Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-01-28

StTaHSc HdIhcS Wy WHICH tucy are kAOWu
among their new acquaintance. 1t often
happens that they find better homes than
they left, and, either of their own in
clination or through the influence of
those who hold them, they keep their
secret, live false life, and become as
dead to their own parents. Among the
everyday occurrences of this nature
some are of marked interest, but are often
not made known to any outside small
circle of friends.
A case OF more than usual interest, of
which the full circumstances have not
before been made public, was exposed
by a simple question from an officer of
one of the largest charitable institutions
in the city. A girl of about eleven years
was brought to the institution, over
year ago, by woman who protested to
be her mother. Her story was that her
husband had quarreled with her and
was very brutal; that she feared he
would kill or injure the girl, in his rage,
and she had brought her there to save
hef from his anger. She was referred to
the court for the directions of the Judge,
who, after hearing the case, recon-
mended that the child be left at the in
stitution for a time at least. She was
there about six months, during which
time she gave no intimation that the
woman who brought her there was not
her mother 1t was noticed, however,
that she was girl of refinement in her
manners and habits and suspicion was
thus aroused that she had not always
lived in the family of a vender. On the
day she was to be sent to Western home
she was taken aside and Informed that
she was believed to have deceived them
regarding her previous life, although
they then had no clew to her true his
tory. She seemed at first somewhat
frightened but finally said to her ques
toner that if he would protect her she
would tell him the truth. She had kept
her secret because those from whom she
had come to the institution had threat
ened terrible punishment if she should
tell, and she had not rid herself of the
notion that they could by some
means fulfill their threats. She now,
however, told her story. She was the
daughter of dressmaker uptown,
whose name she gave and residence.
Her mother sent her out one afternoon
to buy some buttons; she missed her
way and walked about until dusk, when
she spoke to man who was fastening
his horse by the sidewalk, and asked if
he would take her home. He told her to
wait minute; meanwhile he went into
the house, near them, and returning
shortly after led her in and said he
would take her home after dinner. Later
in the evening he told her she must stay
all night, which she did. In the morning
he told her that they had baby which
she must take care of that he should
not take her where she said was her
home that her name was not what she
had called it, but Jennie Meesler, and
that she was his little girl whom he lost
when very young. Having heard her
story, the Superintendent sought out the
girls mother at the address she had
given him, found her, and heard her sad
account OF her lost girl She was in
formed that she could probably learn i'm
portant facts about her girl by going
with him. This she did, and there fol
lowed the joyous recognition and the
restoration of the daughter to her mother
and home. During the year that had in
tervened every effort had been made by
this lady that she and her friends could
been unsuccessful, not the slightest clew
toriety no action was taken against the
abductor of the child, who went un-
punished.
Another recent case in which one of
the asylums was the channel through
which light entered was that of girl
under twelve years of age. She was
taken to the institution by lady from
the east side of the city, with whom she
had lived several months. She was an
orphan, but no papers of guardianship
could be shown. Previously she had
lived in Brooklyn, and the people there
with whom she had been could furnish
no papers. The Court advised that she
be placed in the institution. She re-
manned here several months and was
then sent to Illinois to home as an
orphan child. Nothing occurred of note
for many months, Wen, something 60
ing wrong in her Western home, she
wrote to her own parents, who were
still alive and mourning their girl as lost.
For some reason never learned she had
kept her false name and repeated her
false history until then, but all the time
knowing that her parents were living
Upon receiving her letter her father i'm.
mediately went to Illinois and she re-
turned with him. He had made con-
slant efforts to learn her whereabouts,
and her description had been furnished
the police by the institution-as in all
cases where there is any doubt about the
applicant-but all to no avail.
A third instance in which one of the
established charities was the instrument
incidentally of discovery is told as fol-
lows A prominent minister of this city
brought a boy to the instit Ition, with
whom he said he could do nothing, and
who he thought would be better off there
than anywhere else. He could not learn
that he had any relatives, and believed