The San Francisco call., 1903-01-11
CHILD'S TEARS
BEST ADVOCATE
Judge Coffey Gives Sow
Jun Into Custody
of Mission.
Proceedings in Guardianship
Lead to F. j. Kane's
Arrest.

Arrest.
Sow Jun. a pretty little Chinese girl
barely years OF age. cIung convulsfveIy
to the arm OF Judge Coffey in his court
room yesterday and with tears rolling
down her cheeks begged him not to give
her into the custody % Frank J. Kane,
secretary Of the Pacific Humane Society.
who sought TO take her from the care OF
the Methodist Episcopal Home for Chi
nese Girls at 9l2 Washington street The
little ones tears sOftened the heart OF
every one in the courtroom. and Judge
Coffey ordered that the child be taken
back 10 the home, there to remain until
the further order OF the court
Five minutes after the courts decision
had been rendered new interest was
added to the case by Detective Tom
Ryan As Kane left the courtroom,
downcast and sore over the outcome OF
the case. he was tapped upon the
shoulder by the detective and placed
under arrest.
whats this for?" demanded Kane,
with an assumption Of bravery that his
appearance belicd-
For impersOnating an officer replied
Ryan, directing Kanes footsteps TO the
corridor leading to the Southern pOlic0
station.
ARREST A SURPRISE.
The arrest Of Kane came as a surprise.
but it was fitting ending to the SOW
/ Jun case, as the testimony in the entire
/ matter showed that Kane used some very
peculiar methods i'm transacting the busi-
ness of the Humane Society He testified
/ yesterday that he was a special police
/ officer and exhibited a star bearing the
| initials "B. H" and the words Special
Police" Attorney Monroe, who repre-
sents the mission people, questioned him
closely as to his right 20 wear the star,
and then summoned Captain OF Police
/ Norman to the stand Norman showed by
the police records that Kane had been
| dispossessed of his star five years ago and
} that a right to use it had never been
/ granted to him The records show that
i James Flaherty Of the Potrero Is entitled
/ to wear star B. II.
| Kane's arrest followed shortly after
/ Norman closed his testimony, Ryan stat
/ ing that he took Kane into custody under
orders from Chief Of Police Whitman
The Sow Jun case. which led to the ar
rest of Kane. has been in the courts for
more than a year. TWO years ago Kane
/ at the request of Miss Margaret Lake OF
the home. took her from a lodging-house
at 10 Spofford alley placed her in the Gus
tody of the matrOn of the home and then
had himself appointed her guardian Six
. months later he called at the mission ana
asked that the little girl be turned over
to him, as a wealthy Chinese merchant
desired to adopt her His request was re-
fused and the investigation that followed
( disclosed the fact that the merchant was
a notorious salOon-keeper. who evidently
I wanted little Sow Jun to turn her over
TO the woman from whom she was taken
TRIES HABEAS CORPUS.
Kane then tried to get possession of the
I cEild By habeas corpus proceedings, but
failed and the mission people then acted.
They petltioned the Superior Court for
/ revocation of the letters OF guardianship
granted TO Kane, charging that he was an
unfit person 10 have the care Of the child.
/ The case was assigned 10 Department
Q of the Superior Court and several near
ings were had. during the course of which
serious charges were made against Kane
/ 1t was charged that Kane had required
a Mrs Annie Young TO give him SCI 70
defray the cost of guardianship proceeds
iilgs over the person of her foster daugh-
ter. Lillian Young. and then had made an
affidavit saying that the child was with
out friends who could defTay court costs,
thereby securing remittance OF Tees
/ Kane denied receiving the money. or that
he knew that Mrs. Young paid for any
Efforts i'm her foster daughters S behalf Iu
was shown by testimony, however. that
w. Z. O'COnnOr. an agent OF the sccre-
tary, had collected the $2i from Mrs.
! Young and that he gave 81 10 Kane TO pay
the law library fee. O'COnnOr admitted
this and said he considered he was en-
/ titled to keep the balance. Both Kane
and O'Connor made poor witnesses when
questioned as to the Young matter and
attempted to show Mrs. Young as per-
jurer. They were silenced by the court,
I Of n
told O'ConnOr that he was deserving Of
sympathy
KANE is NERVOUS.
'NIr. Kane said the court. I'VE have
disposed of the Young matter. Can you
now tell me what you intend to do with
Sow JUMP"
We'll, your Honor" responded the very
nervous secretary. ''Ill take her 70 my
own home for a while and send her to
Mrs Siddon's for a while"
For a while" said the court, waxing
angry. ''You told me you intended TO
raise the little one in your own family.
Now tell me what you intend doing with
her..
.'Can I explain to you in private.
Judge?"
mo. you cannot" snapped back the
Judge. Miss Lake, will you bring the
little girl here?"
The little Chinese was led to the benoA,
where she Immediately crawIed into tHa
Judges lap. The tears ran down -
cheeks and she grasped the Judges arTa
and gazed with fear in her eyes toward
Kane
rs Mr.. Kane nice man?" she was
asked by the court.
mo, no." the little one answered. en-
deavoring. to hide her head in the Judge :
arm.
DO you not want 10 go with him.
was the next question 1t was the final
one, for the bare prospect of being given
into the custody Of Kane almost sent the
child into Mysteries. Big tears rolled
down her cheeks and she Historically
sought to get into position out of Kane >
sight.
.1t would be an unnatural thing TO take