The San Francisco call., 1898-03-15
ABDUCTS HER
 LITTLE GIRL San Rafael Mother FleeS From the State a
 Fugitive. Sensational Episode of the Jeremiah Blake Divorce
 Case. Wife of the Plaintiff Determined to
 of
Wife of the Plaintiff Determined to Retain Possession of Her
 Child.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN RAFAEL, March 14.-A decided sensation developed to-day in the di- vorce case brought by Jeremiah Bur ton Blake against Mary Alice Blake, on the ground of assertion. Mrs. Blake has flown with their child and the pre- sumption is that she is by this time out of the State of California and the jurls- diction of the Superior Court of Marin County.
 For years there has been a fight be- tween husband and wife for the pos session of their child. They lived at Marshalls. a town in Marin County. only one child had blessed their union, a little girl with a sweet face and sunny disposition. Both father ana mother loved the little one, although their married life was anything put happv. In August, 1896, Mrs. Blake re- ceived a telegram from her mother, who lived in Tacoma, stating that she was dangerously ill., so the daughter packed her trunk and, taking the chlld with her, went to Tacoma.
 After she had been away about month her husband wrote to her, ask ing her to come home and she replied that she would not return. Blake went to Tacoma to obtain possession of the child. He found his wife extremely i'll from an operation. He returned With out the child as the mother was in such a delicate condition that the excitement of losing the little one might have Killed her. While in Tacoma Blake received a telegram from his mother in Marin County, as follows:
 Do what you went for."
 He admitted that it meant the ob- taining of the child.
 Blake returned to California and in November, 1896 made a second trip to Tacoma He saw his wife and child and asked to be allowed to take his offspring out for a walk. This was
 granted him and he took the little one | down town, where he purchased some | toys for her. At o'clock he returned 1 the child to the mother On the day | following, the father called to take the l little one out again and for a second
 time the privilege was granted him. He never returned with the girl. ] In December last Mrs. Blake came down from Tacoma to compromise the
 divorce case which her husband had | brought, but was unsuccessful. The | case came to trial on Friday. The fa- 1 ther proved a strong case. While l Judge AngeIlotti was about to render | his decision the mother gained posses
 sion of the child and held her. The 1 Judge paused and said he would de- l eide the case on Monday Cto-day) and
 requested all the principals and attor-
 neys to be in court at 2 o'clock. The | mother still held the child and would
 not let her go. Blake ran up to take the infant away. Deputy Sheriff Bob
 Cottingham stepped between, and, talk
 ing the child's hat from the father, placed it on the infants head and al- 1 lowed the mother to go away with the i child All parties understood that Mrs. 1 Blake would produce the child in court | to-day, but when the hour arrived Blake and the attorneys were on hand
 but the mother. and child failed to put 1 in an appearance. Mrs. Blake is on her
 way to Tacoma, having left with the child last Saturday.