The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-28
FOUGHTFORHER CHILDREN
COURTS ORDER waste BREATH
TO MRS. SHANNON.

Nobody Dared Help Her ana One by One the
-Four Girls who ClunE TO 1ler skirts Were
Carried on by Their Father and ISIS Friends
Amid Tears, Threats, and Much Cutlery.
There was q scene in the Supreme Court yes
terday in the dispute between Emma j. Shan
non and her husband, Policeman John J Shan
non. over the possession OF four of their Ave young
daughters. shannon left his wife last August,
declaring that she was on too close terms with
Milton Woodbridge, his roundsman. Last Sat
urday he went to the house at 3oi East Eighty.
ninth street with two men, and forcibly took
four Of the children from their mother. He put
them in st. Joseph's Convent In Eighty-tlrst
street.
The four children were brought before JUS
tice Lawrence Of the Supreme Court yesterday
on a writ Of habeas corpus secured by the mother.
Shannon, who came to court with the four
children, was in uniform. The mother brought
the fifth daughter in her arms to court with her.
Her father, John kerwin, and q friend, Mrs.
Cornelius Malone, accompanied her 10 court.
On seeing their mother the four girls ran to her
and then they cried. aud shannon tried in vain
to get them away from her.
non conicnIed that The mother was not n 1T
person to have the children and insisted that the
children be left at the convent until the case
was determined. The Judge finally adjourned
tho case until to-day, and directed that the
children be taken back to the convent.
AS shannon went over in court TO get tho
children. Mrs. Shannon, who seemed to think
her husband was to have them permanently,
tried to hold on to all Of them at once. and they
clung close to her. shannon caught one Of
them, and all the children set to screaming,
Don't take me away; | want TO go with moth.
err Mrs. shannon cried profusely. shannon
dcsisted n moment, and court officers sue
cecded in getting all hands out In the corridor.
The, children hung on to thoir mothers dress
while going out.
In the corridor Shannon made another grab
at n child, ana the mother, with tho smallest
child still in her arms. pitched into him and hit
him several blows in the face. shannon. with
children away, and they were hurried down to
q cab he had waiting on Chambers street.
Mrs. shannon mado her way as fast as she
could out toward the opposite entrance with
the infant and n 4-year.od girl, but before sho
could get out OF the building shannon was again
upon her. tuRging at the older girl. Mrs. shan
non called on passersby to help her, but most
knew tho courts order, and no effort was
made to help her. As Shannon was wrestling
the girl away Mrs. Shannon cried out:
Give me my child. Give me my child! Some
one help me! l will kill you, will kill you, you
| wretch!'
II know it," said shannon. you said once
that you would poison me, and I suppose you
will II you get the chance
As Shannon made OIL with the fourth girl
Mrs. Shannon fell into her fathers arms. still
holding the infant. Her father. who then for
the first time got a chance to speak to the OK
cited woman, tried to console her by saying
that she would see the children to-day.
Mrs. shannon is suing her husband for q sepa-
ration on the ground of desertion.