The San Francisco call., 1897-12-24

gone to see her sister in La Sueur
Mimi"
Had you ever heard of this aunt in
Minnesota before?"
mo; never knew we had an aunt
there before
After mother disappeared" contin-
ued the girl, father would never let
us go near the beach. Before that we
had to go down every day and gather
driftwood, but since then we only got
near the water twice, and both times
father drove US away before we got
close to the beach,
Were any of your mothers clothes
missing?"
Nothing but an old black hat.
Every dress she had old and new, is
still in the house. Even her shoes are
all there. She had three pairs and 1
have seen them all since she disappear
ed. | did not have a chance to look at
her clothes at first, for father kept the
closet locked where they were, locked
all the time and carried the key in his
pocket, but after time he sometimes
forgot and went away, leaving it un-
locked, and l looked at my mothers
things. / am positive everything she
had except the hat is still there
About eight weeks ago l started to
write a letter to the aunt in Mime
sofa that father said mother had gone
to see. While l was writing the letter
father came in, and when he found
what l was doing he told me what to
write. ! directed the letc.r as he told
me and also put on my own address,
but the letter has never been returned
to me and / think father must have
got it,
Mr.. Keefe, who has recently moved
to a humble little cottage at 16 Bishop
street in Alameda, was in a disturbed
state of mind last evening when asked
concerning the strange disappearance
of his wife and the fact that his chill
dren have been taken away from him
on charges of cruelty. He admitted
all, with the exception that he had had
anything to do with his wife'S diSap-
pearance, and told a story of misery
caused by his wifes fondness for stim-
ulants.
He said last evening, You ask me
for information concerning the where
abouts of my wife and also why my
children have been taken away from
me on charges of cruelty. If 1 am to
say anything 1 wish to have my own
way, so l will commence from the
first and follow down to the present
time All l ask is that l will receive
fair play and justice will follow. 1t is
shameful that l should be even men,
toned as murderer in this matter, as
1 have always been good husband
and fond father
L got up early on Monday morning
which was the 5th of July, and milked
the cows and made other arrangements
for leaving for the city. AS we were
about to start my wife informed me
that she would not go with US, as her
feet had been troubling her for the
past few days, and that the walking
which she would have to do while in
the city would be painful. l pleaded
with her to go, as l thought the day
would be spoiled without her, but she
was obstinate, and l thought at the
time that she had been drinking again.
Il gave the children money with
which to buy some tickets and told
them to go to the Park-street depot
and wait for me there. 1 then again
asked my wife to go with us, but she
would not listen to me. We had some
high words, and / left her to join the
children. We went to San Francisco
on the 7:30 o'clock train and returned
here on the last boat at 1880 in the
morning. While in the city we visited
the cliff and park, and in the evening
we went to the Chutes to see the fire
works. All day long 1 kept the chill
dren with me and returned with them
to our home that night.
When 1 arrived there I was sur
prised to see that my wife was not in
the house. 1 did not care to worry
TIE 50 L put Inem TO DeQ ana
then went to look for my wife, as
thought it possible that she might be
in the neighborhood, as she was in the
habit of visiting Mrs. Benson who
lives but a few doors from US. I could
not find her and slept but little that
night.
Next morning / went to Mrs. Ben
sons house and asked her if she had
seen my wife during the previous day
night She told ha 90
had visited her on the afternoon of the
5th, but that she had not seen her since
that time. Then the trouble came up
concerning my children. 1 was accused
OF having treated them in a brutal
manner, and when the case came up
for trial 1 pleaded guilty, at my at
torney's suggestion, and paid a fine of
$2O. The children were then taken from
me, and since that time 1 have been
drinking to drown my lonesomeness
and sorrow. My wife is gone and nv
children are separated from me for rea-
sons which l have no control over. but
L am pleased to think that no matter
what the public thinks concerning me
or the disappearance of my wife or the
charges against me that / was brutal
to my children, l am an innocent man.
When the case of cruelty came up
against me 1 hired Attorney r. Tap
pan to conduct my case, and he ad-
vised me to plead guilty to the charge.
did as l was told and paid my attor-
ney $50 and a fine of 500, which left me
almost destitute. l forgot to state
that | had given my wife $160 on the
morning l left for the city, and this
also left me without much money, and
1T was partially for this reason that
/ pleaded guilty to the charge of cruelty
| TO my children, as 1 was left without
means to keep them in as comforta
! bic coudition as l should like to keer
! them.
Il have never punished my children
! any more than any father often pun
! ishes his children. 1 have had con-
siderable trouble in keeping them
/ clean, as my wife's habits prevented
/ her from attending to them as / wish
| ed would be done. l inquired for my
! children to-day from Judge Morris
! but received no satisfaction in the
matter whatsoever.
Il am of the impression that my wife
has gone to La Sueur, Henderson
! County, Mimi, to visit her sister Mrs
! Michael Lynch, but 1 have written
there twice and have as yet re lived
no answer. am sorry that I am
| placed in what seems to be a rather
u q Il.