The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-12-12


wondering whether or not they were
victims of a confidence game by Mrs.
Attorney R. l.. Oliver, at their Fri
days meeting. On that day Mrs
Gibbons, who resides south of Kal1s-
pell, appeared before the board and
asked the commissioners to furnish
transportation to her three children
from Kalispell to Twin Bridges,
Mont, where they could be placed in
the state orphan asylum. She as
serted that she was in destitute cir
cumstances and was not able to take
care of her offspring. She said, or
so the commissioners understood her
to say, that her husband was dead
and that she was heavily in debt
The children were an incumbrance
at the present time and she wished
them placed In the orphans home for
two or three years. By that ime
she thought she would be able to
care for them, in the meantime sho
could have more opportunities for
County Attorney Oliver also plead
her case. and acting on his statement
the board, without further investiga-
ton issued an order upon the coun-
ty treasurer for their transportation
to the orphans home. County Attor-
| ney Oliver had at different times
brought the matter before the board,
and their action was based largely
upon the supposition that he was
familiar with the case The children
are three in number, the oldest,
Alice E. Gibbons being six years of
age, the next, Katie, being 5, and
the youngest John P, a. They were
taken to the orphans home Wednes-
day night by Sheriff Hand and a
deputy especially sworn in for that
purpose.
or some reason or other there was
no record of the transaction in the
minutes of the board, and the gen
eral public were in ignorance Thurs
day morning, however the matter
became public, and 1t was learned
that on October Is, Mrs. Gibbons
had filed an application for a divorce
from Edward A. Gibbons, on the
grounds of desertion. In her com
plant she asserts that they were
married at Creston July 4, 1896, and
that on June z. 1901, he deserted her
and has since remained away from
her rendering it necessary for her
to provide for herself and the three
children. She further states that
she is able and fit to care and pro
vide for the children, and asks the
court to award them to her, This
application is now pending and the
papers are on record in the clerk OF
courts office.
The county commissioners knew
nothing of this until Thursday, wher
the chairman was wised up by the
Bee reporter. AS the children were
then on their way to Twin Bridges
no action could be taken to hold
them for further investigation.
The cost of the transportation
and other expenses will amount t.
several hundred dollars that the ia,
payers will have to shoulder because
: the board did not institute
an investigation in time. 1t is onl!
) step from the commissioners room
to the clerk of courts office, where
] they could have found the complaint
/ They were content, however t.
take the word of the county attorney
Notwithstanding his we'll known repu
tatiOn lust what further action will
be taken is not known, although tn
inconsistency of Mrs. Gibbons state
S ment regarding the children in he
), action for divorce, and her story be
: fore the board, may lead to furthe
complications.