The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-15

name of Gertrude Ashbaugh, and in whose
closet there is hideous skeleton that
keeps her from sleep at night and makes
her hide her shame with two thicknesses
of yelling by day.
She belongs to family of high stand
ing and is related to some of the best
known people in this county. Her father
is dead. but she has mother who has
sufficient devotedness to supply brace OF
parents.
On the 9th day of April this same
Gertrude Ashbaugh" gave birth to q
baby boy at the Cobb den. known
by the more respectable name of
Cobb's Confinement Hospital, on South
Ida avenue. Mrs. Cobb was paid
literally for her services. about twenty
times more than doctors Zee, and it APP
pears that these services included the de-
cidedly unfeminine task of keeping her
mouth shut. In addition she was to pro-
vide home for the baby and it is said the
mother was to give 50 per week for its sup
port The contract was to be a good
home, but regardless of all this Mrs. Cobb
at the dead hour of midnight some three
weeks ago took the child to the humble
home of a man named Hamilton in the
southeast part of the city and laid 1t on
the door step. Hamilton and Mrs. Cobb
had previous arrangement about the
matter and at the proper signal Hamilton
came out, took the baby in and placed 1t
in the arms of blind wife who had two
children of her own.
This Hamilton family is so poor tina.
it was county charge to some
extent until recently. That WAS
the good home Mrs. Cobb got for the
baby. 1t is said that she never would take
the mother of the baby to his new home so
that she would not be able to know what
kind of a place 1t was.
In due time the police became aware of
the matter and ascertained that the baby
see Mrs. Cobb and she actually con-
fessed to him that she did not
even know that Hamilton had a
| wife. This was such fine illustration
| of her humane tenderness that the police
had her arrested for abandoning child.
| The baby was then placed in the Children 8
Home. Mrs. Cobb, for reasons best known
| to herself, and of service no doubt to her
| case, applied for writ of habeas corpus,
| to have the baby taken away from the
| Chi,dren's Home and returned to Hamil-
| ton The writ was denied by Judge Reed,
who delivered beautiful lecture on the
| occasion. On the day of the trial
| the mother Of the baby appeared In court
| and caused sensation By the numerous
| thicknesses of veil she had on. When she
came into court she bad the art of disguise
down so pat that she actually walked like
an old decrepid woman,
Mrs. Cobb was dead set on taking that
baby away from the Children's home be-
cause there was no revenue there for her
and having the reputation OF the mother
| in the palm of her hand it is intimsted
| that she persuaded her to apply for writ
of habRas corpus which she did. The case
| was to come up for trial in the district
| court last night.
At 7:3O two women, dressed very stylishly
| in black, with three or four thlcknesses OF
| black veil over their faces, and COBB and
| his wife appeared at the door of the Office
| of the county attorney and were soon adj
| mitted. A secret conference was then held
| between County Atty Boone, X. Hatfield
aud the quartet. This conference lasted
| till o'clock when the case was called in
court.
County Attorney Boone and Mr.. Hat
| field crowded around the judge on his
bench, each of them having their mouths
| to each of his ears. The judge shook his
head several times, and the spectators
| who were wrought up TO a terrible pitch
| of curiosity saw that their talk didn't 20
| with the court. Mr. Boone told the judge
that he was willing the baby should he
| given to the mother Tor the reason that he
did not desire to have her shame published
| to the world.
"A public office is a public trust" said
Judge Reed, "aud | must have this thing
| Investigated. l must have time to inquire
| into it," He then adjourned court with
out passing on the matter, and in the
meantime asked Chief Cone to make full
and thorough investigation and report tG
him.
The case against Mrs Cobb will come w
for hearing in the police court at o'clock
today and as no one would give Cone any
information about the identity of the
| yelled woman whom he wanted as wit
ness, he concluded at once to watch for the
said yelled woman till she left the county
attorneys Office and serve a subpoena OIL
her. The attorneys were on to his design
Rodolph Hatfield aud the CObbs left first
and then Mr. Boone left aud locked tn,
door behind him. This made Chief Con,
hot and he vowed to stay right there a
that door for twenty years If necessary Il
serve that subpoena Ears and eyes wer,
applied to the key hole but there was mo-
sign of life within. 1t then was sug
gested that the attorneys gave him th'
film fam and that,while everybody's at
tention was attracted by the brief proceed
ings in the court the yelled woman es
capped. The chief and his lieutenant, Mr.
Sutton, were about TO retire III Glspair
when Mrs Cobb and her husband entered
| the court house from the rear, and walked
up the steps. Cobb pulled the key of tn
! county attorney Office out OF his poke
the Office himself Before the chic
could get to the door it was locked from
| the inside in his face. This made hln
| very hot, and he vowed to stay at tina
door forty years if necessary.
| The night watcbman stood In with tn
play of the attorneys, for he told the chic
| point blank that the women were not II
room. Il believe he is lying" said tn
| chief. land I'll stay here any way.
Pretty soon the night Waterman went int
the room again, and as be opened tn
door TO come out, Mr.. Cone and Mr.. Su.
| ton rushed IN and conquered the fortres
of the yelled beauty ana her mother, VIII
were found croucning IN a corner of tA
room on the floor.
"Obi save me. save me. Mr.. Cobb" sal,
the unfortunate young woman, bn
II was too late. Cone marche'
the two women down stairs ant
took them IN hack TO pole
| HEADQUARTERS where. in the chiefs room
| they were asked to unveil, which they did
and told the whole story, giving thei
names. residence aud who their relative
we're The chief then took them to wher
| they were lodging and in compliance wit
the pon-refusable petition OF tears prom
i,ed that he would not dIvuige thel
! Identity. They tried hard TO deceive tn
officers. but the latter held ali the tru M
| and beat them in the gsme- When Chic
| Cone left them he had them IN a plac
where he can put his hand on them II
! five minutes. Both women are smart
bright, Intelligent and wealthy but thei
| last card has been PLAYED aud they ar
trusting in the generosity OF the victor
TO save the reputation OF the youn
woman from the world, for In tni
section of the country the reputation
of the young woman's mother }
sposless. Daring the last week III tet
ruary woman came to the ofIc
OF a certain prominent physician IN th'
city. Il have pititul story 70 tell you
K want you to help me and Will say nov