Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-08-07
ArERRrBLE STORY.

A TERRIBLE STORY.
RI. Career OF . Convict Who Married HIS
Own Child-Three Generations of Wreck
ed Minds.
The peculiar and almost incredible
story brought about by the arrest and
conviction in the Richmond county court
of sessions in March last, after much lit
| ieation, of Gorge W. Lake for being the
father Of five children by his own daug-
ter, was yesterday revived, says the New
York World, at special term Of the su-
preme court before Judge Cullen. Law
YER George A. Moses, appearing for
Lake, moved for leave to file bill OF e1-
ceptions for the purpose of appealing
from the last judgment OF the court.
The motion was opposed by the district
attorney of Richmond county, but Judge
Cullen decided in favor Of the convict.
Lake is now in Sing Sing prison,
where he was sentenced to serve nine
and one-haf years imprisonment Three
generations OF wrecked minds are the
result. of his wicked and shameful career.
His case illustrates, aside from the
the depths of deprav1ty to which human
nature may sink, the evil effects OF inter
marriage between blood relations. Lake
was born in Topsville, Mass, and when
but Is years old became infatuated with
Emma Sweeney, young woman OF that
place, who was possessed OF limited
annonnt of discretion. He was q fire.
ouent visitor at her fathers house, and
after q few months child was born, the
paternity of which was laid to young
Lake. He fed the country, taking pass
age az q common sailor on Chinese
merchantmen. From China he went to
Japan, where be acquired the language
of the natives, and finally engaged IN
exporting fancy goods and bric-a-brac
to this country. He prospered, saved
money and finally returned home with a
snug little fortune, and continued bus
mess with his headquarters In New
York. He found that during his alb
sence Emma had married, and that his
child was in Boston orphan asylum. He
gained possession of the little unfortu-
nate, and sent her to a seminary to be
educated. She was called Emma, after
her mother None of her schoolmates
ever suspected little Emma's misfortune
and she was quite a favorite among
them. Lake visited the child only &C.
} sionally, and supposed that its mother
! had lost all interest in her. such, how
ever was not the case. The latter made
freouent visits in secret to the little one
. and manifested a great deal OF affection
toward her, although she never revealed
her relationship.
This state of affairs continued unit
1875. when Lake took Emma from he
studies and brought her to New York Il
act as his bookkeeper. At the time sh'
was q bright, feir-haired young woma,
of sixteen, unusually well developed TO
her age. Lake took her to live at tn
= old Washington hotel, where he regis
tered her as his daughter. He never In
troduced her to any one and always Lex
her to and from the dining room. Sh
went to and from his Office with hir
daily, and when he spent the evenini
out Emma was always left locked Il
their apartments. Boarders at the hote
finally objected to the two peculla
guests, and, being asked to seek quarter
\ elsewhere, they removed to No. 81 Stat
street. Lake was then between thlrt
and thirty-fve years old, and his me-
A landlord supposed him to be the husban
of his youthful companion. The COUP
i had been in the house but short tim
Y when Emma gave birth to child. He
mother had neither seen nor heard OF N
since her departure from the seminar,
but the day the infant was born Lai
sent for the woman. When she arrive
at the house and fund that her shan
had been carried down to her daught
she went raving mad, and had to be 7
moved from tho house by force. 81
WAS taken to an insane asylum, whe
she died of the shock few days later.
I Before the new born child was mon
old Lake deserted his family. He W
arrested on a charge of abandonmel
and at the station house denied that t
woman was his wife. An investigate
brought to light evidence of the registl
= ton at the Washington hotel where
had claimed the girl as his daughter, a
e he was held on q more serious chare
y He was tried and acquitted, after viii
Ssdj he removed with his youthful family
|. 9 comfortable but not very pretentlo
cottage in Tottenville, N. Y. de KEEP
horse and carriage in which he drove
the ferry at Clifton every morning.
left it in a livery stable there until
\ return at night when he drove ho'
81 again. The young woman, whoa
q doubly related to him, never appear
d in the carriage and was seldom seen
the streets. Lake continued bus unla
ful relations with her and his family
creased. As the second generation
= children grew up, however, thew "
e found to be idiots, and public indig
- ton against the father became 80 BIT
- that he was forced to leave the neil
borhood. He next took his attic
family to house on Todd hill, =
miles from Clifton. This was about
years ago, and he was again lnd'c'
Then it was discovered that the mot