Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-12-17
CoUTURIER's DAUGHTER.
The Story OF a Fathers Wrongs.
Inside History Of the Re-
70 -r-, cent Abduction Case. -r5
Nashville American.

liz ! .-a Nashville American.
There appeared al article in the
Knoxville Tribune of the Sd inst. de-
failing the arrest Of tailor by the
name OF Roberts, Of that city. The
American published extracts in 1t is
sue of the 4.h inst rtmarking in sub
stance at the time, taat the Tribune
gave detailed statement of the allege d
horrible treatmefrt of the girl which
the American omitted, not knowing it
to be true, and net wishing to do injus-
tice. -.Fr
Since the publication of the extracts
the reporters of this paper have taken
a good deal of trouble to find out the
truth of the charges, the resnlt of
which is as follows: -E
Some time after the Franeo-Prus-
sian war there came to this. country
q Frenchman by the name of Jules
Couturier, with his child, who was
only year or two old. After wander
ing around in search of employment,
he settled in Knoxville. His daughter,
the subject of this article, was the
child of his first wife, he having been
married twice. After the death of his
second wife he placed his daughter,
Eugenie, with a Mrs. Nancy Toney,
promising to pay her for her trouble,
believing that she would give good at.
tsntion to his daughter, and, as Mrs.
Toney lived in the country, that EC~
genie would be beyond tue temptations
of the city.
1t seems from q number of letters
written by Mrs. Toney to Mr.. CoUtlrH
ier that she was very poor woman,
her husband being afflicted with a
cancer and able to work but very lit
tie. These letters show that consider
BILE money had peen sent to Mrs.
Toney.
Sometime last spring Mr.. Couturier,
having permanently settled in Nash
vile, sent for his daughter, but Mrs.
Toney refused to give her up. He
employed an attorney in Knoxville,
who filed petition for writ of habeas
corpus for the custody of his child,
which, upon the hearing, was granted
him by Judge Hall, of Knoxville.
Couturier brought his daughter
to Nashville and they boarded
at the house adjoining the
store of Jno. Browne, on Summer
street, when Couturier worked. There
they lived for month or SO, when the
house was rented by other parties.
Then he moved their apartments to So
North Cherry street, he occupying one
room and his daughter another.
He had Z made arrangements for
his daughter to go TO st.
Cecilia academy, near this city,
and she was to have gone there the
evening she left for Knoxville, but
some one had frightened her with
abs urd stories of the harsh discipline
of the sisters, and she did not wish to
go. Parties in Knoxville purchased a
ticket at that place for Eugene, and
the fact was telegraphed to the agent
here, who gave the desired pass to the
party or parties concerned In her
alleged abduction.
Great Injustice seems I'd have been
done Mr.. Couturier. When he went
to Knoxville, last spring or summer,
he carried letters from parties in this
city showing that he was an indus
trious sober man, of q good moral char
acter. Persons living in adjoining
rooms say that he was very kind and
affectionate to his daughter, his only
wish seeming to be for her happiness,
and that they have never seen or heard
of the slightest improperly in his con-
duct towards her. AS to the abduction,
all the facts will be brought out on the
trial. It ia sufficient to say, at present
that the grand jury were fully satisfied
of the guilt of Roberts before they re.
turned the true bill.