The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-04
CHILD IN DISPUTE
LEGAL FIGHT BETWEEN MOTHER
AND FOSTER MOTHER
BRIsTLES WITH SENSATION.
LITTLE MAY WALTER CREATED A
SCENE IN COURT.

Catching Sight of Its Foster Mother
Cried To Go to Her-Was Then in
Mothers Arms-CharEe and COun-
ter Charge Followed in Rapid
Succession in the Trial of the
Case-LittIe Girls Foster Mother
Works mt Cigar Factory Argu-
ment of Counsel This Morning.
A scene was created yesterday in
the Superior Court, during the trial of
the habeas corpus proceedings insti-
tuted by Mrs. Fairy Walter for the
recovery of her adopted child, Clara
May Walter, aged three years, against
the mother of the child, Mrs. Ulaw
Loab, when the little one, while in the
arms Of its mother, catching sight of
its foster mother. cried so violently to
be allowed to go to her that both
mother and child had to leave the
court room.
Mama! Mama." she cried, at first
in joy and then seeing that she could
not go to her, outstretched her little
arms, and renewed her appeals, cry
ing, and finally screaming at the top
of her voice The child has been with
her adopted mother since she was
four months old. While the mother
was lying very i'll at the hospital the
infant was adopted by Mrs. Walter.
At that time letters of adoption were
granted to her by the late Judge Fall
ngant, with the consent of the moth
er.
Took the Child Away.
A few days ago Mrs. Loab went to
the home Of the adopted mother, and
taking the child carried it with her to
Bryan county. Mrs. Walter is a very
pretty little woman. Her husband is
cohsumptive and is at present in
precarious condition at the hospital.
She is employed al the cigar factory
where she earns 81 a week. With this
she says she can provide for herself
and child. The child, who was in
court, is bright and pretty. Her de-
votion to the little one who, though
not of her flesh and blood, is. so at
tached to her, is very evident.
BY the fight which the mother of the
child is making for her offspring, ii is
clear that she is in earnest and that
she is anxious to reclaim the little one.
She says that she would be willing to
let Mrs Walter care for the child If
she were able to do so, and were mt
person. But, she says, she is neither.
Not only, II is alleged, is the child not
properly dressed, but the environments
which the foster mother throws about
her are not conducive to good charac-
ter.
All sorts of Charges.
Charge and counter charge were
made in court. The husband of Mrs.
Loab refused to answer on the stand
at what time they were married. and,
at length, when commanded to do so
by the court, created much laughter
by insisting that he was married in
1902, when II was clearly evident that
he meant 1892. Mrs. Walter claimed
that she left the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Loab because of the unwholesome air
which surrounded 1t.
But this was not what they said. In
answer to her charges they said that,
as a matter of fact, Mrs. Walter was
ordered to leave their house because
of her conduct. Loab, who said that
ne Is a linoleum worker, also had
few facts to testify to. He got a lit
tie confused on the cross-examination,
however, by Mr.. Barrow, counsel for
Mrs. Walter.
Mrs. Walter Indignantly denied the
charges of immortality, and placed sew
eral witnesses, one a prominent citi-
zen, on the stand to attest her ire
proachable and untarnished name. One
of these witnesses was Blizzard. who
denied the charges made by Schine,
the boarder at Mrs. Loab's. The case
teemd with sensational features.
The argument of COUNSEL will begin
this morning. The case is being heard
before Judge Sea brook. Messrs. Raj
ford Falligant and D. c. Barrow rep
resent Mrs. Walter, and Mr.. John E.
Myrick represents Mrs Loab