The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-24
A Family Lost.
MR.. SINGER APPLIES TO THE COURTS TO HELP
HIN FIND HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.

R.S
HIN FIND HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
A Chicago telegram of the 18th says:
Judge Moran was engaged yesterday morn
ing in hearing testimony in hdbedS cor
puS case, in which it appears that John \.
Singer, son of Isaac vi. Singer, OF sewing
machine fame. had lost children, wife, and
mother-in-law at one fell swoOp, and didn't
know where to find them. Mr.. Singer is
a man Of good appearance, dress. and man
ner. and seems to be about thirty wears
old. About seven years ago he married
Jennie G. Bilinski, who, with her father,
mother, and sister, are prominent
figures in the present controversy.
The Singers lived at York, Pa, for
q short time after their marriage, and
little while in New York city, but for the
past six years they have lived in Mr..
Singers house at Diamond Lake, in Lake
county, Ill. Mr.. Singers father, the sew
ing-machine maker, LETT him 500, 600, and
he has never done anything except take
care Of his fortune. Some time ago. Just
how long Is not stated. the Bilinski family
rented a house on the opposite side OF the
street from the Singer residence, and threw
trouble into the Singer family. On June
18th last Singer went TO New York TO look
after his affairs, and did not return until
| the evening OF June lG. He had left wife,
children, and servants i'm the house, but
when he returned they were all gone.
They have not yet returned. After some
| fruitless search Singer obtained a writ OF
| ho6eQs corpus, by which Alexander Bilin-
ski, the father-in-laW, was ordered to bring
INTO court t0-dly the two children. Jean
Elite Singer. aged five years, and AleXan-
der NJ. Singer, aged three years.
! Mr.. Singer appeared in court this morn
Ing with several witnesses, but neither Mr..
nor Mrs. BiIinski, Mrs. Singer, nor the
children were there. Miss Annie Bilnski,
sister Of Mrs. Singer, very bright and
rather pretty young lady, WAS the only one
Of the opposite force present. Colonel
| Van Armou represented the absent men,
bers OF the family. Bilinski's affidavit i'm
! answer to the writ was first read. He
/ swore that he had not now and never had
the custody or control of the children
knew nothing OF their present wherea-
| bouts, and had not seen them since June
| 10Th, when they were in the custody OF
their mother. Mr.. Singer then took the
stand as TO his Journey 10 New York and
| his discovery on his return that B;linski had
that very morning taken the entire family
away in carriage. After fruitless en-
deavOr TO discover the whereabouts OF
| the missing children, Judge Moran said
:" 1t Is the duty OF the court to allow every
means possible to learn where these chill
| dren are. 1t Is against the spirit of the
| law, reason, and justice to run children off
| in this manner and conceal them from the
| father. Ii there is any reason why the
| father should not have them it Is the duty
OF the mother TO bring that reason before
the court. The only thing you can do is
to continue this case and add Mrs. Bilinski
and Mrs. Singer TO the defendants named
in the writ and charge them with conspira-
CIV. Then II they secrete the children or
put them in other custody after the writ is
issued they will be liable to five years. I'M
prisonment."
The case was thus disposed Of to-day.
The reporter afterward asked Mr.. Singer
what reason his wife had for acting in such
a strange fashion. my wife is not to
blame for it, said he, "and don't know
why her father and mother have done this
except it is TO eXtort money from me. They
have done the same thing once before"
" And it cost Singer $4,000 to get her
back" interposed Mr.. Abbott, Singers at
torney. "Pve made them all that they are"
said Singer. "Ive gwen that family $4,000
since | was married, and | can show it.
Even the clothes they've got on their backs
Pve paid. for, and now that girl goes on the
stand to swear against me. She said ii was
my wiie's own idea. don't like TO say
that woman lies, but she lied when she
said that. My wife never would have done
1t except for her mother" Singer and his
attorney went away to devise some scheme
by which they could learn the hding-place
OF the children, who seem TO be pretty well
concealed. Until he finds them Mr.. Singer
can find some consolation In the fact that,
although he has unfortunately lost his chill
dren, he has also lost mother-in-law.