Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-13
WR0NGED GIRL TAILS
TO FIND HER CHILD.
Pathetic Story Of Il Vain Search In
Which Fortune and Time Were
Given for NnuEht.

MEMPHIS. TENN, December 1z.-(Spe-
cial.)-Few more pathetic stories can be
found than the four-years search of Pris-
ella Catherine Howell, q beautiful young
woman, once a belle OF this city, for her
baby boy, who was snatched from her a
month after its birth by the man whose
heartless conduct blighted her young
life. Day after day, week after week
month after month, year after year, the
young woman has pursued the man
throughout the United States. in the
hope OF compelling him to tell her the
whereabouts of the little one and then
bless it with a name. But she has failed
utterly.
Miss Howell, who lived with her moth
or here in 1885, met Hugh w. Bryson, who
was then a dashng young man. He
wooed her ardently and she surrendered
her iloart to him.
About q year after the meeting her
mother died. Then she chung to her lover
as one she could look to for love and pro-
lection. On August %, 1897, q baby boy
was born to the young woman, and when
she asked Bryson not to allow the little
one to go out into the world unnamed,
lie assured her that as soon as he could
get his financial affairs in shape he
would make her his wife. Then her sis
ter, hearing of her illness, came to Mem
phis and insisted that Miss Howell should
so to live in Galveston Miss Howell
went committing the little boy to the
care Of Bryson.
Miss Howell returned to Memphis a
month later and went to the house OF
Mrs. Lilly Engstrom. where she had been
Informed the child was taken. and learned
that Bryson had taken it from there. to
the house of q friend She called upon
the young man and demanded the child
He told her he had sent it to Nebraska
Then he suddenly left the city and she
lest all trace Of him.
Though the young girl was then COM
PEELED to work late into the night with
her needle in order to make enough to
live on she scrimped and saved from
the slender pittance enough to engage
lawyer to help her recover the child and
made a solemn VOW that if she had to
devote all the remaining years of her
life to search she would find it. For
nearly three years she pinched her slen-
der resources and personally visited the
four corners of several nelghborlnS
States. following up vague rumors of the
whereabouts of Bryson and the baby.
Last winter 4 wealthy relative of the
young woman died in Virginia and left
her a large fortune. She disposed of part
of this inheritance to procure money with
which to take up her search. First. she
secured the services of several private
detectives and through them learned that
Bryson was in California. living under an
assumed name. She went to California
and learned there that he went under
the name of Dick Edwards and was
travelling about the country playing
cards with his partner on railroad trains.
Spurred on by mother love, she followed
up clue after clue in vain. Finally she
learned that Bryan was in San Francisco.
She went there only to ind he had, learn
ing of her coming, fed to Santa Barbara.
She followed him there and he went to
Los Angeles and finally her detectives
located him in Oxnard. Then she secured
a warrant and Bryson was arrested on
the charge of kidnapping. Requisltlon
papers were secured to bring him to
Memphis, but he fought the case sue
cessfuly After Bryson had been arrest
ed his conscience overwhelmed him. He
was moved to tears. He wept. lie as
sured Miss Howell when she confronted
him in court that no one knew now ne
had suffered.
Then a great flood Of tears overcam-
him.
But this show OF feeling went for no
thing for at the first opportunity he d:s-
appeared again.
Miss Howell has spent most OF her for
tune and gained not a single point She
has returned to Galveston, Texas and is
expected in this city within few days
TO consult an attorney on the next move
TO make