The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-12-05
HEAD ON COLLISION. CONTEST FOR CHILD.
Mother and Landlady Fight for
Possession.


A couple OF women created consid-
cradle excitement Monday afternoon
between four and FIVE O'Clock In MAX
ing scene over the possession Of q
little three year cid baby. The moth
err, named Wheeler, has been in tho
city for some time working as q
domestic. Circumstances were such
that she could not have her baby
with her and she left It with the 9TH
or woman to care for during stated
time, and according to the statement
of this person the mother was to have
paid one dollar per week for the
board of the little girl. 1t seems that
the board was not paid and the moth
or wanted the child. The other woman
was holding the child as security for
the board and would not give it up.
The women got together Monday aft
ernoon with the child. The mother
wanted the child and the landlady
was bound to keep the little one. The
women became demonstratiVe They
were engaged in the controversy on
High avenue east. One was trying to
get away with the child in buggy
and the other was interfering. The
contest waxed warm on High avenue
between EThird and Sixth streets.
Others were drawn into the contest
and the children coming home from
school were attracted to the scene.
The police were notified and Officer
Frank Hoffman appeared on the
scene. He thought to stop the trouble
by taking the child to the mayor's Of
fee. Both women resisted this modus
opporandi aud chung to the baby so
that force would have been necessary
to secure possession of the baby.
Frank finally loaded both women i'm
to the buggy and lead the bewilderec
horse to the mayors office where the
occupants of the rig were taken be-
fore His Honor. The landlady was
very positive in her statement. Of
ficer Hoffman turned her over to
Chas. Munroe, but he turned her over
to City Clerk Chas. Leighton, who
did the best he could to help the lady
out of her difficulty. Preliminary
statements were opened and the moth
er's name was asked. She said it was
Wheeler. Every one in the room,
and it was well filed with spectators
looked to Fred Wheeler, who was ON
the side lines. He could give no ex-
PLANTATION of the matter and the land
lady startled the court and the audI-
ence by the positive statement that
the mother lied. The information
was finally forthcoming that the moth
er's maiden name had been Humphrey
and that she had lived at Evans. She
had step-father named Wheeler and
had been known as Miss Wheeler.
She had married a man named Mr..
Boswell, but had later separated from
him. The name OF the child was Bos-
| well.
The landlady stated that she Tad.
been promised the child and aside
from the fact that she was holding the
baby as security for board she in
tended to adopt the one. The moth
or just as positively asserted that the
landlady was not caring for the little
one as it should be cared for and was
neglecting it, and she therefore in
tended to take it herself. The other
asserted that che must have the baby
or the $40, the amount of the bill.
MayorWray gave both of the women
a lecture, or rather he lectured the
mother, and said a word or two to the
other when he could crowd it in ON
edge between sentences of the de-
PENDANT. He gave the child to the
mother and told the landlady If che
had any claim against the parties
that she must execute legal papers.
That this way of proceeding was en-
Uirely out of order.
The case was not made of record
in any way and the parties we're sent
on their way seemingly satisfied, for
the moment at least, with the ruling
of the mayor.
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