Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-05
THROUGH THE STORM.
A Father, With His Sick Child, Forced
Out Into the Cold Streets,
PRETTY LITTLE GIRL THE VICTIM.
Agent 0'Brien Will be Called Upon Again
to Invoke the Law
AGAINST AN INTEMPERATE MOTHER

A beautiful little girl, with red cheeks,
bright eyes and brown curls, was carried
into the Allegheny lookup last night and
set down before Captain Wilson's inquiring
gaze. The man who bore the child into the
station house said: "This is the baby which
is abused by its mother, who gets drunk and
leaves it lying in the yard or in the street. -
The man said that his name was Daniel
Keller. He works in the PENNSYLVANIA
Tube Works in Soho and lives in Howard
street. His wife was formerly known as
Emma Mcclure. He sold: II married her
four years ago, and have had no peace
since"
About three months ago the attention of
Agent O'Brien was called to the alleged
abuse of the little girl by her foster mother.
Mrs. Keller was arrested, charged with
cruelty to the child, and had hearing be-
fore Mayor Pearson. 1t was evidenced that
the woman had left the child lying in East
street and gone after liquor. She was given
ten days in the workhouse, on her promise,
after release, to quit her old ways and take
good care of the child.
OUT OF THE ASYLUM.
The little girl was adopted by land Mrs.
Keller from st. Joseph's Catholic Orphan
Asylum, on Troy Hill. Agent O'Brien
threatened to take the child from them and
return it to the asylum, but afterward agreed
to give the woman another trial. Her day
of grace has probably expired.
Mr.. Keller said that when he went home
from work last evening he found that his
wife had been drinking. He found "grow-
Ter" and four beer glasses on the kitchen
table. The little girl was very i'll with the
whooping cough, and its mother had totally
neglected it. No supper had been prepared
and when the husband entered Mrs. Keller
began to abuse him. She lifted the child
from the bed and threw it upon the floor.
Mr.. Keller picked it up and replaced it
upon the bed. He then hurried out
to find a policeman. He and an
officer returned to the house to find that the
woman had gone. They started to search
for her, the officer taking one street and
Keller the other. The latter discovered his
wife and man in an alley near Madison
avenue. The stranger ran one way and the
woman another. Keller was carrying the
little girl and could not run rapidly, so that
his wife escaped him. Some neighbors who
were with him chased the woman's male
companion, but the fellow was fleet of foot
and was not caught.
THROUGH THE STORM.
Mr. Keller then returned to his house and
locked the doors. He found the patrolman
again and asked him to watch the house and
look out for his wife if she came around.
She may be arrested before morning. The
man then carried the little one to the Police
Cfofin a IN
and have the child returned to the Orphan
Asylum. The Mayor had gone home. Kel-
Ter said that he had determined to separate
from his wife. All the money he gave to
her she spent, he said, for drink. She had
led him dogs life. Captain Wilson COM
mended him for his decision, and told him
to come around at o'clock this morning to
see the Mayor. Humane Agent O'Brien
will probably be on hand to make an inlor-
nation against the woman.
Mr.. Keller appears to be a sober, indus
trious man. His neighbors speak we'll of
him. He said that he put half of his wages
into the bank to keep the money from his
wife. The little girl evidently loved him,
and clung fondly to him in the station
house. As she laid her chubby face against
his rough coat, she seemed to be thoroughly
satisfied. With quiver on his lip, the
man said that he did not wish to give up the
little girl, but he felt compelled to do so.
He would not leave her with his wife. He
told the Captain that he could not return to
the house, but would take the child to his
mothers home in Lawrenceville. So he
started forth, and through the snow and
the wind carried that little 3-year-old girl,
with the whooping cough and none
too warmly clad, across the bridge and
through the streets of Pittsburg.