The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-22
FIGHTING FOR HER CHILD.
A sTRANee CASE NowINTHEcou
Jennie Golden Opposes the Board Of
Children's GuardIans-Trying to Keep
Her Girl Amidst the vilest
Surroundings Imaginable.
daily Sentinel, May 1871

daily Sentinel, May 49,
The board Of children's guardians, created
by the late legislature, made its first legal con-
test yesterday to retain possession Of children
whom it had taken ont of the custody of parents
or other real or assumed guardians. 1t met
with fair success. In two cases the parents did
not attempt TO contest the boards authority in
taking away their children; in one case the
trial was continued until important witnesses
could be secured, and in the remaining two
cases the court refused to grant the petition of
the board.
The cases were tried before Judge Rowland.
The board of guardians was represented by one
of its members, Attorney Charles Martindale
the Rev. o. c. McCulloch and Frank FIanner,
two members of the board, being close at hand
to offer advice. The case which occupied the
attention-and the only one, in fact in which
there was any contest-was that of Jennie
Golden, buxom lass of about fourteen years,
and the daughter of Jennie Golden, VINO keeps
one of the most notorious and vile houses of
ill-fame in the city. The board recently took
her away from her mother and had her placed
in the care of the sisters of the good shepherd.
! The authority of the act was contested by the
mother, who came into court yesterday MORN
ing with two attorneys, Messrs. Horton and
PartlOw. She is a stalwart woman, not
Ddu looking except LOT a VICIOUS eye. t1eT
conduct during the case indicated also that
she had a reasonable degree of intelligence and
shrewdness. No attempt was made to deny
the character of the woman, and the case was
fought solely on the question OF the girls age
the mother contending that she was fifteen
and the board maintaining that she was but
thirteen or fourteen, which would place her
within the reach of their authority The girls
appearance rather substantiated the allegation
made by the board to her age. She was
hut nd sfaly alnI
youthful.
The first witness called by Mr. Martindale
was Sergt. John Lowe, who testified that Mrs.
Golden's resort on the canal, south OF Flrst-st,
was one of the worst in the city being visited
by both black and white, black men visiting
white girls. Mrs. Golden had, herself beer
living with q cOlored man for several years. He
had known the young girl for several years
and was confident she was not over twelve
or thirteen years old.
Sergt. Bruce testified that he had known the
girl six years, having raided the house several
times. She could not have been over seven or
eight when he first knew her.
A ledger kept by the Indianapolis benevo-
lent society was introduced into evidence. 1t
contained the following entry, under date OF
1881: Observation-Disclosures Golden, aged SIX,
daughter of Jennie and - Golden" together
with the pauper and criminal record of the
family.
This was the most important evidence intro
duced, probably, during the trial. Frank
Wright, who is now connected with the benevO-
lent society, was put on the stand, and In reply
to questions by Judge Rowland, explained
how information such as conveyed by the
above entry was obtained. He said the society
had blank forms which it used for such
purposes, obtaining the information from the
most reliable source it could. Mr.. Wright was
sharply cross-examined, but his testimony was
not impaired.
Officer Frank Hirt, colored, testified that he
had known the girl eleven or twelve years and
she could not be over thirteen now. He had,
furthermore met her oD her way to school one
day last summer and asked her how old she
was. She replied that she was going on
thirteen.
This concluded the testimony for the board.
On behalf of the mother there were several
witnesses, including the girlherself, the mother,
the grandmother Matte Hyde, a sister of Mrs.
Golden, and Mrs. Mamie Muzzie, daughter of
Mrs. Golden. The testimony of all these
witnesses was to the effect that Jennie was
fifteen years old, having been born Jan. 20
1874, but cross-examination and questions by
Judge Howe made it look very much like the
witnesses had been Instructed" as to their
testimony. None of them, for example, save
| Mrs Golden, knew the exact age OF any of the
other children, although they could give the
day and month of Jennies birth.
Mrs. Golden testified that her husband left
her nine years ago and died about year ago.
She said it had been her intention to send the
girl Jennie to her mothers, Mrs. Harriet
Dotys, to live. 1t was shown, however, that
the latter had succeeded very poorly in raising
her own children.
Mrs Muzzie, the next youngest sister to Jen-
ME- appeared TO be the most respectable look
ing of the Golden witnesses and got very in
dignant when asked whether her husband was
a white man.
This concluded the testimony, and as Mr..
Martindale wanted to secure some other wit
nesses the case was continued The girl Jen-
ME- was ordered back to the sisters home in
the interim, the announcement OF which fact
| caused her to break out into tears. The girl
was neatly dressed. Her mothers idea of
motherhood was probably embodied in her
declaration on the stand that she always saw
that her children had plenty TO eat and wear"
The next case called was that Of Belle Doty,
| whose infant had been taken from her by the
board and placed in the colored orphans
home. Strange 10 say, she was a sister OF Mrs.
| Nellie Golden, who figured in the other case.
| The child, who was taken from her, a mu-
| latto. She did not attempt to contest the &C.
| ton of the board.
| The next case called was that of Cynthia Ann
! Kane, swhose boy was taken from her and
| placed in the Indianapolis orphans home. She
| did not protest against the action, and seemed
averse to testifying but was put the stand.
| She was living now with Tom Coleman, and
| when asked whether he was white or black,
| she replied: Neither one; he's brown" But
| she is whitei
The woman wanted to know of the board if
she could ever get back her child in case she
reformed and redeemed her character"
| The board also had two boys, Arthur West
| and Walter Sharp, aged about thirteen each,
whom it recommended for the reform school,
| but the evidence failed to show that the boys
were particularly bad 1t did show, however
| that they were homeless and liable to drift into
criminal channels 1t is for just such boys as
these that the board wants the county to estab-
/ lish a home for children. There is now no
/ place for them. There are places for girls and
nj
tween nine and fifteen. Under the evidence
Judge Rowland could do nothing with the
/ boys.