYne's Hotel Before rest |
ing OF eating they proceeded to secure kno wIedge
as 70 tue whereabouts or the residence OF Peter
Burke. Tney learned that there was a Peter
Burke living eighteen miles from Honesdale but
that, az ne had SIX or seven cnudren In tue fam
ny u was not likely tHat the lost child was
there. The O'Haras determined TO visit Burke's
however, and, after attending mission services at
sL Jonn's Catholic cnurcn, they hired Ensign Eg-
Rlest0h, livery stable keeper IN H0needale, 30
drive them TO Burke's. on the waV eariV Wadnea-