The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-15
tx II RA!
$50 O'CLOCK
MORAL MURDER
StrOngDefinitiOn in GOIdie
Hope Case.
Anti-Cruelty Society Opposes
Mothers Petition.
Mrs. Hopes Tears Plead Most ElO-
'uently for Her Child.
nti-Cruelty Society Opposes
Mothers Petition.
Mrs. Hopes Tears Plead Most ElO-
'uently for Her Child.

In the appellate division OF tho su-
preme Court was heard, by Justice Tilling-
hast, presiding justice, and Justices
Rogers and Doulgass the petition OF Vic
toria Hope mother OF "Goldie" Hope alias
Oelsen, alias West, alias Williams, for the
custody OF her child. The latter is now
in the care of the society for the preven-
tion of cruelty to children OF this city,
1t having been, after hearing of The case
in the municipal court OF this city,
given TO that organization to care for.
Mrs. Hope, some time ago began proceed
ings TO recover the possession o! her child
and retained as her counsel Lorin nj.
Cook. She was not present at the hear
ing in the municipal court
The child over whom the dispute is had
was found living with a colored woman
named Williams, a bout three months ago,
in low locality in this city, and she was
in frightful condition. The police au-
thorities began an investigation of the
case and the newspaper reports first in
formed Mrs. Hope OF the whereabouts OF
her child, which she had not seen since
few months after il was born. Mrs.
Hope came here after the child was given
to the.society ana was told by agents OF
the society that ii would be given to her
II the investigation that would be made,
showed her proper person TO bring up
and educate the child.
According to the statements OF Rath-
bone Gardner, counsel for the Society,
made III open court today, that organiza-
tion believes II would be moral murder to
give the chifd into IT'S mothers custody.
Mrs. Hope on the other hand gave a very
stfaitforward account of her life since the
birth of the child and while very ner-
vous on cross-examination scarcely once
hesitated Tor n reply to the, at times,
search ing questions put to her.
-. l.Aw 81 nAII AAgtt
fed her name was Victoria Oelsen, before
she married, and that her present, home
was at 167 Palmer street, Cambridgeport,
Mess, where she resides with her hus-
band. She was ii years of age when her
child was born, In 1889, and when she re.
covered from her sickness at the hospital
incidental 10 the birth Of her child,
which was born out of wedlock, she
went out nursing, and her infant was
given into the custody Of n colored wo-
man named West, or Williams, VINO at
that time had six ether children in her
custody. Next Mrs. Hope went to do
housework in a family residing in Wake
field, and on leaving.there, though sick,
she paid aH-tAat vase -dHe fer the child's
board. After recovering from her illness
she went TO the house where the colored
woman had lived and found the furni-
ture there, but the family gone. Six
months afterward she married and tried
even harder than before to get her little
girl "A lawyer named Joyce OF Cam
bridge got track of the colored woman's
whereabouts and wrote her, then she left
for parts unknown.
Before tho West woman went away she
expressed to Mrs. Hope great devotion
for the child, and the next move made ny
witness was TO get a detectives terms for
irving TO find the child, but that official
wanted S3 day and expenses, and insist
ed upon the'payment being made in cash.
4a ant Hn.No nttIH 81 m
her husband was only getting s15 per
week. She stated that during her married
life she had worked in several hotels,
such as the Bigelow and in a number of
boarding houses, but she denied oil the
charges made against her of improper
conduct in the depositions taken in be-
half of the society.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Gardner
witness said that she lived with her hus-
band about two years out OF the four they
had been married; that her father re-
married when she was nine years old and
then she went to live with her aunt until
her child was born. Her parent, she said,
had told her he had made the father of
the child pay him s75.
Then COUNSEL asked her about her
fathers life and some of these questions
were deemed by the court as being too
remote. She was married in 1892 and her
life with her husband had been part of
the time happy one. She again posi-
lively denied having improper relat ions
with any one where she worked.
Mrs. Hope admitted to Mr.. Gardiner
hat she told representative of the So
ciety for the Prevention OF Cruelty to
Children that her husband was n orink-
ing man but denied having told either
the representative OF the Massachusetts,
society or that OF this city that she was
going to get divorce from her husband.
The petitioner stated che worked in
ctaf. nj NJ atat lNaf. otr L..
Boston and that her income, tips in
cluded, was between 81 and - week.
Ii was also disclosed that when Mrs.
Hope first wanted to take the child she
claimed she was going to live with her
father.
Mr.. Cook then submitted letter from
the Massachusetts, Society for the Preven-
tion OF Cruelty to Children, in which the
statement was made that III the child was
sent TO Boston 1t would take 1t in charge.
lie then rested his case and MIR. Gard
ner, after few brief remarks as TO the
position OF the society in the matter be-
Fore tho court, begun the reading OF a
numbcr OF depositions taken in Cam
kridgspo ands Boston.
Among these was one from the wife OF
Mrs Hopes father, in which she stated
shat she knew nothing against Mrs.
HOPE, but sister OF the, latter
stated that she and Mrs. Hope ana a
man, not the husband of Mrs. Hope, oc-
cupied a room In hotel where sne and
her sister were rooming, from eight un-
Gil IL o'clock at night. No direct state
mont of-graye- wrong doing was made.
Another deposition read was that OF Mrs.
Cronin, mother of youth named Pat
rick Cronin, but who preferred to be
called Harry. who testified to Victoria
Hope embracing him in a manner she
considered improper for married woman
10 act.
Still other depositions were to the effect
that man named Haskins had been
very intimate with the petitioner and
had bought the house hold goods in the