Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-06
A DARK, SAD STORY.
Is Captain Garrett Her
Father and Betrayer?
MALlA'S MISERABLE HISTORY.
Born Out of Wedl0ck, Ravished
While Child, Misused for Years
and Misrepresented.
MALIA'S MISERABLE HISTORY

Seldom have the annals of crime re-
vealed a more miserable and inhuman
series of events than now surrounds two
cases before the courts of this city. The
public, even in these days of surprising
episodes, some weeks ago was aroused
when painter named James Edgecomb
was arrested, charged with the seduction
of young girl, Malta Garrett, with an
attempt to produce an abortion on her,
and with the rape OF her younger sister,
child Of only II years.
Scarcely had the Cry of horror over
these revelations ceased to echo from the
tongues and in the ears OF the public,
when all sorts of rumors were started
about the girls father, Captain F. NJ.
Garrett. This man had up to that time
stood we'll in the community generally.
There we're some few who knew his repu-
tation was not of the best where he
had lived prior to his arrival in Los An
geles, and they knew that his daughter
Malta had told queer stories of his life
here and elsewhere. For instance, when
7. j. Cuddy was Chief of Police, and SO
strong an effort was made TO oust him,
Captain Garrett was one Of those who
we're put forward to take his place. By
some means Garrett had been put into
the office of Street Superintendent, Gen
eral John M. Baldwin. He was there at
the time now referred to, and Mayor
Workman and John F. Hum phreys, the
President of the Council and ex-officio
a member of the Police Com
from what they knew of
him, advocated his appointment to
the Office of Chief of Police. This
set inquiries on foot by those who were
to this action, and while it
brought to light not very much of posi-
tive nature, it revealed enough to pre-
vent the appointment. It had been un-
derstood that Garrett had served as
Chief of Police in New Orleans. Inquiry
showed that he had only been Sergeant
of Police. Letters were received from
parties who were taken to know and to
be trustworthy, which gave Garrett any
thing but an enviable reputation.
Among other things it was stated that
man with whom Garrett had quarreled
was found murdered, and while there
was not the slightest grounds for sus-
picion that Garrett had killed him, yet
a bad impression 80 far as Garrett was
grew out of this.
He left New Orleans not long
after this and went to Hous-
ton, Texas. After living in this
place while, Garrett's name was noised
about in connection with daughter of
his own, other than Malia. The state.
ment was that he had left that place in a
unceremonious manner. At
the same time, while his appointment to
the Office of Chief of Police was under
discussion here, citizen is alleged to
have told Cuddy that Garrett made him
a tender of $3.50 if he would put up a job
which would throw Cuddy out of Office.
These matters, together with certain
statements made by Malta at this time,
she being then in the custody of Mrs.
Watson, caused Garrett's name to be
dropped from the list Of those seeking to
succeed Tom Cuddy.
But all these things had been kept
quiet and were known to few, so that the
majority looked on Captain Garrett as
man of honor and of rectitude. The sur
prise was therefore all the greater when
Malta Garrett, having in the meantime
married Edgecomb, came forward and
preferred charges of crimes of the most
revolving and sensational sort against
her father. The feeling against the girl
in the community was strong at the time
of the arrest of Edgecomb. 1t was very
strong against Edgecomb b .and the HERALD
being, as it thought, well informed, pub
lished a part OF what had been bruited
abroad against Captain Garrett, in order
to enlighten the public or to keep public
sentiment from condemning two people
who might be less to blame than they
eeemed to be. Captain Garrett denied
these statements in these columns,
and procured their denial at the
mouth of Malta. So the matter rested
for few days. Then came the marriage
of Malta to ,Edgecomb, a marriage which
Garrett tried hard to prevent, and stated
should not take place, whereas the knot
WAS being tied while he was talking.
This was followed by series of sur
prises. The charge of seduction was dis
missed, as would have to be done for
legal reasons anyway, the act having
been done before the statute making it a
crime was passed. But the charge of
Malta was also dismissed. Rumor has
it that Capt. Garrett did not object to its
being dismissed. But all these small
sensations were forgotten when few
days ago Malta Edgecomb swore to three
complaints, all charging her father with
incest, committed on her person, and
setting forth time, place and circum-
stances. There the case now stands.
Edgecomb is out on bail,
under the charge of rape alleged to have
bean committed on the 11-year-old sister
OF the woman who is now his wife; and
the girl's father is out under bonds to ap-
pear today for preliminary examination
on the triple charge Eof incest. So Pc
culiar is the case, and 30 contradictory
the statements made that it appears to
be in the interest OF truth and justice to
give the
STORY OF MALTA GARRETT's LIFE.
The chronicles of crime, nor the pages
of fiction scarcely afford parallel to this
sad biography. The girl is barely Is
years old. She is tall, delicate girl,
pretty, innocent looking, but not
intellectual at all. She has great
black eyes, that look at one with
all the indices of truthfulness in them
and with no deep sense Of the enormity
of her life as the world looks at it.. She
says she does not think she is to blame
under the circumstances, and she looks
as if she felt this to be true. She is very
reticent at present, but from things she
says herself, joined to what she has said
heretofore and to what others relate,
IL these tales are true her history is sub