The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-02-28
A LITTLE WAIF.
Ed Gibson's 5-Year-old Daughter
Betters Her Condition.
Little Myrtle Has Been Going Bare
foot all Winter--An Affecting
Scene at the Court
House Today.

A very affecting incident took place al
the court house today before Judge
Bradshaw-the legal separation of a
mother from her child. The father is in
the asylum at Salem, the mother and
child being left, and today they were
separated.
Myrtle Gibson is the name of the little
girl, who is 4 or years old, and is to be
taken to the home of the Boys and Girls
Aid Society tonight by W 7. Gardner,
| superintendent of the home, who came
up on last nights train. The child is
the daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Ed Glib
son. Gibson was sent to the asylum a
few weeks ago for the cure of the NOR
phine habit, and his wife, the mother,
has been demonstrated as incompetent
to care for her. She gets heg living by
questionable methods and is otherwise
unfit to care for child. Two of the
grand jury went to the house week ago
Sunday to look into the circumstances.
The house is a small shabby affair across
the track from the depot. It is cold and
cheerless and lighted by hole in the
side of the building about foot by IA
inches in dimensions. The child swears
like trooper, an accomplishment she
learns from her mother, and was nearly
naked. She has been going barefoot all
winter. Two ladies of the Kings Daugh-
ters also visited the place last week.
They found that the little girl was
clothed in a red flannel shirt, intended
oil far ., L. L
which had been cut off, and gingham
apron which should have been put in a
washtub months before. Her hair had
evidently never been combed, for it was
matted and hung in strings as large
around as ones finger. She had new
pair of shoes, but no stockings. The
case was reported to the county court,
and the measures were adopted which
eliminated today in relieving the wo-
man of the child's custody.
Mrs. Gibson, as she appeared before
the court, was very forlorn spectacle.
The faded cloak and straw hat, which
she has worn all winter, looked only a
trifle seedier, and as she sat with her
head bowed by the face of her little one,
she looked the picture of abandonment.
Nevertheless, mothers heart beat be-
meath her shabby attire and her eyes
frequently filed with tears as she pressed
the little one closer to her bosom, as the
convincing evidence came out against
her, calculated to relieve her of the fur
ther care of her child. In the broad
light of day, before the judicial presence,
and in the sight of the lawyers and wit
nesses she shrank abashed, as the evil
dence came out that she failed to pro-
vide suitable clothing; that she con-
sorted with other men; that she was
introduced by her husband into house
of i'll fame; and when she was finally
asked to show canse why the child
should not be taken away from her, she
only said feebly: ST have nothing to
say, only that intended to send her to
my father and mother in few days.
Inquiry showed them to be Mr.. Smith
Bludsoe and wife of Fossil. Mr.. Gard
ner said that inquiries would be made
and if the parents proved to be suitable
individuals to care for the child, they