The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-13
Ernestine Hirsch, Who Said She Was
Ill Treated.
I
From a Photograph

plished her purpose solely by means of
perjured testimony, and this charge is
supported by the statement of the girl her
self, who says the testimony she gave in
court against Mrs. Hirsch year ago was
given solely at Mrs. Figel's dictation.
The story of the Hirsch-Figel trouble
was partly brought out in Judge LeYy's
court on November %, 1898, when the Gus
tody of the girl Ernestine was in dispute
1t was charged by Mrs. Schiller that her
sister-in-law, Mrs. Hirsch, was using the
child cruelty; that she fed it meagerly,
clothed it poorly, beat it with red-hot
pokers, and forced it to sleep nightly in a
Dathtub. This evidence was supported in
every particular by the testimony OF Mrs.
Figel and Mrs. Bowman, near neighbors,
and on the statement of the girl herself
that the charges were true Judge Levy is
sued an order placing her in the Hebrew
Orphan Asylum on Devisadero street for
safe keeping.
Little Ernestine has since her residence
at the asylum began had ample time to re-
fleet upon her conduct, and on Sunday last
she ran away from the asylum and sought
her adopted mother, who is now living at
the Golden West Hotel. She cried bitterly
and begged TO be taken to the heart of her
adopted mother once more, saying that she
had made the lying statements referred to
because Mrs. Figel had forced her to
do So"
Il was inexpressibly shocked at the de-
velopments in court in November, 1893, -
said Mrs. Hirsch yesterday. According
TO the statements of my sister-in-law, Mrs.
Schiller, Mrs. Figel and Mrs. Bowman L
am monster who ought not to be allowed
to live. l have brought up the girl, who is
the orphan child of my husbands sister in
luxury, and adopted her legally in Austria
eight years ago. We came to this country
in 1890 and have lived in this city two
years. Mrs. Schiller, who is now in Texas,
always hated me because her brother saw
fit to marry me, Gentle. When l lived
at 1882 Ellis street formed the acquaintance
of Mrs. Figel, a friend of Mrs. Schiller's.
They treated me coldly, and one daY when
l told Mrs. Figel not to darken nv doors
aggin, she conspired with Mrs. Bowman
and Mrs. Schiller to deprive me of the GUS
tody of Ernestine. Early in November,
1893, they took the girl away and secreted
her in the home OF Mr.. Silvia, where she
remained several days before l was able to
discover her.
when l located her they refused to give
up the girl and ] was forced to take the
case into court. was there charged with
extreme cruelty toward the child. 1t was
stated that l beat her with redhot pokers,
forced her to run about naked and starved
her. l was willing TO leave the refutation
OF the vile ISLANDERS to Ernestine herself.
but when she said that she would rather
die than return home with me, thus prac-
tically indorsing the charges, l felt | had
nothing more to hope for. The child has
now returned to her home, willing to speak
the truth and expose the treachery of those
whom once received in my house on terms
of warm friendship
Miss Ernestine Hirsch is petite girl,
exceedingly vivacious und intelligent for
one of her years. Her story as told yester-
day is as follows:
''In November, 1893, was living with
my adopted mother, Mrs. Hirsch, at 1892
Ellis street. l call her mamma, and she has
been mamma to me as long as | can re-
member. She treated me kindly at all
times and | never wanted for ANYTHING.
My aunt, Mrs. Schiller, used to visit us
often, but l knew she had trouble with
mamma over something. met Mrs. Figel
at her house one day and they asked me if
didn't want to leave my mamma. I said
no, and they then said it would be good for
me if | did. Mrs. Figel took me to Mrs.
Silvia's house and there told me if any one
asked me questions to answer that nv
mamma beat me awfully with a red hot
poker, and forced me to sleep in a bathtub
at night. Mrs Figel also told me that if |
ever went back to my mamma | would be
killed by her, meaning my mamma"
"Mrs Figel scared me awfully, and when
the Judge asked me if the awful stories
told against mamma were true, Mrs. Figel
fixed her eye upon me, and l said lust
what Mrs. Figel told me to say, that i
would rather die than return home, I
was placed in the Hebrew Orphan ASYLUM.
where 1 remained until last week when
made up my mind to run away. [ was
we'll treated there, but never so well as at
home. I'm very sorry for what L have