The San Francisco call., 1898-03-05

Engleberg did not know but he could. It was taken the day Alice and Weiss went to Sacramento and the captain thought 1t was used to pay her fare there.
 Mrs. Clark rallied to Weiss defense and warned Engleberg not to make any rash accusations. saying 1t was a serious thing to charge anybody with theft without being able to prove It.. All through the interview she mani fested the greatest solicitude for Weiss and endeavored to shield him in every possible way.
 If Alice was such bad child. why did you keep her with your" Mrs. Clark was asked.
 'I often thought of sending her back to Portland. I couldn't do any Call that she had to wait on me and the other grown people. Why. that child required my almost constant care. What could a girl of her age dor"
 Mrs. Clark proceeded to recount the little girls misdeeds before she brought families with whom she had found a home were compelled to send her back to the public institution from which she had been taken
 At this juncture bright little fei- low of about Il years came up and En- gleberg announced that he was Alice's brother. T found him one day when I was cutting wood near Portland" ," he said. "and learning that he had no home I took him and am trying to bring him up properly"
 Calling the lad to him, Engleberg said: Tell the gentleman just now you are treated here Don't you get three good meals a day?"
 ''Yes," replied the boy. meekly.
 Don't I always treat you well: do l ever whip you unless you deserve it?"
 "No," came the reluctant answer.
 T admit" continued the Christian soldier, turning to the reporter, that I whip the boy at times. and once whipped him very hard. but it was only when he deserved it.''
 The little fellow was so carefully watched that no opportunity presented itself to question him alone. Had he been able to tell his story free from the warning glances of Engleberg and Mrs. Clark 1t Is probable he could re- veal some unpleasant secrets of the home"
 Mrs. Clark was next asked to explain her meeting with Weiss in Sacramento. She said she met him on the street about o'clock last evening, and he told her that he had Alice with him. Weiss said he had left the child with woman while he searched for Mrs. Clark. Together they went to the house. but found that Alice had been taken in charge by the Sacramento authorities.
 They hunted up Officer Healy. who had taken Alice away, but for some reason, which Mrs. Clark would not explain, he refused to let her have the child, and the couple departed. Mrs. Clark refused point blank to repeat any of the conversation that took place be- hny ha off h1rt T mitted that she did not see Alice.
 When her attention was called to the statement that Officer Healy was looking for Weiss for the purpose of placing him under arrest for his horri- ble treatment of Alice, and that If Weiss had shown himself he would un- doubtedly have been placed under ar rest, Mrs. Clark made no attempt to explain, but reiterated that Weiss had gone with her.
 Where Is Weiss now?"
 'I don't know, unless he is in Sacra- mento.'
 '1s he likely to return to San Fran clsco?'
 T can't say. He went there look ing for work"
 The reporter continued his investiga- tion in another direction, and learned that 1t was the common practice to send the little boy out at 4 or o'clock in the morning, and again at night, to make a tour of the bakeries and res- taurants begging for stale bread.
 In these expeditions his sister was often compelled to accompany him. Stories were told of the extremely friendly relations existing between Weiss and Mrs. Clark. but the most revolting accusation made was that Alice was afflicted with most loath- some disease. which was known to Mrs. Clark and the others
 A second interview was had with Mrs. Clark, during which she became more tangled up than at first, and several times she fatly contradicted statements she had made previously.
 She was first taken over the ground covering her trip to Sacramento and her meeting with Weiss there. She re- peated the statement that they had gone together to the house where tell what the woman had said, and finally admitted that she did not see her. but that Weiss had gone there alone. Regarding her visit to Officer Healy Mrs. Clark was in sore distress when called upon to explain why she did not see Alice. She located the off, cer's office in a stable, and added that he might have had another office where Alice was kept.
 Mrs. Clark was positive she would be given possession of the girl in few days, but again refused to relate her conversation with the officer.
 She was next questioned about the nature of Alice's ailment and what she had done for her. She said first that she had taken her to a doctor whose name she could not remember nor could she give his address.
 Being pressed for definite answer. Mrs. Clark changed her story, and said that Alice had been taken to a free clinic, the exact location she did not know, although she knew about where 1t was. She could not tell the street it was on, though, and would give no definite location.
 She refused positively to state the nature of the child's ailment, and when asked if the little one had been sub- jected to the most fiendish maltreat- ment, Mrs. Clark would neither deny nor admit 1t, but said there was proper time and place to make state ment, and until that time arrived she would keep her lips sealed.