The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-23
MRS. BURNS CHILD.
Hearing of Application for Writ
of Habeas Corpus.
THE EVIDENCE NOT FINISHED.
Railway Sued for Losing Trunk-street
Car Company Sued for Personal
Injuries-The Blotter.

The application of Mrs. Kate Burns for writ
OF habeas corpus TO recover her 1S-year-old
daughter, Maggie MCGEE, from the mother
superior of the House OF the Good shepherd.
came up for hearing yesterday before Judge
Lchtenberg. The evi dence occupied q part of
the afternoon and a long night session. Ii was
not then ended, and the hearing was continued
to Monday evening. Several weeks ago Mrs.
Burns made a fierce assault on the mother
superior of the institution for refusing to give
up the child.
Mrs Burns was the first witness called. She
testified TO leaving the child at the House of the
Good Shepherd, but denied that she had agreed
70 leave her there until she became of age. The
witness was very laxative, and volunteered q
great deal of abuse of the sisters at the House of
the Good Shepherd. Neither the efforts of her
attorneys nor the opposition could hold her in
check.
The mother superior OF the House OF the Good
Shepherd testified to receiving the child, but
directly contradicted Mrs. Burns az to the con-
ditions attached. The child was to be allowed
TO remain until she was Is years of age.
Mrs Kate Lynch testified that she had called
the sisters attention to the condition of the
Burns family in December, 1896, when they
were living In a COW shed. The mother had
gone away to San Francisco. One of the child
rem was taken and placed in the House of the
Good Shepherd.
Maggie MCGEE, the child over whom the nght
IL being made, was called up by Judge Lichten-
berg 10 seat by his side. At first she seemed
very tmid and talked only In monosyllabc whis.
pers, but under the reassuring manner OF the
court she gradually gained confidence. She
told OF being sent out to beg by her mother
and of being whipped when she
did not bring back sufficient returns
She had gone with her mother TO San Francisco
after man named Lyons, and while there had
hear mt in fafl a ahnr
mother. When they returned to Seattle they
found the other children living in COW shed.
She had good home where she now was and
didn't want to go back to her mother. Police
Officers William Murphy and w. b. Brooks tes-
tilted to Mrs. Burns bad reputation.
Little Mabel Lynch, the daughter of Mrs.
Kate Lynch, was called In response to ques-
ton as to what would become OF her II she told
q lie she replied with great earnestness; AZ
suppose I'll be sent to JAIL" The court decided
that this answer entitled her evidence to
credence and she was examined. She testified
70 seeing Maggie McGee begging on the streets
and to being sent by her mother to take clothes
to the Brooks fdmiy.
The last witness of the evening was Mary Nc
Gee, the l2-year-old daughter of Mrs. Bunrs. and
her examination occupied more time than that
OF any other witness. In her direct testimony
she denied that either Maggie or any of the
other children had been sent out to beg.
She had been In the House of
the Good Shepherd until taken out
by her mother. She then went on to tell most
improbable story of bad treatment while an in
mate OF the institution, among other things be-
Ing compelled TO sit mp till after midnight to
commit Latin hymns to memory. She also was
not allowed to have sugar in her tea as she did
at home.
When Mr.. Fairfield, the attorney for the rela-
tor In tins case, took the witness In hand It was
the signal of most searching cross -examina-
ton, in which the girl contradicted herself re-
peated. y, although she was always ready with
an answer.
When the time for adjournment came Mr..
winsor, one of Mrs. Burns attorneys, asked per-
mission TO have the custody of the child until
the Mex session OF the court in the hearing of
the case The request was denied, but the at
torney was granted permission TO see the child
alone at the House of the Good shepherd