Evening star., 1897-08-23
D O MESTIC DISCORD
Sad Chapter in the Life of Dr.. Ellis B.
Bliss and Wife.
Writ of Habeas Corpus Asked on
Both Sides Given.

writ of habeas corpus was applied for
| Thursday of last week by Mrs. Ellis II.
Bliss praying for the production I'm court
of Pauline Bliss. her thirteen-year-old
daughter. The attorneys who appeared for
| Mrs. Bliss were Messrs. Ashley NJ. Gould
i and j. J. Darlington. The petition recited
| that Ellis B. Bliss, dentist, of 1911 F
street northwest. the father of the child.
had forci5ly abducted her. and recited
series of circumstances in connection with
the matter The papers were locked up in
the safe of the clerk of the court, and no
| docket entry made, because ii was desired
by the court officers to keep DIR. Bliss in
| ignorance of the fact that he was wanted
by the law. A detective was sent out to
find him, and traced him to Atlantic City,
but at present his whereabouts are un-
known.
Ellis b. Bliss is one of the most widely
known men in Washington.
He is a dentist, and has met with con-
siderable success in that profession.
He was married fifteen years ago to Miss
Jackson. a daughter of Mrs. Mary \. Jack
son. a widow. residing now at Takoma
Park. Her friends claim that Bliss was in
| sanely jealous of her, particularly after the
birth of a daughter. He openly claimed, ii
is said, that his wife had lost all regard for
MIN and centered her entire affection in
her baby.
The Wife's side Of the Story.
MIS-. BLISS ITlenlS state IHdl
dscord between DIR. and Mrs. Bliss began
that led to constant separations and nu-
merous unpleasant incidents. The mother,
| however, continued her idolatrous devo-
tion to her daughter, Pauline, who was
well matured for her age, and great
lover of outdoor life, being a fearless bi-
cycle rider. In September, 1896 ii is
claimed DIR. Bliss. aftet a stormy scene
| with his wife, left her and took up his
N
| to her mothers with Pauline. The latter
was allowed TO see her father and fire.
quently came into the city for that pur-
pose. Mrs. Bliss was taken ill in the
spring of this year with typhoid fever, and
ii is said Pauline was assiduous in her at
tentions to her mother, but that she also
had plenty Cf time to pursue her bicycle
excursions.
A Note From DIR. Bliss.
Mrs. Bliss convalesced some time ago
and was getting along on the road to re-
covery, it was thought, when one day
Pauline came into Washington to her
father and failed to return. Mrs. Bliss
received a note from her husband dated
August II, and written on d page of note
! tablet paper, the purport of which was
| that Pauline with him and would
not be allowed to return to her mother.
Pauline will not return TO you," wrote
DIR. Bliss, Il have placed her where she
will receive the best care and attention
Mrs. Bliss, despite her weak condition,
and against the advice of her physicians,
her mother ard her friends. insisted on
coming into Washington from Takoma.
She saw DIR. Bliss and pleaded with him
to return Pauline to her again. He de-
clined She proposed that they should live
together again ana care for Pauline to-
gether but he refused.
Mrs. Bliss returned to her mothers at
Takoma, but grew worse, and was brought
to this city and placed in Garfield Hospi-
al lies fiSfin nd
owing to her strong will, nothing could be
done with her. and yesterday evening she
left the institution and went to the resi-
dence of a friend, Mrs. Burns.
DR.. Parsons of Takoma came into the
city and her last night, and reported
later that he did hot know whether she
would live through the night or not.
Dr. Bliss Side.
The friends of DIR. Bliss state that his
action in removing Pauline to some place
wnere she can be under proper care and
restraint was inspired entirely by desire
to protect her from the temptations and
influences to which she has been recently
subjected. She has, they say, been al
lowed to roam at will on her bicycle, and
being remarkably pretty and singularly
well developed for enc of her age, has at
tracted much attention. which she has re-
ceived with apparent pleasure No one has
claimed or does assert that Pauline Is
anything but a natural girl, Win great
freedom of manner and a carelessness of
conventionalities, due as much to her
bringing up as TO any other cause, and,
while innocent of any intention OF wrong
doing, needs closer surveillance and more
judicious training than she has been re-
ceiving. DIR. Bliss friends and his rela-
tives also deny that he has ever treated
his wife cruelty. They claim that Mrs.
Bliss has been always A determined and
strong -willed woman, and that she was
always exactng with her husband, who,
being a nervous and excitable man, was
prone to object to her treatment of him.
Dr. Bliss went to Atlantic City over a
week ago. He left that resort, and his
whereabouts are now unknown. His
friends, if they know where ne or Pauline
is, decline to talk about it.
Mrs. Bliss in "a PrecariOus State.
Mrs Bliss was in about the same condi-
ton this afternoon that she was when she
left the hospital yesterday evening. Her
state is very precarious, and her recovery
is not looked for.