Omaha daily bee., 1884-08-30

{ rward manner, answering readily
questions put to her both by Judge
Ayleswo rth and myself. That REGULAR.
ty in q court of justice would unquesti.
onably be inadmissable and which would
had the facts admitted brought the case
within section $3.50 of the criminal code.
made her technically guilty of the crime
charged in the information. The section
above referred to, read as follows: eft
the father and mother of any child, un.
der the age of six years, or any person to
whom such child has boon entrusted or
confided expose such child in any high
way, street, field, house or clubhouse, or
in any other place with intent wholly to
abandon it, he or she
upon conviction thereof shall
be punished by imprisonment in
the penitentiary not exceeding FIVE
years" Now, there might arise quite a
legal question, assuming the young lady
to be the mother of the babe, as to her
guilt under the admitted state of fact, a
~fortiori, when We assume a state of
facts. That precludes the possibility
ship. Who ever gave birth to the
child had carefully prepared it for
a waif, had prepared it with food
raiment and a letter recommending it to
the charitably inclined. The young lady
in question became its temporary guard
ian without her consent. She was CON
fidenced into the trust. No one had
contided it to her care, she was simply the
victim of a well laid scheme. For a
while she was dszed, not knowing what
to do. The first thought struck her, 81
will care for it until L reach Council
Bluffs" She came here, went boldly
to the Ogden house clerk registered
her name, engaged a room for the night
took the little one still sleeping lit had
been drugged no doubt in her arms,
left her room, went out into the dark
ness of the night hunting a home for one
in whom she recognized the right to live.
Had she a desire to abandon it she could
have left 1t in the room she occupied and
been beyond the reach of any probable
litigation before it awakened. Into
the street she went twice enquiring on
the way where the Orphans Home was.
A stranger in a strange city she made up
her mind to find a house where she
could relieve herself of q charge that had
become a burden to mind, heart, and
body. As she passed up First street,
looking through a window she saw those
she believed to be an old
gentleman and his wife.
She enters the gate and carefully deposit
ing the babe on the front stoop knocks
at the door, then ~retracing her steps re-
mains standing on the street until she
sure the little stranger was in the
hands of others whom she thought better
to lodge it for the night than she,
with Omaha only 4 miles away, with a
train leaving this city every half hour,
she returnes Immediately to
her room at the Ogden hotel, thinking
that instead of committing a crime against
the great state of Iowa, she had done the
mother, the babe and God a christian
service. We, perhaps viewing her acts,
would say they were strange. That were
placed in the same position, that we
have done differently. | did all |
could to convince the court the young
lady was the mother of the
child. But the Judge could not see it in
that light, and he was right beyond perad-
venture, as l afterwards learned to my
am accused of allowing my
friendship for the old friends and teachers
Of my youth, Elias Browning and wife,
who reside at the present time in Spring
field, Mass, honored and respected
BY all who know them to
influence ME. This L confess.
When convinced that the young lady was
a near relative of those whom in my
Early childhood l learned to love, re-
spect and obey, back in the land of my
birth, and that she had not committed a
act, that twelve men of Potta-
wottamie would consider a crime for one
moment should she be bound over at
The county's expense. I confess my de-
sire to prosecute her further. Weak
ened, she might have been under an as
sumed name. AS to the truth and falsi-
" Of the information l have not sufficient
knowledge teJorm a belief. But that
she was not the mother of the child, and
no crime for which Judge
Aylesworth would have held her to ap-
pear before the grand jury, l am posi-
sure.