Evening star., 1895-07-11
Turned Over to the Board of Chill
dren's Guardians.
said TO Be An INCORRIGIBLE CHILD
Another Phase of the Now Famous
Abduction Case.
HER GOODNESS ON THE STAND


girl who. according to the statement Of her
eldest brother, was abducted by E. Percy
wimsatt after coming up from Colonial
Beach on the Fourth of July, was this
morning turned over to the beard of chill
dren's guardians by Judge Miller. The
chances are that she will be indentured to
an older sister, who Is married, and lives
at Falls Churcn.
The wayward lass was apprehended on
9th street yesterday afternoon by her
brother, Walter Robertson. as stated in
yesterdays Star. She as turned over to
the Police, and. after an interview with
Inspector Hollinoerger, was taken to the
first precinct station. She spent the night
in charge of Miss Lewis, the matron of the
STATEN, who has had SO many wayward
girls under her kindly care. About 10
o'clock this morning Detective Rhodes
drove up to the station in a buggy, accom-
panied by Mrs. Taylor. the Falls Church
sister. They took Irene with them and
drove direct to the Police Court.
In Judge Miller's room the young girl
was given a seat in one corner, but the
news soon spread abroad that the heroine
of this rather curious and mysterious case
was In court. and in few minutes the
room became crowded with people anxious
glances well, and was as composed a per-
sonage as there was in the room.
1t is said to be the rule to speak of any
young girl who gets into the meshes Of the
law as being pretty. or at least. attractive.
1t lends interest to the story. Irene Rob-
ertson Is very close to being a beautiful
girl. Any one who saw her on the stand
this morning will bear cut that statement.
Although not yet fifteen, she Is rather well
developed, and has a dainty figure She is
a typical summer girl" In court this
white chiffon veil bound round It, She
wore a blue and white shirt waist, with a
big sailor tie and a plain blue serge skirt.
Her hair is very dark, almost black, and
and tied in loose coil. Her complexion
u nearly perfect. She is very dark, and
her skin Is slightly tanned from her stay at
Colonial Beach, but under It Is a fresh and
healthy color, which covers her cheeks.
especially when she Is indignant. or angry.
Would Have Her own Way.
Willful? Well. rather. She has grown so
accustomed to having her own way that
she brooks no restraint and may be she
didn't look wrathy when the judge told her
that the board of children's guardians
would lave absolute control over her dur
ing her minority! She smiled In a rather
eneerfng manner, as though si1e tertained
grave doubts as to whether any person
or board could get that sort Of control
over her. When on .he stand she was as
cool as could be, and really looked as
though she was making eyes at the judge
ooNSidi tliHeS ne TeprlmaDueQ her rather
sharply, and gave her to understand that
1t was no laughing matter.
BEFORE the case was called a Star re-
porter asked her II she had anything to
Wimsatt Her sister. who was sitting with
her, told her not to talk but she calmly
told her sister that she would talk to
Whomsoever she chose.
ITS absurd to hold Percy Wimsatt on
the charge Of abducting me last fall" said
Irene. Why, 1 didn't meet him until last
decoration day. The man that took Marie
ard me to Baltimore and then to Philadel-
phia on the pretense that the boat was
coming back to Washington was named
FRANK sherwood. One of the policemen
KNOWS him, and Is going to nave him in
court next Monday. and that will disproye
the charge against I'ercy
nave seen Percy couple Of times
Hnce l met him. but my sister forbade me
naving anything more to do with him, and
told me- If Cidn't mind her she would get
the young man into trouble He sent me
TWO letters and a box Of candy with each
letters. AIS
"On the Fourth Of July I carne up from
Colonial Beach with two of my brothers-in.
law. Mr.. Gamble and Mr. Johnson I stay.
ed that night with Mr.. johnson. Mr.. VIM
satt was on the boat. and I saw him. but it
y not true to say thst came up with him.
He left at the wharf and came UP on tie
second car ahead of US. Saturday morning
! I'VE. went to TO- stay with the Cook girls on 9th
that evening, and Monday evening 1 went
down to Marshall Hall with him. Yestcr-
Gay 1 was on my way back to Colonial
Beach with Frank McAleer. who is only
grabbed me and turned me over to the
police. Percy told me once that he was a
married man. but thought he was Joking
like that"
Irene's feelings toward her brother Wal.
ter are not of the kinaest Every time she
she looked as though she would like tc
stick a hat pin in him. AS she was talking
with the reporter he came over to sit down
beside her She jumped up at once with
to the other end Of the bench. so that her
sister was between them. Then she turned
her back en- him and looked away.
The Charge Against Her.
In the information against her Irene was
charged with being an incorrigible child.
She was given a chair in front Of the law
yers' table, and listened intently to the de-
scriptions that were given the court Of her
character ard behavior Sometimes she
in an audible tcne. She would whirl around
in a scornful and defiant manner, and 1t is
safe to say that the board Of children's
guardians will have no sinecure during the
Eext six years.
The evidence in the case showed a rather
curious condition Of family affairs. Irene
is the youngest Of fourteen children, her
brother Walter. who Is forty-two, being the
eldest. From the evidence 1t was clear how
Irene could develop the tendencies she did
and how 1t was possible for her to go wher-
ever she wanted with whom she chose.
Since her fathers death, four years ago.
she has lived with various members of her
family, most of whom are married and
have homes of their own. She would visit
from one to another occasionally, and each
one would feel satisfied that she was being
properly cared for by some of the others.
bhe had no legal guardian, and the money
left for her by her father was held in trust
for her by a man who Is not a member of
the family at all. Most of the time she has
lived with Mrs. Taylor at Falls Church, but
some time ago she went down to Colonial
Beach to stay with two of her sisters, who
have cottages for the summer there.
There were three witnesses who told their
stories in court this morning-Mrs. Taylor.
Walter and J. r. Robertson. The latter is
q married man, with several children. He
ran a butcher stall on Louisiana avenue,
and his stand was one of those which was
recently cleared out. He bears an excel
lent reputation as a hard-working man.
The stories of the three did not agree, and
showed that all is not harmony in this big
family. Walter insisted on pressing the
case against his sister and recounted all
the incidents Of her life for the last year.
giving each in its worst light and implying