The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-16
It WAS HER CHILD
But Florence 0ImStead Claim
ed 1t Was Her Sisters.
DRAMA IN REAL LIFE
Sues Husband for Saying She
is His Wife

A drama in real life, which may posi-
bly, have rather tragic ending, is being
enacted in Winfield, but the seat of the
most important part Of the plot is in
this city. The plot is as startling and as
full of Machiavelian surprises as a dime
novel.
On December 2 a young woman arrived
in this city She had with her a young
child, several weeks of age. She gave
her name as Florence Olmstead and
claimed to have formerly lived in a little
town in Butler county. She said that the
child was the daughter of her sister,
who had died a short time before in Gin
cinnau and that the care of the infant
had devOlved upon her, and that she was
unable to support it. She applied to the
city court, and on December 3 she signed
REIMBURSEMENT to the child and Judge
Kirk committed it to the Orphans Home.
1t was temporarily adopted by Mrs. Pra-
Their, who lives on North Seneca street.
on the West Side.
According to the girls story, she had
once lived in Wichita for several wears
after her parents death. She had made
her home with an uncle in Butler county
He moved, she said, to California. and
she went to Cincinnati to live with her
sister The latter died shortly after the
child was born and the care of il de-
volved upon her. She said the ebild's
father was William Edgar Marsh. Soon
after the death of his wife, she said.
Marsh deserted her and left her alone in
Cincinnati, with only So in money and a.
helpless child to support From her
friends she finally obtained enough money.
to reach here but was penniless whea she
arrived. She said she wanted to 20 to
Torrance, near Winfield where she had
some friends
The authorities here were a little sus-
picious of her, but she told such a
straight story that they were finally
forced to believe that It was true. She
gave her age as IS. but it now develops
that she is year older.
Nothing more was heard of her until a
few days ago, when z. Hudson. a prom
inent business man and person of high
standing in Winfield, arrived in this city
and began to look up the child. Then it
developed that the woman was an in,-
poster, it is claimed, and that the child
was her own, and not her sisters.
Mr.. Hudson had been on the trail of the
young woman for several weeks and his
story Of her Vaccinations is very inter
esting- The story as he told it, follows:
After the young woman left here, it |
seems that she did not go to Torrance, |
but went to Winfield. Her name. it is |
said, is not OInstead, but Rhoda Chance.
Her mother lives in Winfield and she !
lived there up TO early last summer.
1t is said that she met this Marsh. I
who she said was the father of the child |
In Winfield, in December, 1898. She left |
home, it is claimed, and drove overland |
with him to Pekin. H., where they were |
married last August. They remained a |
short time in Peldn and then went to |
Versailles, H., where the parents Of her |
husband lived On October 3 it Is al
legged. the child was born in the home of |
the husbands parents.
On Thanksgiving day, however. she re- |
aeived telegram. the story goes. from |
her brother, saying: Mother is dying. |
Come at once"
She left for Winfield that day and her |
Al
week or so. Then, it is said, he received |
a letter from her telling him to come to |
Winfield, that she had secured him en- /
ploymenat at his trade of butcher She /
requested him, 1t is alleged, to bring a /
ring for the baby, and sent him the meas
urement. This. il is said, he did, and also 1
brought along some clothes for the child. I
When her husband arrived in Winfield /
he went at once to her home, but it is /
claimed that she refused to have any /
thing to do with him and would not tell /
him Were the baby was. Later. in con- |
with outside parties her hus- !
band asserted that she was married to 1
him and that she had hidden away their /
child
For this she brought suit against him. |
him with perjury for asserting /
that she was his Wife On the witness |
stand, it is said, she swore that she had /
never seen him before and didn't know /
him. He. Of course, swore exactly oppo-
site.
In the meantime however. she brought /
suit against W. Hudson, young man
In Winfield, charging him with bastardy. /
This mixed up the situation. and many
did not know what to make Of it.
Hudson's father at once began investi-
eating the story of the girls husband. /
He obtained a copy Of the marriage Il
cense in Pekin. obtained certificates Of
the mans good character and arranged /
with his family to testify regarding his
and the birth of the child If /
these facts are as correct as they seem
TO be the two cases viii be doubtless dis
missed when they come up before the /
March term of court. Mr.. Hudson fol-
lowed the woman's trail from Illinois /
here looking for the baby. He finally To-
Gated it here. He obtained possession. it
IS said. Of letter the Olmstead woman
wrote to her brother asking him TO send
the telegram calling her home.
The case has caused much interest in
The Olmstead. or Chance. vo-
man had always borne a fairly good rep
utation- Her story throughout is so in