The San Francisco call., 1896-11-18
CALAMITY JANE
IS HEARD FROM
Ran Out of Judge Gibson's
Courtroom Ten Years
Ago.
The Sympathetic Jurist Made an
Order Depriving Her of
Her Children.
She Is Now Selling a Book in Montana
of Which She Was the
Author.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALI
COS. Broadway. NoY. Is. {

For the first time since Calamity Jane
ran out of Judge Gibson's courtroom
about ten years ago and disappeared she
has been heard from. AT the present time
she is travelling the Western States selling
a book which relates her many daring ex-
periences
When Judge Gibson was on the bench
Calamity Jane, her children and their
father were before him, and figured In one
of the most striking cases ever tried in the
Alameda County courts. The father
wanted possession of the children and al
legged that Jane was a dissipated character
who was unfit to have their care or Gus.
tody.
When the evidence of the father was all
in Calamity Jane arose and pleaded her
own case. Her costume and demeanor,
both that of typical border woman of a
generation ago, attracted the profoundest
attention, and while she spoke and sobbed
no other sound could be heard.
Judge, said Calamity Jane, "these
children are mine, and | am able to work
for them. l know I'm not church-going
woman, but L m honest. ] drink some
times, but was never so drunk that |
could not protect my children nor did
any one OF them ever want for anything
Now, look at this man who wants to take
EN- from me. Take q good look at him.
Judge, and see if you think be is any more
ht than me to take care of 'en. Judge.
ten years ago / saved that mans life. He
got into a shootinE scrape and was shot
full of holes. If | hadn't cared for him he
would be dead long ago. l nursed him
and cared for him like a sister, and he's
the father of these children that he would
take from me now."
Judge Gibson was impressed with the
aTl'Q @ CT nd hot he in
ton was to award the children 10 their
mother. But the law is very clear on
this point" he said, land l cannot do
otherwise than give the children 10 their
father
Take 'em from me, Judge, and give
'em to him ?" cried Calamity Jane. As
soon as the little ones were approached by
their father they ran to their mother and
she grasped them with an iron grip. The
services OF two or three deputies were
necessary to take them from her.
Judge Gibson admired the woman's
bluntness and evident courage and said
he would see that she was provided for.
Calamity Jane listened to the kind words
from the bench and shrieked as soon as
the Judge finished. She heard her chill
dren crying as they were led off by their
father and the officers and controlled her.
self enough TO say Judge, they don't do
things in this way in Arizona. There they
would have given my children to me and
not to that useless character"
Madam" said Judge Gibson with
moist eye, ''I m sorry I'm not in Arizona
because believe YOU could be made good
l have no such opinion of that man. But
law is law
While the Judge was writing to a chari-
table lady to attend to the broken hearted
mother Calamity Jane rushed out OF the
courtroom, headed for the creek ferry
route and disappeared. For q long time
it was thought the unhappy woman had
ended her life, but, instead, she disap-
peared from Western life for some years,
and has reappeared as an author.
> a newspaper writer, who saw her in
Montana few days ago, thus describes
her:
She is q MISUNDERSTANDING woman, wearing
black sombrero and dress OF dark rough
material. She is long boned and brown and
old, yet active. For years after 1885 she dis
appeared from Western view having married
Clinton Burke at FL Paso, but last January She
reappeared at Deadwood, where a great part
OF her career had been passed, and re-entered
public lie by becoming dancer on variety
stage. This not to her liking. The life Of
the boards proved TOO exacting and hard for
her IN her advanced years, ana she took the
hint OF q friend and became author.
Calamity jane belongs TO a type once COM
mon enough ali over the West. from Dakota TO
the western line OF Montana, but now extinct.
for lew years she was q Government scout,
and she participated in several Indian cam
paigns, notably Clusters Nez Peree campaign
~ 10 go WheE sne received the name by
which sne is now known.
she was Crack rifle and revolver shot and
drifted between the mining camps and stage
posts OF south Dakota, Utah, Montana and
Wyoming for years. For years before her de-
parture tor the South she was a pony express
rider, thus having an occupation sufficiently
exciting in those days, when Sioux were hos
tile and covered every trail. Her route was in
the Black Hills. between Deadwood and Gus
ter, and she covered il without fear. In 1882
she took up ranch near Miles CITY, Mont
and began cattle raising. She also had an in n,
where the traveller might get food drink or
trouble, seemed to him best.