Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-23
BOTH WANT THE CHILD.
y West Virginia Father Leaves the state !
20 Maintain Possession of Bis Little
Daughter

/ 20 Maintain Possession of Bis Little
| Daughter.
/ Ssseial ys,sOr1n to ttS Rs0f'tsr.
COLUMBUS, o., June 22.-A sensa-
tional attempt 10 kdnap little girl
was frustrated by the police this after
noon. About O'Clock two men called
at Central Police Station and introduced
/ themselves as off GERS from Grantsyille,
! w. Va, and stated that they had a
writ Of habeas corpus for Alice Cum
ningham, the ten-year-old daughter OF
! Asa L. Cunningham. They said that
Cunningham had fed with the child
I from Evansville to Columbus 1t
seems that the first wife OF Cunningham
died two years ago, leaving the little
daughter. The woman's marriage to
Cunningham had been a mismated
affair. She belonged TO wealthy
and aristocratic family, while be was
poor and q mechanic. Her parents OBJ
/ iected 10 the wedding, aud made her
married life little more than night
mare by their constant Interference.
Al her death they endeavored 10 take
the child from It's father. he objected,
aud they instituted legal proceedings
TO secure control Of her. The District
Court decided in favor of the father,
but the grandparents appealed the
case. Cunningham feared that the
final decision might be against
him. He had married again, and
with his second wife and the
little girl fed from the State. His dis
appearance was quite mysterious, and
no one knew where they had gone. A
few days ago the Sapreme Court re-
yersed the decision OF the lower courts
and Issued writ Of habeas corpus to
enable the grandparents TO secure the
child. They offered reward OF $500
for the recovery Of the little one. A
couple of Grantsville men determined ID
get the reward. They traced Cunning
ham to Columbus, aud came here to-day
TO find him. 1t was they who called al
Central Station and represented them
selves as officers. Chief OF Detect
ives Mahoney turned the case
over to Detective Peter Murphy
The latter succeeded In To-
eating Cunningham and his wife and
child three miles north of this city, and
drove out 10 their home, accompanied
by the alleged officers from West Vir-
ginia Cunningham made pathetic
plea for mis- little daughter, but the
West Virginia people insisted. In the
meantime the allowed officers began TO
grow nervous and asked about the first
train that would take them out OF the
State. This led Detective Murphy to
grow suspicious and he ordered the
West Virginia people to show their Gre
dentfals and also their papers giving
them authority 10 remove the child.
They thereupon admitted that they
were not officers, but said they had au-
thority 10 act. The presented the writ
of habeas corpus, issued by
the Supreme Court of West
Virgins. Detective Murphy declared
that the document had no force outside
of the State Of West Virginia, and or
dered the alleged officers and the Gun
ningham family to accompany him 70
police headquarters, where he laid the
case before Detective Mahonera The
latter saw 10 a moment that detective
Murphy was right and ordered the two
imposters out of town. Cunningham
was allowed TO keep his child and will
bs given police projection in doing So
The alleged officers refused ~ tell much
about themselves. One OF them said
that his name was s. C. Barr and that
be was connected with a newspaper at
Grantsvilie.
Cunningham said his father-in-law
was not very wealthy, only possessing
hillside valued probably at SO, 000. He
also says the name OF one OF the parties
is 5. c. Barr, newspaper publisher,
and the other, Thomas Waldo, Deputy
Marshal. He seemed very anxious re-
garding the safety Of his child, but
Director Mutchmore assured him that
II another attempt was made to take
her away, the men would be locked up,
as il was believed that they were acting
without authority. However, they
claimed the papers were genuine, and
may yet return 10 prove that they were
acting in good faith.