Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-23
PRETrYuTrLE ArICr.
Intensely Dramatic Scene in a COul t
Room.
The Bitter Fight for the POsieS.
siOn OF q Lovely Wee Wait
A White Child Claimed by
COlOred People.


sion of q Lovely Wee Wait
White Child Claimed by
COlOred People.
Cor. Cincinnati News Journs, Y. II
One Of the most dramatic scenes
ever enacted in court room ives pre-
scented before Judge Conner Saturday,
in the case where the Society for the
Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals and
Children seeks to gain possession OF
white child being reared by colored
people. The facts in the case we're
published exclusively in Saturdays
News Journal, when 1t Was stated that
a writ Of habeas corpus would be aps
piled for. The baby in the case is
named Alice, and her foster mother,
Sallie jenkins, has called her Alice |
Curd, the latter being her own maiden
name. In compliance With the writ,
an officer of the court proceeded to
residence Of the jenkins woman TO get
the child. Mrs. jenkins and her hus.
band were both at home. and abso-
lutely re used to allow the officer TO |
take the infant away. 1t was only BY
combined coaxiug and the az uranee
that they could come into court with |
the baby and tell their story and no
injustice be done. They finally con
scented, and at 3 clock Mr.. and Mrs.
jenkins, little Alice, DR.. Fletcher,
Secretary Todhunter, Of the society,
Special Officer Smith, j. 4. Bruce, as
attorney for the socittj, and others in
teresteo appeared in court.
AT first but few people were pres.
ent, but as the character of the case
began to be noised about the court
room became crowded,
MRS. JENKINS STORY.
Mrs. jenkins was first examined.
She was IN verS excited aud nervous
state OF mind. She said she could not
see howslny one could so interest them.
selves in what was none OF their buS.S
ness. The parents, she said, we're not
in the city, and she had not seen them
for seven months. After consider
able hesitation in answering the
lquesnon, she said that the con-
tract was to keep the child and care
Tor it until it was seven years old,
when she would be richly rewarded.
She expected 10 receive a large sum OF
money for its care. By occupation she
was a nurse for the sick, and had cared
for many children and been in the
employ OF numerous physicians. She
believed the parents to be Of very high
station and amply able to pay her
muni6cently. She had put the first
| drop Of water and first stitch OF cloth
! lug on the ohild's back. In case she
| died or anything happened to the child
she was to leave word with DR.. D. II.
Davis. She had seen the parents prob
ably three or four times year until
the present year, but refused totell
them the name she knew them By, as
she could not break her solemn prom
Use to keep the secret. She said the
house where the child was born wPs
/ on John street, between Laurel and
Belts, and that one ofthe ladies in the
house at that time was named Mrs.
Roylc The character of all the folks
she mentioned was respectable, and
she was told the parents of the child
we're prominent people, and was led
to believe they were not residents Of
the city. G Hu aAn
Dr. Fletcher then testified that be
had been acquainted with the child
and Mrs. Jenkins about two years.
The place where they lived was a ne
gro tenement house. lie knew that
. the child was well treated, more than
ordinarily so, but that he had suggest
ed to Mrs. jenkins that she nut it in
! some white family to raise, as 1t would
be better for its welfare in the future.
Mrs. Jenkins was so att ched to the
, child that she would never listen to
any proposal of the kind. The Doctors
testimony was to the effect that the
little girl was very kindly treated, we'll
clothed and fed, and that the only
trouble was that she would be raised
among negroes, aud not in elevate
surroundings. Mr. jenkins testified
substantially the same as his wife, with
the exception that he knew nothing Of
the contract for seven years.
Judge Conner then said that the
case was the most perplexing and del
icate OF any he had ever been con-
neeted with. 1t was plain to see, he
said, that the bond Of affection between
the woman and the child was far
stronger than usual. He could only
state the case plainly to her, and that
was that it was considered that she
was not the proper person to raise the
child, on account Of color and the ia.
fiuences that would surround her
charge. AS far as the contract fol-
pay was concerned, il would not be
inyalidsted by the decision Of the
court, whatever it might be. He
would give her two weeks to get the
parents name, OF have them appear in
court as the lawful protectors Of the
child; in the interval he would remand
it to the charge Of the sheriff. II the
evidence sustained the society he
could only turn IL over to them "a
place in the ehildren's home. Then
ensued u