The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-18
FIGHT FOR A CHILD.
LITTLE MARY REEVES ALTERNATELY
KIDNAPPED BY HER PARENTS,
Her Custody To he Divided Row Between
Father and Mother--A Curious
Story OF Trouble over
Little One.

CHICAGO, March 1S-For two weeks past
proceedings have heen going on in Judge
Moran's court in this city, for tie custody
of Mary Reeves, Years OH, the daughter OF
X. ). Reeves and his wife Elizabeth Reeves
The story of the trouble as told Ly the
father in a document filed in court is as
follows:
Rollin }. Reeves, the father was married
on Feb. IA, 1871, TO Anna FL .Zaieth Toof, at
New Haven, Conn, and the couple at
once went to reside in Wa hington where,
ON Sept z, 1873, Mary the lt,le heroine in
this tale, was born The husband is by pro.
ieSsion riy!l engineer, ami has
in the employ OF the lie ieral
government, being employed to
survey the boundary lines of the territories,
Although away in the wild west most of the
time, the husband says he spent the winter
months regularly with his family in Wa.h-
ington, with the exception Of the winter os
1888, which they passed i'll Baker City, Ore
AT that time his wlfe's health was poor. and
she urged him to accept an offer her father
had made to him through her to 20
into partnership with him in the manufao-
turing business, he to receive q salary Of
g. 100 year and to live with his family in
his house The copartner>hip scheme was
never carried out, nor did the respondent
ever get his salary Of 81 400, and life under
the Toof roof became after some
time quite unhearahle to Reeves. lie
resolved to get his wife at all hazards out
of tho power of her father and other rela-
tiyes. She refused to leave the house. and
so he took the child, in August Of last year,
to Old Orchard beach, a summer sea resort
on the coast Of Maine He endeavuret to
make his wife follow him, but she wolld
not and while still there at a hotel an en-
ploye of his father-in-law Mr. T. =
Swift, came to Enquire about little
Mary" rs he said. Reeves says he did
not suspect anything, but while on Il
short walk the child was kidnapcd
by the mother and her father He had them
stopped at Portland. Ne, but they very
shortly after continued ON their way home
In October last hc made various Intellectual
attempts TO see his wife and child at Dir
Toof's house, hut they deHiei him admit
tance. On one Of these occasions. he says,
the father-in-law, mother-iU-lGw, and
various brothers-in-lGw and sister -in-iaN
stuck their heads out of tie Windows, laugh
ing at him, while lie IN vain sought admit
tance
All these efforts proving vain, as he claims,
he came in carriage on the evening Of Oct
so, with four other gentlemen, aud abducted
little Mary. The family were at supper, and
when he entered the dming-soom little Mary
was seated in high-c chair with bib about
! he" neck. He said TO her: "Come to papa,
| MARY and she willingly came Then he
| took her in his arms and carried her into the
carriage at the door Then riding Off fast
| they reached the New York state line He
| says it was n rainy night, but he had the
| child wrapped warmly in blankets and
| shawlS and she was in no wise made uncom-
Portable, lie denies that he drugged her or
| this trip. Then ne took the cars with her
| for the west. where he has been ever since
| He says he has implored his wife in numer
Gus letters to follow him, but she has al
| ways refused. While passing through
Effingham, Conn, Feb 90 last, he says he
was arrested for being a fugitive from Con
necticut justice, but let go again
| The settlement of the case was consum
mated ly the parties entering into the fol
| lowing agreement: That the mother is tC
have the custody of her child for eight
months in every year and the husband foI
! the remaining four months, the
mothers term to commence Tues
day, March II, anl to end on Nov II next
that she is to keep the child at bel
fathers home in New Haven, and the father
t. keep it at the house of Jacob Little, in
this city; that no alimony is to be paid by
the husband, and that the terms of tht
stipulation are 10 remain unalterad
even after the wife shall have
been granted Il decree of ii
vorce in Connecticut For the fuifllmenI
of the terms, as far as they apply to the hus
| band, Mr. Jacob Little and his wife, Eu
| genia, become sureties, and they are to re
main in force till the child has attained tht
age OF 10 years.
The scene in court when the child VA.
given to he: mother was affecting in the ex
treme, the lady weeping glad tears and re
joicing at regaining possession of hor litt},
one Even the judge shed a few tears, anc
there was hardly dry eye in tbs house