The San Francisco call., 1897-08-28
FOUND FRIENDS
AND A SHELTER
Emma Davis, the Slave
Girl, Located by
" The Call"
Given a Home and Cared For
by a Kindly Couple Near
Fresno.
Tells OF Her Cruel Treatment While
Toiling In MADEIRA
Vineyard.

FRESNO, CAL, Aug. 21-For the past
few days the authorities uf MADEIRA acting
at the instance of the British Consul at
San Francisco, have been trying to locate
girl named Emma Davis. whom it is
their purpose to rescle from lie of
slavery. MIR. and Mrs. Stubbs, who own
vineyard two miles from. MADEIRA, ar
rived with the girl from England five
years ago. They compelled her 10 per-
form the work of man in the fields, and
Mrs. Stubs In drunken fits of anger often
beat the child. The girl was not sent to
school, but kept in q life OF bondage on
the farm, nlistreated and compelled to en-
dure hardships that were cruel for one of
her tender years.
A few weeks ago Mrs Stu bbs learned
that the Consul was interesting himself in
the case, and the woman, not desiring to
lose possession of the girl, brought her to
Fresno and bound her out to work on a
farm. Sheriff Westf4ll was working on
the case, but he could rot find the girl,
Mrs. Stubs refusing positively to give
him any information.
Tonight THE CALL correspondent sue
ceeded in locating the girl. She is at the
home OF MIR. and Mrs. E. D. Merriam, two
miles southeast OF this city, and has in
deed found friends in them. They will
see to if, if no one else will, that the un-
fortunate girl shall not return again to the
life OF bondage to which Mrs. Stubbs SUBJ
jected her on the MADEIRA vineyard.
Mr.. and Mrs. Merriam are an elderly
couple, without children, and arc taking
a deep interest III the Child that has come
i Iu.s
vineyardist, and he is able to provide for
his temporary ward.
To her new friends the girl had already
told the story of her life, but they had not
been aware that the authorities were IN
teresting themselves liz Miss Davis vel
fare before informed that such was the
case by the newspaper man. They had
themselves been thinking of taking steps
to free the child from the control of Mrs.
Stubbs,
"The girl has been badly mistreated,"
said Merriam. "She has been stunted in
growth both in mind and body. She
cannot even tell the time of the clock.
She does not know her own age, and in
fact the only thing that she has knowl-
edge of is hard manual labor. When she
came here two weeks ago she had only
the scantiest supply of wearing apparel,
and this was OF a very inferior character
at that"
The girl told the history of her life.
She has a pretty face, and while Mrs.
Stubs had repreaented that she was II
years Mr.. and Mrs. Merriam did not
believe she was more than IA. The girls
face and hands were hard from labor III
the field. She spoke with a strong Eng
Iish accent.
NV real name is Emma Ellis, although
Mrs. Stubs calls me Emma Davis. My
mother sent me to California with the
Slubbs' five years ago. She does washing
and my father is a gardener in England.
l am very glad 20 have got away from
Mrs. Stubbs. for she treated me cruelty
sometimes, making me work from early
until late at the heaviest kind OF labor on
the ranch. Many times l felt could not
stand it. Sometimes Mrs. Stubbs became
drunk on wine, and then she would beat
me. She often told me l was the slave of
her family anu that l was there to work
for them.
81 never was sent to school, and during
the five years l was at MADEIRA | never was
allowed to write to my mother and l
never received letter from her."
The girl told her story in the simplicity
of manner that was convincing of it's
truth. Sheriff Westfall will probably
come down from MADEIRA tomorrow to
take charge of the unfortunate child.