Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-11-04
WANTED, 4 SOLOMON.
THE CASE OF MRS. APPLEGATE, MRS.
 HUNT AND LITTLE EDNA.

or the few facts i'll this case which are admitted by everybody the most important Is the following advertisement, printed Monday morning, Sept. 16:
 For Adoption.-A pretty little girl, , years; none but responsible parties need answer. A, B. box PTS World.
 The second undisputed fact is that, as the result of this advertisement, Mrs Ben jamin Applegate of BIO Fifty-third street, South Brooklyn met Mrs. William Hunt of Van Dam street, Long Island City, in the Flatbush railroad station week ago last Saturday, and there handed over to her q beautiful child. The third undisput- cd fact is that Mrs Applegate brought Mr. and Mrs. Hunt before Judge Duffy, in Long Island City, yesterday, charging them with Kidnapping her daughter, Edna Ray Applegate. After this all is mystery.
 First, the story of Mrs. Applegate, mid dle aged, eminently respectable, i'll rustling silk, very fearful. T am the wife of d sea captain, , said she to the judge. We have four children and are well off. A woman l know. U Mrs. Bennett, who has several children and little money, came to mo about Sept lS and showing me an adver- tisement said she had received many let ters from various parts of the country but one from Mrs William Hunt of Long ls- land City pleased her best
 "She said she wanted to give up her 4-year-old child, but as she was going immediately to Tennessee to stay q few weeks and us she was not certain whether Mrs. Hunt would treat the child well she asked nc if 1 would not send Edna to board there for u week. l agreed and took Edna to the Flatbush station and gavo her to Mrs. Hunt to board for week. After q few days 1 could not stand 1t and went and demanded my child 1 told her the circumstances, but Mrs. Hunt was very cruel to me. She and her husband called mo all sorts of names and refused to let me kiss Edna 1 offered payment of wees's board, which they at first accepted and then gave back. My child was born at Tompkins Cove, Reekland county"
 Then came Benjamin Applegate the husband. Il pay S990 taxes yearly on Brooklyn property 1 own. 1 am also part owner of the freight steamer James Du- rant l am the father of this child.
 Then there were Mrs. Applegate sister, Mrs. Hopkins, who swore she was present when Edna was born, and little Myraud Applegate, who identified Edna IS his sis. ter.
 Mrs. Hunt now took the oath and told
 
 mo Friday, Sept. 70, in answer to q letter 1 had written, answering the advertise ment. She told me that she had got a7 letters in reply to her advertisement, and that mine was the first she had answered. She told me that she had four children of her own and one she had adopted. She said she had adopted this child when it was | year and half old, paying 800 She said the ehild's mother ran away with an= other man a few daYs after the adoption. She arranged with ne to meet her i'll Flat bush station, and when l met her she hand ed over the child and promised 10 come the following Thursday and sign the pa pers. She did come, but demanded the child back. 1 had been questioning the child and had found out from her that she knew that Mrs. Applegate was not her real mother.
 Annie Gardner swore that she was servant to Mrs. Hun6 that she had heard | Mrs. Applegate talk to Mrs Hunt and that Mrs. Hunts testimony was a correct ropor; of what she said Further, she too had talked 10 Edna, and Edna had told her that Mrs. Applegate was not her moth CT All this time thero had been the great est exoitemcnt in the courtroom Mrs Applegate had been weeping and appeal
 
 weeping and elinging to Mrs. Hunt, now trying to break away and go to Mrs. Ap- plegate. An idea struck the puzzled judge. He leaned over the desk and heamed on the little girl
 Tell mo, little girl, ' he said is that lady there your mother" And he pointed at Mrs. Applegate.
 The child looked at Mrs. Applegate, who stretched out her arms. Then the child said: No, no. She is not my mann ma
 T don't know what to do, said the judge, throwing himself back ill his chair
 "rhe child is hystcrieal, - said MT. Alp plegate.
 That may be, said the judge. but can't take her away from Mrs. Hunt l will have to see tho Society For the Pre- vention of Cruelty to Children and get a writ of habeas corpus
 1t was now late in the day AIr. and Mrs. Hunt, Edna and the Hunt witnesses went one way; Ms. Applegate, hysterical and supported by her husband and sur rounded by her relatives, went the other way.
 Solomon never had the like of this to decide, said Judge DutIy.-New York World