The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-16
ANACONDA news.
SEPARATED SIX YEARS
Mother and Daughter Are Re-
united in Anaconda.
1FLOSSIE WILSON'S STORY
Nine-Year-Old Girl So Long Separated
From Her Own Mother That
81 She Cries for Her Fos-
ter Parents

After having lived six years away
from her mother pretty little Flossie
Wilson. a remarkably fair mulatto girl
with long ringlets falling about her
face, has come at last into the custody
of the woman who gave her birth and
lis domiciled in this city.
Mrs frankie Wilson, a motherly ap-
pearing colored woman, who keeps a
lodging house on Front street near
Birch, is the mother. She is rejoiced
at the return of her 9-year-old daugh
ter, but Flossie is not reconciled. Her
life during that period of childhood
when impressions are most firmly fixed
has been spent with others who have
made her life a happy one, and her
heart is nearly broken at the separa-
zion.
Il want to go back to Papa and Mann
ana Scott" said she yesterday to
Standard reporter. Il don't want TO
stay here and Mrs. Wilson, standing
near by. looked lovingly but sorrowful-
ay at her Mrs. Wilson feels con-
fident that some time she will win her
daughters heart and that the little
maid whose dark eyes, shaded by long,
beautiful lashes, now contain stricken,
haunted look, will eventually be happy
with her.
The story of Flossie Wilson is an odd
one and even romantic in it's features.
F1osse was brought to Anaconda from
Helena Friday night by Sheriff Conley.
Accompanying the little girl was Mrs
Walter l.. Scott of Helena who long
stood in the place of mother to her Mrs.
Scott, who is a colored woman of evil
dent education, was 10th to part with
Flossie. The humble home of Mrs VIII
son was condemned by Mrs. Scott as
unfit for the child. She has been set
down" said Mrs. Scott yesterday, lin
the slums of Anaconda but the peace
officers who have looked into the mat
ter believe Mrs. SCOTS statements to
be unjust and that the home Flossie has
come to will be a good and comfortable
one.
six years ago Flossie was living with
her mother in Sun River valley. She
was sickly child, though now there is
no evidence of her illness in her baby
hood. An absCess in her head affected
the optic nerve so as to cause tempo
rary blindness.
Il spent all my money trying to cure
her" said Mrs. Wilson yesterday. Il
took her East and several places and
finally / went to Helena with her to
have an operation performed. The alb
scess was, removed. At Helena Mrs.
Martha Vaughn. an old lady, a moth
erly Old soul, who lived out of there
few miles, fell in love with my baby
and wanted to take her thinking she
could cure her WIN herbs. | consented
at length to this arrangement and all
the time until 1895 l sent money to pay
for her clothes and to provide her with
whatever was needed. In 1895 l wanted
her back but Mrs Vaughn pleaded
that as the baby had been with her so
long ! might leave her there to cheer
the old lady's last years. To this l
consented.
Mrs. Vaughan died Nov. 90, last
year, and her daughter. Mrs. Walter
l.. Scott, with her husband, took the
child. i wanted Flossie back then and
tried to get her, but they said | ought
to let them have her for the sake of
Mrs Vaughn, who loved her so. | went
up to Helena and had talk with them
about the matter and that is what they
told me.
unknown to me they went into court
March y and deceived the judge into
allowing a Mrs. Parnell to adopt my
baby They told Judge Smith that l
had not contributed to her support,
which was untrue, and they also falsely
declared / was not fit person to have
charge of her. This Mrs. Parnell took
Flossie off to kalispell. We had then
TO go into the courts and start proceed
ings to recover FlOSSie on writ OF
habeas corpus"
During this conversation FlOsSie sat
= in the room taking a deep interest in
what was said.
who is Mrs. Parnell?" was asked.
Mrs. Charity Parnell,' was the re-
ply she lives in Kalispell and she
is a good Christian Woman"-thiS with
emphasis.
when did you go there?"
April 10. And l want to go back
there or go back to Papa and Mamma
Scott-for so ! have always called them.
l always called their children my broth
nd sic nj | nj q
Here the little girls eyes filled with
tears i don't know anything about
this woman" meaning her mother. I
never saw her until she came up to
Helena last winter
Mrs Wilson, in explaining the diff
culties she had in recovering her off
spring, said:
-.'When / heard about the adopting of
my child I rang him up over the long
distance telephone.
Where is Flossie?' ] asked him.
She's in Spokane with mother said
he. meaning Mrs. Scott who had gone
to Spokane.
Yes said he.
When did you hear from them
last?'
Two weeks ago
"'who is this Mrs Parnell at Kalis-
I don't know said he; I'll be down
there in a few days
And all this time my baby was at
Kalispell with Mrs. Parnell."
Habeas corpus proceedings were in
stituted in Lewis and Clarke county
by Mrs Wilson. Then it was found
the child was at Kaliepell. She was sent
back to Mr.. and Mrs. Scott at Helena
and there Mr.. and Mrs. Scott turned
her over to Sheriff Conley.
Mrs. Wilson, after living in the Sun
River valley, as told in her statement