The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-30
CHILD SPURNS FATHER
MARY WALSH REFUSES TO RETURN
TO FATHERS HOME.
Suit Brought by Parent to Regain
Her Custody-Pathetic Scene I'm
Judge Aliens Court.

N StCi AlaAA Va [CANs ~
heavy lines of face that come with years
Of hard labor filed with dull routine. rare
Iy frightened with the things that elevate.
sat in the Circuit Court all day yesterday.
In striking contrast to him. and. strange
to say, his own flesh and blood, sat a
pretty young girl of fifteen. her counte-
nance darkened with tears or frowns or
lightened with smiles alternately. 1t was
father and daughter-this strangely assort-
ed pair-Bartholomew Walsh and Mary
Walsh. The father. a rough. hard-faced
Irishman, but apparently back of II all a
kindly heart, was suing for possession Of
his daughter by means of habeas corpus
proceedings. The defendants were jacob
Huffman and wife. The Washes and the
Huffmans live on Merrill street.
The story in brief is that a few nights
ago Walsh and his motherless daughter
quarreled, and she left home after mid
night and sought refuge at the home OF the
Huffmans. There are two stories as to the
cause of the girl leaving home. Her story
and that of the Huffmans Is that she was
driven from home, or at least left home
because she feared the brutality of her
father. There was testimony to the effect
that he struck her and tried to choke her,
but this was denied by him. He claimed
that that night, after he had given his
daughter 50 with which to make some plr-
chases. he found her searching his pock-
cts after he had gone to bed. When he
took her to task about 1t she few into a
passion and left the house. going to the
Huffmans, where she has since remained.
A large number of witnesses gave evil
dence. One was by marriage a relative OF
Walsh. He is badly crippled in the right
arm, so much so that he could not hold 1t
up to be sworn. In the course of his testi-
mony Attorney Kahn asked the witness,
whose name was O'Connor, what his occu-
patton was.
I'm a gentleman of leisure" he said.
But what did you do before you became
a gentleman" asked the attorney.
Il was a working man, sir" O'Connor re-
piled, with a twinkle of the eye.
well, i guess there is no reason why q
man should not be a workingman and a
gentleman" the attorney said, and the
court agreed with him..
COURT WAS PUZZLED.
The case was one that puzzled Judge Al
len-that is, to know just what was right
in the matter. 1t was plain that the girl
did not care to go back to her father. IT
think / understand this man." the court
said, speaking to those gathered around the
desk. II believe that beneath this rough
exterior there's really a good heart. This
father and daughter do not understand
each other. / believe that If she could APP
preciate what he really feels for her and If
he a the power of manifesting he
really feels-if he could make her under
stand there would be no trouble in this
family But she has no mother. and / m
times feel that a man is not fit to rear a
family. i have daughters OF my own, and
/ almost shudder at times when / think
what might become of them should any,
thing. happen that they were left to my
care"
In this strain Judge Allen talked on for
some time. making figures on a blotter in
front of him. The girl cried softly and the
crowd of women listened curiously. Some
of them chewed gum while the court talked,
and Mrs. Huffman sat with her fingers
working nervously with her handkerchief.
Walsh, the father of the girl, sat back Of a
ing TO catch every word Of the court.
Il don't know" the court continued, lust
what is best in these cases l might tell
does not seem to care to. If he can't win
her with the love and affection he claims
to feel for her 1 don't know of any other
way. Again, l might refuse this writ and
take her out from under his protection en-
tirely. but with a young. attractive girl like
this 1 don't feel like sending her out in
the world. That's a serious thing for q
court to do"
The judge hesitated again and for a mo-
ment studied some figures on the blotter
before him. He had put them down earlier
in the day. when a certain saloon keeper
had testified that Walsh for the last two
years had spent 20 cents a day at his sa-
loon for beer. Just think of a labor
ing man spending that much for liquor
every day." the court had remarked. with
a shrug of disgust, when the evidence
came out. Later he called Walsh's atten-
ton to these figures. II find from the tes-
timony of one of your witnesses that you
spend between $50 and $50 a year for beer
he remarked, addressing Walsh. Now. I
can say this: l believe that IL you would
spend that much money on your home and
daughter instead of In a saloon. she would
probably think a lot more of YOU"
TAKEN UNDER ADJUSTMENT.
Judge Allen closed the big record book
on the desk before him with a bang. "I
won't decide this to-day" he said. ut
won't hurt to go over for a few days, and
want this daughter and this father to do
a good deal of thinking"
The women filed out of the courtroom.
Pretty little Mary Walsh went out with
the Huffmans. Walsh shufled to his feet,
the dull. hopeless expression that had left
his face for a moment while the court
talked had returned. He followed Attorney
Rockford from the m to again take
up the dull routine of grinding labor.
A group of people met at the door going
out. Bartholomew Walsh and his pretty
daughter touched elbows almost as they
passed. Then there was a parting of the
ways again. The daughter tripped along
beside Mrs. Huffman, glad for even a brief
respite from her dull home. There was
something pitiful about the slouching, pa
thetic figure of the father as he disap-
peared down the stairway ahead, but she
did not see ii.