The New York herald., 1879-12-10
FATHER, MOTHER AND CHILD.

A JEALOUS HUSBAND TAKES FORCIBLE POSSES
SION OF HIS LITTLE DAUGHTER IN THE
STREET JUSTICE BIxBYs DECISION.
young woman. ladylike in manner and attire.
leading pretty little girl along Sixteenth street
yesterday afternoon when young man who had
been watching them stole up and grasped the child
in his arms. Her cry OF surprise and the mothers
startled scream were followed by a dash on the lat
ters part for the newcomer. aud presently the two
struggling for the little ones possession. It
was impossible for the man to get away now, for .
crowd had gathered around them.
"This is my child" he exclaimed ''and am only
exercising my legal right"
But the woman broke out with an unqualified ap-
peal of 81 am her mother! am her motherY'
which nullihed the impression of the 9TH
er's explanation and won her the sympa-
thy Of the crowd. At this moment Policeman
Gallagher. OF Inspector Dilks staff broke through
the throng. The parents were taken into
to the Jefferson Market Police Court q gray-haired
woman. bare-headed and in fever Of excitement
joined them. She was the woman's mother. and. as
the care Of the child Her interference WAS calcu-
lated to renew the contest; SO she asked to
Bxby on the bench when the parents entered
and made counter claims to the child's possession.
IL am her mother" the woman maintained. ''She
put in the charge OF this lady, Mrs Harmon. by
the courts. This man and are living apart but
aren't divorced yet'
aren't we?' exclaimed the other. perhaps not;
but we soon will be. At any rate have q right to
visit my child to talk to her and to take her out to
walk. No one can deny me that"
"If he takes her he will carry her off," the mother
cried, appealing to the Court. He did 1t before.
did not SEQ my darling for four months
BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY.
The magistrate, thus placed between rival claims
Of such weight could only ask for history OF the
The father and mother were Henry A. and Bell
theide Coolidge. The former resides at No. $50
West Sixteenth street. the other at No. 227 West Sew
enteenth. Belltheide, down-east girl, from Ben
nington. VT. was married to Coolidge nine years
ago when both were quite young. Their union
seemed happy at first 1t was blessed with
children and there seemed nothing to impair it till
June 1879. Coolidge instituted divorce proceed
ings in the Superior Court. alleging adultery as the
grounds Tor his application. The put in
the hands OF q referee and is still pending. While
awaiting its settlement the Court had been asked to
OF hem three Of age. the other eight BY
order of Court the former consigned to the care
family; the other was put in the charge Of Mrs
Harmon. the mother of Mrs. Coolidge. According
to the terms OF tho order permission was granted
the father to take the child out twice o month "to
walk visit, and. availing himself Of the ambigu-
character OF this license he took the elder child
from Mrs lannon's care five months ago and fhiled
bring it back. For about four months the little
girl abed with friends Of her father in Pleas
ant Valley N. J. She was sent to school there made
q pet of and treated with kindness calculated to
erase her mothers memory. The latter. however,
tracked her to her Now Jersey home. and with the
assistaucc ol uer stepIatncr, dauuons NJ
length carried the child back to this city. The
child has been living with her grandmother
since, but Mrs. Coolidge resides there she il
virtually under her mothers and tuteage. 1t
is to this the complainant in the divorce proceed
ings Objects grounds which he ascribes to solicit
tude for the little ones morals aud the others
strue into resentment. Justice Bixby however, re-
fused countcnance the fathers action of yesterday
and said that 1t made him amenable to the Superior
Court for contempt. As he insisted on the right
eousness of his demands, His Honor directed ap-
peal to the proper tribunal. forbidding all violence
meanwhile and handed over the little girl to the
legally appointed guardian. Mrs. Harmon.