The herald., 1894-04-15
MARY CUNEO'S LOST CHILD
What the Wretched Mother
Has to Say.
She Lost the Little Girl While She
Was Drunk.
She Does Not Know when or Where.
The Daugher lie Probably an
Hsirsss to = Large
ErOpsrtys


let her come here and find me. There's
no danger but what I'll be here when
she comes. Eh, captain?' says the
San Francisco Chronicle of Friday.
The speaker was Mary Cusneo, "ths
holy terror" of Barbary coast and half
the towns in California. The bitterness
with which she delivered the above SEN
tence showed how fully she believes
that every mans hand is against her
and how determined she is that her
hand shall be against every man.
When Mary CuneO came to San Fran
cisco--and whence she came no one, mot
even herself, knowa-the police found
her fighting drunk on the streets one
night and took her to the city prison.
She was we'll supplied with money and
the next day paid q heavy Rne. only to
be returned to the prison 10 hours later
on the same charge. The 6rst arrest
was eight or nine years ago, but. barring
few absences of week oE two at aif.
ferent times, Mary Cunso has been .
regular patron of the police courts Rnda
has probably paid more money into the
city's treasury for fnes than any woman
in the city.
to the police where she got her money,
for she has never been accused of rob-
berry, or, in fact. Of nythiug bat drunk-
ennesa and kindred crimes, while 1t Ia
known that she has given away hum
dreds of dollars to women in her sphere
OF life who were less fortunate than herr
self.
She was last arrested on March Goth,
and despite the fact that she had money
to pay her fine, was sent to the branch
county Jail for 80 days to sober up, and
it was in the office of that institution
she was seen yesterday by q Chronicle
reporter. The reporter had just told
her about q young woman calling her.
self Emily j. Freeman, who was in Dem
yer hunting for her parents, and who
said that all she could remember of her
early life was that she lived with
woman named Mary Cuneo and had
plenty of fine clothes and jewelry. Now
che wants to know who she really is,
and Mary Ounce having disappeared
from Denver the newspapers have been
aiding her in tracing the woman.
Mary nodded her head as the story was
told her, and then gave uttersnce to the
sentence that commences this article.
She was silent for a minute or two and
then said: 'It's my kid all right, [
guess, although l haven't seen her or
even heard OF her for nine years, and to
tell you the truth, don't really know
where or when last saw her," and she
laughed short, vicious laugh as If she
enjoyed the remembrance. "She ought
to be about 10 years old now, and sup
pose she wants to prove that she Ia
Cuneo's daughter in order to get his
money. Well, | won't help her." said
Mary fercely. ''None Of her relatives
shall have her if can help it. Let her
work, and II she wants her mamma let
her hunt for her."
After much persuasion Mary was
coaxsd into telling something of her
life and history, and it sounds proba-
BILE story. II married Cueno in Chicago.
He and his people had money and have
money, while my brother, my only live
ing relative, was also rich. 1 wasn't
such woman then a. am now. Our
daughter was born in 1875, and was
christened by Father Hayes, who is now
in California, Q rich aunt, her father,s
sister, standing godmothsr for her. Or
neo and L came to Denver, ana We lost
money, and l got to drinking. In short.
went to the bad. Our gikl was in 81.
Mary's academy or the BA0red Heart
L
which, but whichever place it was, her
jswelry is there now, for the night I
took her and skipped out LETT her isw-
elry behind. That was, a. say. about
nine years ago. l went first north to
Portland and then south with the girl,
and the last 1 remember seeing her was
at Las Vegas, New Mexico. The trath
ia was drunk, and don't know wheu
or where 1 left her. / doa't even know
how got to San Francisco. I don't re-
member whom was with or anything
about 1t. Judge CampboA, 'Oreaoaf
Campbell they used to call him, will
remember my girl in Portland, bseauaa
he was my lawyer there and did some
business for me.
"Well, after L lost the girl didn't
care, and, for that matter, don't care
now. She was we'll educated and could
get along, even If she was only IL years
old, and she knew the address Of her
godmother in Chicago, but it seems
they didn't get the girl. Eve never
looked for the girl, and, }" with leer, ''I
couldn't tell any body else whore to look
for her, because 1 didn't know whore
lost her, see? We'll, 1 came up hers
and / married again I've got husband
in Watsonville now, Though don't GO
by his name. I've always had money
and can always get money. Where
That's my business. But I'll tell you
what Pm going to do. 1 am going to
Denver as soon as get out Of here, and
find out Charley McCord, my old lawyer,
and hunt up that girl. o, mean it.
Pll get couple of hundred the day 1
get out, and Pm going to Dsnver-not to
help her or her rich relatives, but to let
her see her mamma, fer whom she is
hunting.
II wender where she got that name of
Emily J. freeman ?" unused Mary.
"Her right name is Clara. But maybe
she is married, eh? You say the girl
believes she belongs to rich people in
Los Angeles. Maybe that's true, too.
Maybe l lost her there and somebody
adopted her. No. l don't propose to
tell you any more. l can't read or
write, you see, and I'm not sharp
enough" And Mary winked as she
walked away.
1t is believed that the girl is really
Mary Cuneo's daughter. and that 1t is
necessary for her to prove the fact in
order to secure money left to her by
some Of her fathers relatives. From
whatever source the mother gets her
mo- ey, it seems to be inexhA1stible,
and she never asks but she receives.
Consequently, her boast that she win
go to Denver to see her daughter ia prob
ably no idle Wanting.