Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-09
DISTRESSING CASE.
Two Detroit Girls Returned to
Their Father by Court.
Alleged to Have Been UnIawfu|Iy De-
tanned by Ellsworth Man.
Girls Said to Have Been infatuated
With Farmer. Preacher.

Ellsworth, Me-, Feb. ga peculiarly
distressing case was heard in Ellis
worth, Friday afternoon, before Judge
Emery Oh a writ of habeas corpus is
sued by Judge Spear in Bangor on
Tuesday. The writ was issued on COM
plant of Eben H. Pease of Detroit, who
was seeking to recover his two chill
dren, Lucy, aged IS and Minnie, aged
H. and who, the father alleged, were
being unlawfully kept from him by
Byron Grant at the home Of his father
Jason in Otis.
Sheriff Whitcomb went to Otis, Tues
day night, found the girls and brought
them to Ellsworth At the hearing,
Friday. the father, accompanied by
Gideon Harden, a neighbor, told a pitt
full tale, of how the younger Grant, By
ron, coming to Detroit some four years
ago as kind of farmer preacher, be-
came a friend of the family and later
was taken to board; how he succeeded
in gaining the affections of his wife,
and how finally, having borne the in
dignity till it was no longer bearable,
ilC llctd OINCtCO VIC AOoNiOSSA Va AAif
home off the premises and threatened
violence if he returned.
Then followed the story of his wife's
death last fall, the apparent infatua-
ton of his two girls for Grant, their
leaving his home, his three weeks
search for Them and finally his locating
them with the Grants in Otis.
The testimony as to the peaceable-
ness of his home until Grant came was
corroborated by his neighbor, Harden.
The Grants, father and son, were
then heard. The old man Jason, told
Of their coming. of his taking them in
as objects of pity, imbued with the one
desire of befriending the motherless
and defending them, if need be, against
an abusive and heartless father.
The young man, Byron, then told his
story. He denied any intention of
making trouble in the Pease family,
and wasn't aware that he had done so
until suddenly he was peremptorily told
to pack up and get out.
He said that when the children wanted
to go, too he urged them to stay with
their father; never wrote them after he
left Detroit to come to Otis; didn't know
they were coming and didn't know they
were there until he came out of the woods
few days ago and found them there,
was greatly surprised to see them;
On Characterization by H. H. Patten,
ESQ, of Bangor, who came to ELLSWORTH
with Mr.. Pease, he admitted that since
the mothers death he had talked of mar
riage to Lucy-that he wanted to marry
her when she was old enough:
wished to tell their story. They did, and
did it in highly picturesque manner
Lucy declared that her father had never
provided a home. neither for his wife nor
clothing had threatened to shoot them
had said he wanted to get rid of them,
and at the first opportunity they had &C
commodated him.
She declared that Grants coming into
the family had not been the cause of II
all; the same state of things had existed
ever since she was little girl. She ad-
mitted that since her mother died Byron
had talked marriage to her-wanted to
marry her when she got big enough.
Minnie's story was substantially the
same as Lucy's. Cross-questioning by
counsel could not shake the story as the
girls told it, and 1T was pitiful to watch
the father as he heard statement after
statement made by his own flesh and
blood which, If true, or half true, would
brand him as Internally brutal-state-
ments which later on he Indignantly de-
MED.
In reviewing the case, Judge Emery
said that it was very clear that the chill
dren could not remain with Otis. Lucy
was evidently infatuated with Grant and
Minnie was doubtless under Lucy's influ-
ence, il not also herself infatuated with
Grant. Where can they go? Nowhere
else than with their father, unless it can
be shown that he is unfit properly to care
for them. This has not yet been shown,
and / order them back to the custody of
their father. What he can do with them
God only knows"
The judge then addressed the girls,
stating to them some plain. simple truths
and advising them when they got to their
home to conduct themselves properly and
if they had occasion to complain of their
father. the town authorities of Detroit
were amply able to act in the matter.
The girls left for Bangor on the 531
train, accompanied by their father and
Mr.. Harden.