The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-20
THE NEW LAW AS
TO CHILD WAITS
Judge Barham Having No Official
knowledge Declined to Act.
WENT AT MOTHERS REQUEST
But Step Father Got Out Writ Of liabeas
corpus and Prevented His Taking The
lh.d-hegroes to commend SCHOOL
Board lor Interest in Education.
WENT AT MOTHERS REQUEST
fSnecial Dispatch to The Times.

NEWPORT NEWS. VA, March 49,
Rev. William j. Maybee, State superln-
tendent OF the Chnuren home Society
Of Virginia, came to Newport News
from kichmond yesterday for the
purpose of securing the four-year-
old son Of Mrs. BERTHE Minnock Wat
son, who lives in "a little house on
Thirty-tirst Street, having been requested
by the mother to come here and take the
child to the Childrens Home in Rich
mond This afternoon Superintendent
Maybee returned to Richmond without
the boy, although it was not his fault
that the little fellow is not there now.
By order of Police Justice Brown he Sc
cured the boy this morning. and had
boarded the train for Richmond, when
the child's step-father appeared on the
scene, accompanied by his lawyer, Mr..
c. c. Mitchell, and armed with habeas
corpus papers, requiring Mr.. N1aybee to
produce the child before Judge Barham
in the Corporation Court.
AN AMENDED LAW.
It seems that the charter of the Chill
drens Homo Society of Virginia was
amended several weeks ago by the Leg
islature, giving it the right to take charge
of children anywhere in the State in cases
where the parents could not show that
liiCS NSiS oUiO w p4ONldC AOl t1lCl1 Oll-
spring and properly bring them up. Mr..
Maybee received several letters from Mrs
Minnock, who was recently married to
Watson, it IS understood. appealing tc
him to come to Newport News and take
charge of her boy. He was unable to
get away until yesterday, and then came
in response to a. very recent letter from
the woman.
He called at the house and announced
the purpose of his visit, but the woman
and her husband objected to the child
being taken away, the man claiming that
he could put the boy to work in the ship
yard in two or three years and secure for
him a position paying 50 or s. a week.
Mr. Maybee was not impressed with
what he saw at the home, and acquainted
Justice Brown with the facts. Under the
amendment to the society's charter Jus
tice Brown issued an order authorizing
Mr.. Maybea to take the boy into custody,
to be raised at the home in Richmond.
This morning the superintendent called
at the house and obtained the child. In
the meantime Mr.. Watson retained
lawyer and secured the papers requiring
Mr.. Maybee to produce the lad in court.
Judge Barham had no official knowl-
edge of the act of the Legislature autho
riZing the society to take charge Of
cnllQren on securing the necessary orders
from judges or magistrates, and stated
that he could not give the child over to
the superintendent, as he had no law to
cover the case.
BEATING THE SLOT MACHINE.
R.. l. Finley, colored, a bricklayer by
trade. was arrested last night, charged
with playing counterfeit nickles into Slot
machines. This morning he was turned
over to the Federal authorities. He will
have hearing before Commissioner Gar
rett. The nickles which, it is claimed.
Finley played into the machines are the
poorest sort Of ccunterfeits. moulded in
lead
The negroes of the city will have a
unique meeting at their First Baptist
Church tomorrow night, for the purpose
of commencing the School Board, the
principal of the negro schools and the
community for the interest they have
manifested in advancing the educate onal
work among the negroes. Professor J.
II. Johnston, of the Virginia Normal and
Collegiate Institute. Petersburg, will be
the principal speaker. The School Board
and other city officials will be In attend
ailce.