Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-11-02
RACE TOR A CHILD.
1000 Miles Across the Continent.

1000 Mics Across The Continent
/ On Sunday, October 21st, Mrs. Ysidors
Couts Gray, of San Diego Co., California
wife of VIM. B. Gray formerly of Angus
til county, arrived at the Eakleton Hote
here, accompanied by her brother i'll law
Col. Chalmers Scott of California. Theil
business here was to regain possession OF
Chalmers Scott Gray, a five year-old boy
son of MI. and Mrs. Gray, whom the father
had taken possession of about three weeks
before and started east with. for his old
home near Stanton. The father had gone
by way of the Canadian Pacific railroad
while the mother took shorter route and
arrived here ahead Of him. Mrs. Gray Oil
arriving here secured the services of Al
torney A. G. BraXton who prepared a peti.
ton asking that receiver be appointed fol
the custody of the child, and presented it
to Judge Mclaughlin at Harrlsonburg.
The petition was granted and Sheriff n G,
Watts appointed receiver. So, when the
2.54 "A. M. &. Il 0. train arrived from the
West last Saturday with Mr. Gray and his
sister, and the little boy, Sheriff Watts
| served the notice on him and taking pos
session Of the child took it to his home,
The judge fixed November 10th, for the
hearing in the Circuit Court at Stanton.
and it will then be decided who is to have
the custody of the boy; at present both
parents have theprivilege of seeing it while
MIR. Watts has it in charge.
The petition of Mrs. Gray sets forth that
she is thirty-two years of age, has been
married five or six years, is possessed of al,
estate worth from forty to fifty thousand
dollars and is fully able and willing to take
care of and rear the child. That her hus
band is a confirmed drunkard and debauche
with all the domestic trouble that those
terms imply. That she has given him nc
cause to desert her and that she believes
two of his sisters are largely responsible fol
his abduction of the child. That While alb
Quoting the boy he was arrested at Fresno
California, but made his escape by some
strategem from the custody of the officers.
That her husband does not support her and
never has, being person Of 10 pecuniary
atheist. That the petitioner has applied
for a divorce from her husband on account
of the gross cruelty with which he has
treated her. She desires the custody Of hel
Child that she may support, educate and
provide for it, all of which she is amply
able to do. In addition to her own prop
erty, her child, il left with her, will have
! good prospects of inEleriting q considerable
sum additional from petitioner mother.
She then requests that a receiver to take
immediate charge of the child be appointed
| and that her husband be made party de
| PENDANT to this petition and required tc
answer the same, and closes with the pray
Ell that the husband be perpetually enjoined
from in any manner interfering with OF at
tempting to exercise any authority over
the child.
| MI. Gray S SIDE of the matter is stated
as follows He totally denies the charge
Of being d drunkard. He has felt for a
year OF more that there N ust he change
as his life Oh his mother in-laW' S ranch in
California was Improbable and unhappy.
He has tried to persuade his wife to come
to Virginia to live and in these efforts has
been joined by his mother and his sisters,
but without avail, though his wife was told
that his health needed the change. He at
last took the child away hoping his wife
would follow. He denies Mrs. Gray's claim
that she is worth from forty to fifty thou
sand dollars; she has no means whatever to
properly cultivate even the lao acres which
her mother allowed her to live on. that being
part of a ranch still in litigation and has
been for thirty years. He has repeatedly
had to send to his brother, Henry j. Gray
of Arizona, for financial help, and Mrs.
Gray has continually said that she looked
to her brother-in-law, MI. Gray Of Arizona,
for her sons education. The chief cause
of their domestic unhappiness has been the
continual contentious and family feuds
/ that surrounded them. The charge of
atheism is untrue, and there is no founda-
ton for it except that he did not believe
in the Roman Catholic religion, and was
very much opposed to having his sol
brought up in that religion. The defendant
denies that he escaped by strategem at FIRES.
no, but says he was released by the State S
Attorney.
Messrs. Curry g. Blease will represent
Mr.. Gray, and Mr.. A. G. Braxton will rep.
resent Mrs. Gray at the hearing IN The
Circuit Court.