The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-09
EACH ONE WANTS MAMIE
GRANDMOTHER M'LELLAN NOW
HAS THE LITTLE TOT

Mrs. Bertha Mcclellan, the CbiId's
Mother, Trying to Secure Possess
sion by Process OF Lnw-Judge
Kelly Hears the story md VIII
Give q Decision Today.
Judge Kelly will decide today whether
Mrs. Bertha Mcclellan shall be given
| the custody of her four year-old daugn-
| ter, Mamie. who is now in the posses
sion of her grandmother, Mrs. Eliza
beth Mcclellan, with whom she has liv
| ed nearly three years.
All the parties interested gathered in
| Judge KelIy's chambers yesterday aft
ernoon-aN except the father of the
! little girl, who deserted his wife and
child soon after the baby was born and
has never contributed to their support.
Little Mamie was the least concern
ed of any one present. Her bright blue
| eyes were very wide open all the while.
AS she played about her grandmother S
chair and rested her auburn curls
against grandma's knees. Judge Kelly
kept his eyes upon her, while the law
yers were talking. For Mamie was
the only object of real sympathy in
the room.
Mrs. Bertha Mcclellan, the mother of
Mamie, is only twenty-five years old.
She is employed as q houSekeeper in
hotel at 189 East Eighth street, kept
by Mr.. Abbey. She says in her petition
and so testified yesterday. that Mrs.
Mcclellan, her husbands mother. is
about to go to Virginia to live and in
tends to take Mamie with her. Hence
her application for the writ of haheas
corpus.
Mrs. Elizabeth Mcclellan, the child's
grandmother, testified that she intend
ed to visit her married daughter at
Newport News, Va. She didn't know
how long that visit would last, but she
fully inter ded to return to st. Paul Mrs.
Mcclellan had brought the child to her
two years ago last Decoration day, and
asked her to take care of it, as she,
Bertha, was going to New York never
to return. She, Mrs. Elizabeth McLel-
Ian, had taken care of the child ever
since. She was very fond of Mamie
and Mamie was attached to her.
Mamie. While her grandmother talk
ed, chung close to her grandmother and
never so much as looked at her mother.
Attorney A. f. Bowe, representing
young Mrs. Mcclellan, the petitioner,
called John Mcclellan, the husband Of
Elizabeth. as witness.
'Ts William Mcclellan your son?' in
quired Mr.. Bowe.
Mr.. Mcclellan smiled anything but
an agreeable smile. and answered, after
some hestation:
Il suppose So.
Judge Kelly looked sharply at the old
man.
where is your son, William"
"They say he's in Virginny," replied
Grandpa Mcclellan, who added that his
wife had told all the neighbors that
she was going to ''Virginny' to stay,
and intended to take Mamie with her.
you had some trouble at your home
about six weeks ago, didn't yOu?" ask
ed E. j. Darragh, on cross-eXamina-
ton.
Again the old man smiled sneering
smile, as he replied:
oh little. She threw me out"
you've been drinking a good deal,
haven't yCu?"
mot as much as she has" retorted
Grandpa Mcclellan. The old man was
told that that was all. and he left the
witness chair.
The petitioner, Mrs. Bertha McLel-
Ian, said that she was earning SIS
was fully able to take care of her
$50 times during. the two and d half
years the child was with it's grand
mother.
Mrs Mcclellan contradicted this
statement, and declared that Bertha
did not call to see Mamie oftener than
once a month and had never given her
but two dresses and one penny during
all the time she had been with her
grandmother.
Bertha was married to William Nc
Lellan in November, 1898.
Judge Kelly took the case under ad-
Visement.