The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-08-19
rsRRlsLE STORY.
The Career OF . Convict Who Mar
riod HIS Own Chtld-Three Com
erati0nD Of Wrecked Minds.

The Career OF . Convict Who Mar.
riod HIS Own Child-Three Com
erations Of Wrecked Minds.
The peculiar and almost incredible
story brought out by the arrest and
conviction in the Richmond county
court of sessions in March last, after
much litigation, of George w. Lake for
being the father of five children by his
own daughter. was yesterday revived,
saws The Nea0 York World, at . special
term Of the supreme court before
Judge Cullen. Lawyer George A.
Moses, appearing for Lake. moved for
leave to file bill of exceptions 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 Slug Sing prison,
where he was sentenced to serve nine
and one-half years imprisonment.
Three generations of wrecked minds
are the result of his wicked and shame
less career. His case illustrates, aside
from the depths of depravity to which
human nature may sink. the evil effects
of intermarriage between blood rela-
tions. Lake was born in Topsville.
Mass, and when but Is years old be-
came infatuated with Emma Sweeney,
a Young woman of that village, who
was possessed of limited amount Of
discretion. He was frequent visitor
at her fathers house, and after few
months a child was born, the paternity
of which was laid to young Lake. He
fled the country, taking passage as a
common sailor on Chinese merchant
man. From China he went to Japan,
where he acquired the language of the
natives, and finally engaged in export
ing fancy goods and bric-a-brac to this
country. He prospered, saved money,
and finally returned home with snug
little fortune, and continued business
with his headquarters in New York.
He found that during his absence En-
ma had married, and that his child was
in Boston Orphan asylum. He gained
possession of the little unfortunate, 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 misfor-
tune, and she was quite a favorite
among them. Lake visited the child
only occasionally, and supposed that
its mother had lost all interest in her.
Such, however, was not the case. The
latter made frequent visits in secret to
the little one, and manifested great
deal of affection toward her, although
she never revealed her relationship.
This state of affairs continued until
1875, when Lake took Emma from her
studies and brought her to New York
to act as his bookkeeper. At the time
she was bright, fair-haired woman of
16, unusually well developed for her
age. Lake took her to live at the old
Washington hotel, where he registered
her as his daughter. He never intro
duced her to anyone and always led her
to and from the dining-room. She
went to and from his Office with him
daily, and when he spent the evening
out Emma was always left locked in
their apartments. Boarders at the
hotel finally objected to the two peculiar
guests, and, being asked to seek quar-
ters elsewhere, they removed to No. 81
State street. Lake was then between
80 and 35 years old, and his new land
lord supposed him to be the husband
of his youthful companion. The couple
had been in the house but short time
when Emma gave birth to child. Her
mother had neither seen or heard of
her since her departure from the semi
nary, but the day the infant was born
Lake sent for the woman. When she
arrived at the house and found that her
shame had been carried down to her
daughter she went raving mad. and
had to be removed from the house by
force. She was taken to an insane
asylum, where she died of the shock a
few days later.
Before the newborn child was q
month old Lake deserted his family.
He was arrested on a charge of aband-
onment, and at the station-housc de-
MED that the woman was his wife. An
investigation brought to light evidence
of the registration at the Washington
hotel, where he had claimed the girl as
his daughter, and he was held on a
more serious charge. He was tried
and acquitted, after which he removed
with his youthful family to comforta-
BILE but not very pretentious cottage in
Tottenville, N. 7. He kept horse
and carriage in which he drove to the
ferry at Clifton every morning. He
left it in livery-stable there until his
return at night. when he drove home
again. The young woman. who was
doubly related to him, never appeared
in the carriage and was seldom seen in
the streets. Lake continued his unlaw-
full relations with her and his family in
creased. As the second generation of
children grew up, however, they were
found to be idiots, and public indigna-
ton against the father became so
bitter that he was forced to leave
the neighborhood. He next took his af-
ficted family to q house on Todt
hill, a few miles from Clifton. This
was about four years ago, and he was
ed that the mother of his younger child
rem had become insane. She was sent
to an asylum, her children Give in
number) were taken to the poorhouse
and Lake was lodged in jail. He was
tried, convicted. and sentenced to nine
and half years Imprisonment at hard
labor in Sing Sing. He served two
months of his time. when stay on APP
peal was obtained in his behalf. and he
was transferred back 10 the Richmond
county Jail. The general term of the
supreme court reversed the decision
against him in May last and ordered a
new trial. The second trial took place
in the Richmond county court of ses-
sions on March s, and resulted in con-
viction, when the old sentence of nine
years and six months was again in
flicted.
The unfortunate children Of the con-
vict have been transferred from the
poor-house in Richmond county to the
state asylum for idiots at Syracuse.
The DrugGist's Pleasure Boat.
II see. said the Pretzel, to one Of
Chicagos popular druggists, that some
Of our millionaires are enjoying life