Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-07-25
DOESN'T WANT TO GO BACK
ORPHANS HOME HAS NO CHARMS
FOR LITTLE nosA.
Ehe Fugitive child weep- Biteriy
at Temporary Rcturn-Hnbeas
Corpus Proceedings TO SNOW
why she should 'sot Return.

Before Judge Harris in the Seven
teenth dlatrict court yesterday the
case OF Rosa Mcknight. the little Or
phan's Home girl. came up for trial.
The child had been an inmate OF the
Home and had been removed BY her
mother from that place. and the OBJ
jeot OF the habeas corpus action was
to restore the child to the Home.
Byron Johnson represented the
child and her mother. and Judge A. r.
Booty represented the Home. The first
witness was Superintendent b. N,
Burohili Of the Home. who takes an
active part In trying 10 take the child
from the custody OF her mother and
restore her to the Homo. Mrs Burchill
testified that Rosa Mcknight had been
an inmate OF the Home for about three
years. that she was brought to her by
a negro woman who told her that tho
child had been left with her for sew
ernl days By its mother. and NOT being
able to provide for H. tho colored
woman asked Mrs. Burchill to make
provisions Tor Il. and D. WIS tiiNnn 10
the Home Mrs. Burchill testified that
tnt luNNtnetb OF lut Homo were mural
and religious, ana that the child was
wen treated while there.
Mrs. JOHN o. Talbot, one Of the
lady managers. tcEtifled Az to the rule
requiring mothers of children the
Orphans Home 20 secure permits from
the board TO be allowed 10 visit their
children. and said II had been found
necessary so take that action be-
cause 1t was more convenient that the
mothers should not all come at once
and -their communication With thclr
children could be better observed.
which Il was nocdful 10 do. as some Of
the motheiu were not proper peraona.
Ara Ramsey. the present matron OF
the home, testified that CHE had held
that position FOR about two weeks.
She stated that the children Jared ex-
csllently: she had seen no evidences N
severe treatment Of the children having
existed before she came there; the in
huQncen were nrst-claas; she did not
know how the child. Rosa Mcknight
Eot away from the home she ala not
miss her til the noon Of the day OF her
escape. Mrs Rnmacy stated that
there could be no uevciitics practlgnd
AZ the home unless she knew Ut them.
Mrs Burohill and tho ladies' of the
board had the freent access "a the Or
nhbns' Home. even 20 the rnutronA
private apartment. and came to the
home whenever they desired to do 40.
The little girl Rosa MchniEht had
been treated nicely the childr~u are
welcome u tell people how they are
tilted at the home. A far as the rule
recurring mothnra to have a permit to
make visits 10 the home was concerned
Mrs. Ramsey said sha did not know
whether II was a recent one; the rule
lCuulrcd that the children must talk
10 their mothers in the presence Of the
matron. and abe obenod Instructions
and was present in the room when
tho mothers came 10 the homo 70 SEQ
their children. Mrs. Ramsey said that
since she had been mntron she had
not treated the childrcn severely,
though she had TO slap them ana switch
them occasionally for bad behavior.
VIII Crum testihed that he had lived
at the OrphnnH Home and as far az he
knew the Influences were moral and
religious and the best closa OF teachers
wrfe employed. lie was there while
Mrs. French was mntrnn of the homo
Superintendent Burchill WAS recalled
md stated that the rule about rcquir-
Ing parents TO got permlta to visit
their children ut the Home has been "a
Htandlng rule, II wstR made by the irus-
tees, There were some OF tito mothers
OF the children who wore good, and
some who were bad. Some OF the
mothers made II n habit TO drop notes
IN their childron'H hands. telling their
girls about certain men aud what they
would do for them. Some OF these
mothers would secretly come 20 the
Home to visit their girls. and as they
were impure mothers. vlioir vlBlta cX-
-htcd an evil influence upon their
children. II was for this reason that
the board mndo tho rule. on one oecn-
sion girl came In with a cake Of soap
which ahc said her mother had given
her, and this girl was discovered
rehding q letter which hor mother had
concealed with the soap, nnd this
letter. Mrs Burchill snid was OF such
a character that II 1t was read TO the
court Il would fully demonstrate
the necessity OF close watch upon the
visits OF such mothers 10 their girls Mt
the Home. Mrs, Burohln became quite
dramatic In her language. nnying that
when boy fell into vice und repentod
he was clothed IN purple and the fattcd
calf was Killed; not 30 when girl loat
her virtue no calr was killed for her
repentance II was for the projection
OF the girls at the Home that she
looked.
Alter Mrs. Burchlil had concluded,
judge Harris said he would postpone
further trial OF the cuse until noNt
Friday morning at . o'clock, and the
question arose what should be done
with the child. Rosa McI<night. dur
Ing the Interval Judge Harris decided
TO send the child back 10 the Home un-
III Friday, whcrcupon tho little child
began to cry bitterly, showing her UNI
Willingness to return. her mother. who
sat by her side In tho court room, be-
gan 20 weep In uniam. and aohblnE
there together a. II their hearts would
hreulk, the mother and child presented
n pathetic scene. superintendent Bur
chill and her attorney would not agree
that the mother should remain at the
Home with the child until Friday. and
u wac with dlfloulty TINT they could
be separated. Ti.r officers aud the
r;stson spoke With tender sympathy To
the Weeping nnir. while Superintendent
Bnrchili stood by and suailed grimly
upon the scene.