St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-19
A ST. LOUIS FEUD.
The Pretty Little Row Between Two
Prominent Families. ~-
Women Who Leave Their Fatherless
Children on Door Steps.
Correspondence of the Globe.


ST. LOUIS, April 17.-Since my last let
ter the feud between the Scudder and the
Ames families has broken out again. These
two, or rather this one family, controls in
its various branches something very nearly
like three millions of dollars worth of prop
erty. 1t all began with Henry and Edgar
Ames, who were brothers and partners, and
who were about as atfectiOnate and united
pair as it would be easy to find. They
were pork packers and made a large for
tune. Henry AmeS married a Miss Scud-
der and when he died abO ut twenty years
ago he made her two brothers, John A. and
William II. Scudder, the executors of his
estate. Edgar Ames died the same time
and complications began directly afterwards.
Mrs. Edgar AmeS and the Scudders quar-
relied and went to law. Mrs. Henry AmeS
married Col. Vincent Marmaduke, brother
of the present governor of the state, and
she became dissatisfied with the settlements
For dozen years past there has been
trouble, ordinations and recrimi-
nations, suits and cross suits
and in the meantime it is impossible to get
one member of the connection to say any
thing civil of any other relative. Within
the last ten days Henry Ames, Jr., Mrs.
= SOll- HIS elleIeu sun dHdlllSI
his unces and guardians, the Scudders, for
an accounting of his estate, claiming that
something over $50, 900 is still due him,
and the Messrs. Scudder have instituted an
action against Mrs. Edgar Ames. calling for
an accounting from her and making various
charges which the courts will of course
have to inquire into.
*,%
Police Stoticfipc for tho fiscal vaor apdinU
April show that sixty one cases of abandon
ing children occurred during the year. Only
forty-one cases of this kind were reported
during the preceding year. The increase of
30 per cent. has attracted a great deal of at
tention. Although the statutes cover the
offences completely, making the abandon
ment of an infant child graded felony, not
case has been successfully prosecuted in
the courts. A young woman who aban-
doned child at the st. Louis union depot a
few months ago was arrested i'll Franklin
county and brought back here, but on q
calling of the case for preliminary
hearing the case was dismissed.
At st. AIMS asylum where the waits taken
up by the public or abandoned to private
persons are brought over 500 foundlings
are received annually. The institution is
conducted by Catholic SiSterhood and re-
ceiveS no support from the city. The rec
ordS of the health department show the
mortality is exceedingly high among these
infants, who are often exposed for hours
without care. During one year 1874 deaths
occurred in the institution among the chill
dren under one year of age.
-
OF course St Louis is the old home of
Grant and a great many stories are afloat
about the old days when he was making his
living hauling wood in from the old Dent
farm on the Gravois road. eleven miles out.
The following Renaissance told me by ex-
United States Marshal Leffingwell. an old
friend of Grants has, l am sure.
never been printed. 1T is
mistake, said Mr.. Leffingwell. Ito imag-
inc that the relations of Gen. Grant and his
father-in-law Were cordial before the time
that Grant became famous. They were
anything but that. The rest of the Dent
family. brothers and sisters. liked Grant
exceedingly. but the old man did not Upon
one occasion, just when Grant was at his
poorest, in the presence of several people.
old man Dent remarked 10 Mrs. Grant,
We'll, Julia. III promise YOU this much.
that there viii always be plate at my table
tor yOu'-with q strong accent on the
YOU Grant turned away with a burn
ing face and he was never Dents guest
again. although he made his father-in-law
welcome to his home when he had become
prominent" AsMoDEUS.