The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-27
The strange True Story Of Stella Iiley
Taken from Fer Mother 9ancy and Cost for 20 Adopted
Oregon Raised Jexas and Restored Fer Family oeAs

the Brown residence in Mineral Wells,
Texas. Here meeting took place between
the mother and daughter. 1t would be
| folly for me or anybody else to offer any
| description of the scene. A mother who
has been robbed Of her infant and tortured
| for twenty years with that most awful tor
| ture--suspense mingled with the hope of
seeing her again some time in life, and the
| awful disappointment she had met in every
! effort she had made to find her--who could
do the subject justice?
Hearing of the circumstance this writer
| visited the Brown residence and asked for
an interview | was kindly received, but
asked to call again when all parties had
| become composed and more able to tell
what they knew. After a reasonable delay
l was introduced by Stella to her mother,
Mrs. Jennie Carlin of Colorado. The re-
quest was at once made OF Mrs. Carlin to
give me the full history OF the case, to
which she readily consented.
The sketch given by Mrs. Carlin is as
follows
was born in the city of Glasgow,
Scotland September 20, 1883. My father
was James Campbell and my mother was
named Mary. We came to the United
States when was years old lived awhile
in Illinois and ST. Louis; went to Charitan,
Iowa. when | was years old father
bought a farm and settled for life.
| married Benjamin Tiley in 1876 against
my parents will. but they did not disown
me- as you will learn later on.
I and my husband lived at Charitan
about two years, when our boy baby died
at o months of age.
We went to Denver, Colo, and stayed
awhile; thence overland to Leadville,
where my daughter Mamie two years old
err than Stella, was born. When Mamie
was just / month old we went on horseback
across the range to PitlSn. which was five
days travel but we only had to camp out
two nights. We remained in Pitkin and
Stella was born June S, 1882. My hus-
band left us when she was I month old.
He had become disipatcd. He had besen
kind and good up 10 this time.
After Stella was born l became af-
hicted with infammatory rheumatism and
was entirely helpless for months. The peo-
, pie OF the camp were good to me and the
babies and did not let us suffer for such
attentions as they could give James
4 Beardsley and his wife were well-to-dc
+, and were especially kind to me, and wher
, Stella was months old they offered &c
+ take her and keep her for me until re
a covered, 10 which l agreed Before Ions
they came 20 me and said they had solo
some claims and got in pocket about SIoo,
t. 600 and were going to travel until spring
q and asked if | would let them keep Stelli
r. until their return. very reluctantly con
T. scuted but being entirely helpless ant
4, having the utmost confidence in their hon
r. csty and good intentions, ! felt no fear
r, that my baby would be taken away iron
me forever, but that if she lived ! woul,
.r see her again next spring.
n Months went by and I received letter
r. regularly from Mrs. Beardsley while the
r. were in New York and other places OF
# the Atlantic coast, and finally heard fror
~ them again at Portland, Ore, Mrs Boards
:. ley writing me a letter saying they ha
travelled around until they had spent al
their money and that now she and Tir
, were separated and that she still had Stell
with her, but was without friends, none
III or home and did not know what to dc
" | made Stella bundle of nice dresses an
' sent them with SIS in money to the poo
10 woman, thinking she was acting in goo
Up faith, as she had sent the picture of Stell
III when she was , years old. I never hear
sc from her any more. / put forth every Ell
nc fort in my power, and in my poverty it wa
~ not much that | could do, but my fathe
ggy helped me all he could uutil he died.
w ~
if With all my suffering and poverty
is never broke down. After recovering m
ne health l lived and prayed and worke,
p with the hope horn OF a mothers love Thu
Id might find my little Stella In 1884
at received the intelligence that my husban
,N- had been entombed in mine in Montar
ny and lost his life. was too poor to NAL
III a search, so ! accepted the matter at fac
and OF course, did not have the same r
gard for him after he had left me the va
ate he had without even giving cause IL
wn such conduct.
me In 1855 ! married Frank Carln, one
the foremost men of the camp, superinten
y ent in one of the richest mines and IN;
can of ample means to make me comfortabl
Mr. He was everything that husband shou
the or could he, and at once entered into fl
sympathy with me In my Affections al
the used every means In his power to find he
ave He spent thousands OF dollars hiring d
lla ! tectives, advertising and writing all ov
this the world but met with failure and d
appointment at every turn.
and In 1903 we sold some mining claims al
1me got $4,000 and took the two girls--Mar
was and Barbara the latter being daughter
my last husband and half-sister to NJ
at ME and Stella, and who came with me