Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-07-27
CAPT. HART HAS HIS DAUGHTER
Tho Mystery OF Child's pisappssrance Ex
planned by Her Father
phil. alnhia Racord. ysgterdaJ.


Tho Mystery OF n child's pisappssrance Ex-
planned by Her Father.
Philadelphia Record. yesterday.
Oracle May Hart, the 8.yaats.old
daughter o. John d. Hart OF filibuster-
ing fame, who disappeared from the
home OF her mother, Mrs. Kate Hart,
the divorced wife Of Hart, shortly
after noon ON Monday, has been found.
The child, according to the admission
of her father, is safe at Schooleys
Mountain. where she has been sent by
his direction to enable her to regain
her health. which he claims is badly
broken. He also stated that he pro-
poses to keep possession OF tho child in
the future II the law will permit him to.
The story of the child disappear
ance from her home on Monday, as told
by Mrs. Hart, is that about / O'Clock
Grace, who had been assisting her 10
the kitchen, answered ring OF the
doorbell. She returned and informed
her mother that man wished to see
her about board. Mrs. Hart went to
the door, she said, and remained there
about 10 minutes Upon her return to
tho kitchen Grace was missing, and
the gate leading from the back yard
stood open.
81 learned" she continued, "that
Grace had gone to the homo of my
sister in law, Mrs. James Hart, on
Green street, below Twelfth, and upon
going there was informed that she had
been there, and that Mrs. Hart had
sent her home, but she failed to come. !"
Mrs. Hart also related her further
efforts to locate the child. She had o
suspicion that her divorced husband
might have her, but he, she said, de-
MED all knowledge Of her to her sister
in-law when she called upon him on
Monday afternoon. Mrs. Hart also
watched her former husbands resi-
denoe, at No. 1904 Paramount avenue,
on Monday night, hoping to find some
trace of the child. Up to IL o'clock
last night she and the police were still
in ignorance of the child's where
abouts.
John d. Hart was seen at his home
last night, and smiled when the sub
ject of his little daughter was broached.
Asked il he knew anything of her
whereabouts, he replied, after a little
hesitation: 1--WE got her. ." Asked TO
| tell the story of how he secured posses
sion of her, he said:
The child came to me at my Office,
Nos. 800 and 1924 North Delaware
avenue, on Monday afternoon, between
| and O'Clock. | was sitting in front
of my office talking to Capt Hughes,
Of the Bermuda. when child came
down the avenue, and when she goi
opposite me she jumped on my legs
and said; Papa, won't you take care
OF me?' failed TO recognize her as
my child, as l had not seen her fol
some time, and from the tattered con
dition of her clothing and her dirty
appearance, my first thought was thai
she was little wharfrat. | raised W
ON my chair and she slipped from my
legs, and continued to cry and moan
l said: who are your and she replied
Papa, don't you know me? i an
Oracle.
II then picked her up and placed
her on my knee and said to her: VIII,
sent your and she replied: 'Mammi
beat me with stick. / was cleaning
up the yard and didn t clean the gutter
aud she hit me-" When asked b,
Capt. Hughes whether it was the frs
time her mother had struck her sh,
replied. She beats me, for everything
do. / wait on the table, wash tn
dishes, black the stove, and If dom
do il right she whips me. The cap
tain further related the child's tale o
her running away from home, and how
by numerous inquiries she finally foun,
her way TO his office.
The child, he said, was poorly cla
when she came to him and was filth
and covered with vermin. He was I'm
decided what to do with her, but upo
: the advice of his counsel, W. W. Ker
he decided to tt Il, care of her. II
borrowed dress and hat from Mrs
Michael Kyley, who resides near hi
office, and then sent her in oarriag
to his home, and after thoroug
cleansing and an entire new cuff
which was procured yesterday, he sen
her to Schooley's Mountain, where h
says she now is.
He had at first, at the suggestion q
= Capt. Hughes. intended to place he
9 in charge of Mrs. Hughes, who wi
! accompany her husband on his mex
y voyage on the Bermuda, but physicia
, whom he called in to examine he
, advised sending her to the mountain
: instead. Beside being badly bruised
!, he said her nervous system was badl
! shattered from the i'll treatment sh
had received.
AS to her future, he said he propose
Q to provide for her and take care OF he
If the law would permit him to. and b
purposes making every effort to retail
possession of her.
Mrs. Hart did not know Oracle hs
i been found until informed by the r,
q porter, but she manifested no surpris,
saying that she had felt confident thu
the little girl was In her fathers hand
= She said he had frequently tried |
p get possession Of Oracle before, bl
g she was positive the law would NJ
allow him TO keep her. As to whi
means she would pursue to get I'll
u child back, she could, not say until ST
10 had obtaind legal advice. Mrs. Ha
said it was true that Oracle was poor
II clad, but she considered that the fa
proved that she had been taken ava
and did not go of her own free will.
the little girl always took pride
her appearance, and had plenty OF got
is clothes in the house. The dress 81
20 had on was old and worn out, and n
IS fit for street wear. Mrs. Hart stout
u maintained that Oracle had received
% bruises from her, but said she fell OF
u Of hammock recently and sustained
ot bruise in that way. She admitted Il
D child might have made her way alol
IS to her fathers store, as she had Q
er pressed the desire 10 see her sist
N Laura, who works there. II the chi
d was allowed her choice Mrs. Hart
ie confident she would return to her.
o REHoBorH.
is Pahohotb 1nlv OK IL ~ -,