Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-08-21
A TERRIBLE STORY.
The Career Of q Convict who Mar
rfed HIS Own ChiId-Three Gem
erstsoua of wrecked Minds.

eratfons OF wrecked Minus.
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 Ee,o York World, at special
torn 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-balf 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-
tiops. Lake was born in Topsville.
Mass, and when but Is years old be-
came infatuated with Emma Sweeney.
Young woman of that village, who
was possessed of a limited amount of
discretion. He was frequent visitor
at her fathers house, and after few
months child was born, the paternity
of which was laid to young Lake. He
fed the country, taking passage as a
common sailor on q 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 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 bookkceper. At the time
she was bright, fair-haired woman of
16, unusually well developed for her
age. Lake took her 10 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 snd 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-
tiers elsewhere, they removed to No. 81
State street Lake was then between
80 and IS 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
few days later.
Before the newborn child was a
month old Lake deserted his family.
He was arrested on n charge of aband-
onment, and at the station house 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 q comforta-
BILE but not very pretentious cottage in
Tottenville, N. Y. He kept . horse
and carriage in which he drove to the
ferry at Clifton every morning. He
left it in r 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 Deighborhood He next took his af-
flicted family to Q house on Todt
hill, few miles from Clifton. This
was about four wears ago. and he was
again indicted. Then Il WAS discover
cd that the mother of bis 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 10 nine
and . half years imprisonment ut hard
labor in Sing Sing. He served two
months Of his time, when stay on an
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
new trial The second trial took place