The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-05
81, Ellington 81, Goodwin 20, Stewart 20,
Hall 49, Williams IS, Telling 18.
TOOK LITTLE LOIS AWAY.
Her Fathers Cousin, George K
Edwards, Secures
Possession.
How the Child of the Suicides Was
Made to Leave Her Foster
Mother.

Little Lois Edwards, the four-year-old
child who survived the awful fate of the
Edwards family, at 1857 Market street, i:
no longer under the care of Mrs Danie
Skerrett of 113 Webster street.
On the night before she and her husband
committed suicide Mrs Harry III. Edwards
wrote letter to Mrs. w. NJ. Fowler in
which she asked that lady to assume
charge of what little she left behind, and
when the child, Lois, was found still alive
Mrs. Fowler, following the spirit of thai
communication, took charge of the little
one, and in time Lois was turned over by
the Coroner to Mrs. Fowler's sister, Mrs
Skerrett, for temporary care. Mrs. Skier
rett intended to adopt the child, if posi-
BILE. Lois had, therefore, been living with
Mrs. Skerrett ever since until Saturday.
The funeral of the Edwards occurred
Friday, and among those attending the
obsequies were Mr.. and Mrs. George K
Edwards of 62 Delmas avenue, San Jose
This Edwards was a cousin of the unfor-
nate man, and he wanted to take the child
away with him then and there, and was
only prevented after some little trouble.
Finally, however. he seemed to become
reconciled to having Lois remain with
Mrs. Skerrett and expressed his satisfac-
ton with the arrangement, saying that
MIS-. SkeTrett COuIu Keep bue Cnllu lot sew
eral weeks, or even until he got ready to
go to Chicago, where a brother oil
the dead man, Burr Edwards, said to be q
packer and very wealthy, lives.
On Saturday Edwards returned to Mrs.
Skerrett's, accompanied by Mr.. Duncan
who has recently become a resident OF
Central avenue in Alameda, and had In
times past rendered some pecuniary as.
sistance to Harry Edwards.
@1ax, LODI y
afternoon and Mrs. Skerrett's husband
was downtown on business They asked
Mrs. Slserrett to lie. them have the child
and finally succeeded in their mission, not
however, with Mrs. Skerrett's consent, nor
according to her story, with the consent Oh
the child. Mrs. Skerrett described their
visit and its result as follows yesterday:
l was quite surprised at Mr.. Edwards, and
more so at Mr.. Duncan. The latter had refused
q reqtlest of Harry Edwards just before he died
for 500 He had let him have about $40 pre-.
viously. This refusal, though, of Mr.. Duncan's
kindly disposed toward him, and after while
he went outside, leaving Mr. Edwards in here
to try to get the child alone.
The child kept saying that she did not want
10 go, and Mr.. Edwards was here for several
hours pleading and arguing First he wanted
to take Lois out for walk promising to surely
return her, but said he had broken his word OF
the day before and l could not trust him.
Then he wanted to give her a ride on the cars
but to that / would not assent. The child
would come and tug at my dress and beg me
not to let the two men take her away. At las t,
however, he used the persuasion OF some
candy. asking the little one if she would like
some fresh candy. Well, he ultimately got her
away in spite of her appeals to be left with me.
1t just seeI2ed as if | could not do anything
to prevent them taking Lois. | felt that Il had
a moral claim on her, but was not SO sure OF
any legal claim. l think it was cowarily on
their parts for two big men 20 come here and
try to fntimidate a woman.
The child was getting along very nicely. You
must understand that the suicide of heI
mother and father was terrible shock to her,
but with the care she was receiving she was
doing very we'll
Mrs. Fowler felt very indignant when she
learned of the action OF Edwards and Dun
can.
An effort will be made by Mrs. Skerrett,
through her husband, to-day to obtain
legal assistance against George K. Edwards,
and, if possible, to bring some proceeding
which may compel him to return Lois to
her custody.