The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-07
A GIRLS CLAIMANTS.
The Mother VS.. the House of
the Good Shepherd.
BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER,
william and George Peter Resore to
Law to Settle Business Dificultfes-
The B1otter.

The House OF the Good Shepherd. which wa.
Tor long time troubled by the efforts of Mr..
Kate Burns 20 obtain the custody of her chill
dren who were in the institution, was again
brought into the courts Yesterday by an appli.
cstion of Mrs. Minnie Ledducir for a writ of ha
beas corpus to get possession of her daughter
Mile Pelter, who is an inmate of the House
Mrs. Ledducir alleges that last November the
girl, VINO is IL years OF ege, was taken, against
the mothers will, by her father to the House Of
the Good shepherd, where she has renamed
ever since. The girl Is simple minded and the
father abandoned her. The petitioner even
went so far as to charge that the child Ia being
Kept In filthy quarters In a half-staryed con.
dition.
Judge Lichtenberg issued All alternative writ
commanding the mother superior OF the house
70 appear in court with the child, and set the
ease for hearing at O'Clock today. The mother
superior OF the institution was seen yesterday
bysrcporter Of the Posr-IsTELLrGzNcER, and
she said:
In August, 1890, after Mr.. and Mr. Pelter had
had great trouble, they were divorced and their
thres girls, aged II, IA and 16 years respectively
were placed in our care. The husband came 10
me often and told me not to let the mother
have the children az she was living with man
not her husband In January, 1891 he came
and took away the two younger girls to Aber-
deem. and later he came and wanted to take
Minnie, but no arguments, threats OF any outside
slurements could induce the girl to give her
consent to go. She said to her father: ssYou
sDa mother abused and starved me 1 have
good home here and want to stay" The man
gaveup but still warned the mother superior 10
keep the girl away from her mother.
LAST winter Minnie, who is now about Is wears
old. ana tree to choose her own guardian, was
very i'll The doctor examined her and noticed
alarge projection OF the chest bone, and upon
inquiry learned from the girl that the hurt was
the result OF blow delivered with a poker in
the hands of her father.
Shortly after Peltier had made his last unsuc-
cessiul attempt TO win the girl away from us
his vile came and presented a note ostensibly
signed BY him, in which we were directed to
deliver Minnie to her mother. / suspected that
something was wrong, and closely oue.tfoned
the woman about the matter She said that she
bad boy and she had traded the boy off to Pei
der for Minnie. / brought Minnie to her moth
en presence and the two converted for several
hours. Mrs. Peltier cursed the girl. thrust her
Est In Minnie's face, talked at her in English,
French and other languages, but Minnie re-
fused to CO. Mrs. Peltier sent her lawyer, and
be, after talking with her for an hour said
no law could compel the girl to go with her
mother as she was not under coercion aud was
old enough to select her own guardian.
From my own knowledge / know nothing of
Mrs Pelt!er, but from her conduct here, from the
people she has brought with her to press her
Claims. and from what have read of her in the
newspapers, should not like TO have Minnie go
TO her. In this home the girl has developed into
IN obedient, gentle hammered, good and useful
woman; under Mrs. Peltier's influence God
only knows to what she might descend. The
girl told me at one time that her parents had
sent her out for shameful purposes.
Mrs. Pe!tier 10 now Mrs. Ledducir, having
married man with one leg. 1t is said that she
has been a recipient of public charity for some
time, and that last winter she sent her little son
out to beg on the streets.