Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-31
Domestic Unhappiness and
Fight for Possession Of Child.
Ernest Ebbett and Wife Separate
and Latter Settles at WaterviIIe.
He Wants ChiId-She Objects Is Served
With Libel Tor Divorce.

Jul liiS ostlllt olu SloIE, ltih III IL iitN
chapter. w. read of the same every
day aud it is located in different see
tons of the country. But it must be
served up to the public every time the
book of life is opened. City Marshal
Call had a visitor. today. that brought
with him an unpleasant task for the
marshal and one that he hopes will not
be repeated during his term of office.
A little more than a year ago Ernest
Ebbett and wife We're living together
in St Mary's, n. b., and they had Il
little child that should have blessed
their union and made them one and in
separa bic. Then came the foe of peace,
the destroyer of homes and happiness
in what form it does not matter, let il
suffice that the wife left the husband
taking the child, a girl Of but 2 years.
and went out to the world. The wife
succeeded in hiding from her husband,
until Tuesday. when he located her IN
this city In the meantime, during the
deparation, Ebbett had been appointed
guardian of the child. He had looked
everywhere for the pair but it was not
until the other day that he found that
they were in Maine and in Waterville.
After learning their whereabouts ha
took the first train to this city and ar
rived here, this afternoon. He at once
sought the assistance of the city mar
shall and together they started out 10
find the child.
Mrs. Ebbett had been located in the
home of wellknown family on Watel
street but the child was not there and
so of course the finding of the little one
had to he done by careful search. The
only clew that the searchers had to
work upon was that there is a family
on Pleasant street by the same NAM
as that of the family with whom the
wife and mother is stopping. Going
out to Pleasant street the father, afte:
looking anxiously into every door-yard
and scanning the face of every child
that he saw at the windows of the
houses, finally saw his little daughter
in the yard of the home of the family
where it was expected the child was be-
ing kept. The child was bareheaded
but that did not hinder the fathe,
from Selling her at once in his arms
and starting for the city. 1t was the
press train for his home in Massachu-
sets, and keeping the city marshal
with him to protect him from harm he
started for the Maine Central station.
In some way the wife anu mother
had learned of the presence in the city
of the father and also soon learned that
the child had been found by him. To
the station went the mother and there
she proposed to the father that M
wait until the Pullman train at nigh;
| in order that She might get sufficient
clothes for the child. The father agreed
| To this and went to the city marshal's
| office to await for the clothes. The
| mother, bound that the child should not
| be taken from her until the last effort
| to keep her had failed, went to see Hon.
| G. +. johnson.
Mr.. Johnson learned that the coupe
| had not been divorced and advised hs,
that the husband had as much right to
| the child as she and that to keep it sh.
| must get possession of it by some
means. Not satisfied, the mother Went
| to see G. w. Hussey, Esq, and he took
| the case. In the meantime the fathei
| had learned that the mother was look
| ing for legal assistance and 50 he
started out on little legal hunt of his
| own. He found Hon. S. S. Brown VINO
agreed to look after his interests in the
case. Both attorneys met at the city
marshaFs office and tried to make ar
| rangements for the child to be left vita
some responsible parties until such Il
time as the courts should grant a di
voree and determine which of the
&c oh n no child
The father did not object to this plan.
provided the child would be kept from
the mother and that neither father OF
mother should have the child until the
court decided the matter. This was
looked upon by the counsel of the father
as quite a concession on his part, taking
into consideration that he had been APP
pointed guardian for the child. After
some urging. the mother consented to the
arrangement and an adjournment was
taken for tea, the parties with counsel
agreeing to meet in the evening and make
the final arrangements.
Mr.. Ebbett is a well-appearing man of
30 years and his wife is a good-looking
woman of about 25 years. They are ma
tives of New Brunswick and have been
married about eight years.
Mr.. Ebbett was seen by the Journal in
the office of the city marshal, this even
ing and he told the story of the separa-
ton of himself and wife, as follows:
I'VE had been married nearly seven
years when my wife made some sugges
ton of our separating and one word led
to another and ii finally got so that only
one word was necessary to bring about
the separation. She took the child and
went to Chelsea. Mass. and soon l went
to Boston myself ] am employed by the
Boston & New York Express Co. / kenw
Just where they were but ! waited until
] had made arrangements for the custody
of the child before claiming it. We have
lost two children and this one was and
is very dear to me, for she has been my
pet ever since she was born. When ! got
permission to take the child, | went to
the house where they had been stopping
and found that they had gone. This has
pulled the very heart out of me and it
has hurt me to do what ] have done, to-
day. | never accused my wife of inf
deity or anything else. l know she has
tried to hurt me all she could.
To-day. in the presence of the city
marshal / asked her if had not always
used her honorably and she said I had
/ told her that was more than could say
for her. l find that the sentiment is
as I do not fear but that she will be safe
with her mother until such n time as the