Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-02-11
CHILDREN RESCUED.
DETROIT FATHER FINDS RUNA.
WAY GIRLS IN OTIS.
A GAY LoTHARio CHARGED WITH
BREAKING UP THE PEAsE FAMILY
THE FATHERS PITiFUL TALE.

IL the story tod by Eben II. pease. of
Detroit, at a bearing before Judge Emery
last Friday is half true, Byron Grant, Of
OTIS, will have much to answer for in he
next world, II there is no law in this that
can get after MIN.
The case came before Judge Emery on
writ OF hsbess corpus Issued by Judge
Spear iu Bangor on Tuesday OF last week,
on complaint of Mr.. Pease, VINO was seek
Ing to recover his two children, Lucy,
aged fifteen, and Minnie, aged twelve,
who. the father alleged, were being un.
,awfuIy kept from bim by Byron Grant,
at the home OF his father, Jason, In OTIS.
Armed with the warrant, 8 ieriff w nit
comb went to Otis last Tuesday night,
found the girls, and brought them to
Ellsworth. Here they were Kept antil the
bearing on Friday, when the father and
his lifelong neighbor, Gideon Harden,
accompanied by Lawyer Ii. H. Petten,
came to Ellsworth.
The Grants, too, father and son, were on
hand. Pease, a well. to- do farmer OF
Detroit, told most distressing story.
In su distance 1t was AS follows:
THE FATHERS STORY.
About four, years ago Byron Grant, a
kind OF farmer preac her, came to Detroit,
became friend of the family and later
was taken to board. For a while matters
moved along smoothly; then came the
suspicion that the boarder was becoming
too closely i'd, ntified with the family life
Tue situation became so EN- barrassing
that ne finally told his wife that Grant
must get out, or he would. Grant staid
right along, and he left for a while, not
wishing to create a scendal.
But al last, having endured the separa-
ton as long as he could, and finding that
Grant had no intention OF voluntarily
quitting, he ret urned home, aud ordered
the destroyer OF his home off his prem 8,
threatening violence II he ever returned
About this time he discovered that
Grant had not only allie mated his wife's
affections, but also that his two girls
shared their mot hers infatuation for the
man from Otis.
Then last fail came the death OF his
wife Even this sad event seemed to have
no effect upon the girls so far as Grant
was concerned; they still pinned for him,
and when absent about month ago, he
discovered that they had packed up their
few belongings and left for parts un.
wbilom preacher might have had some
thing to do with the case.
FOUND AT LAST.
For three weeks he Kept up the search;
he traced them to Searsport, thence to
Rocklsnd, thence to Bucksport, thence to
Brewer, thence to East Eddingtou, and
finally to the home of the original cause
OF his domestic troubIes-Byron Grant,
In Otis.
They were deaf to his appeals to return
he went to Bangor, sought legal advice,
aud secured a writ OF hs bess corpus, as
already stated.
Gideon Harden, OF Detroit, who has
known Pease many years, corroborated
his story, tes:ifyiug that up to the time
OF Grants advent In Detroit, the Pesses
lived, to all appearances, as a happy and
contenteo family.
The Grants, father and son, told their
stories. The father, Jason, denied all
knowledge OF the havoc his son had made
in the Pease family. He told OF the COM
ing OF the girls to his home in Otis, of
his taking them in, and, after hearing
their story, of his sole desire of betriend-
Ing he poor, mothertess girls, and of
L..
heartless and abusive father.
BYRON GRANT TALKS.
Byron Grant, the son, the farmer,
preacher, woodsman, and SO forth, then
told his story. He denied ever having
any intention OF making trouble in the
Pease family at Detroit, and said he
wasn't aware that his living with them
there WAS the occasion OF any trouble
between Mr.. Pease and his wi,e. He was
greatly astonished when Mr. Pesse re-
turned home last fall and peremptoriy
ordered him to pack up and get out
Being man of peace and not of war,
he promptly obeyed orders and got out,
not, however, until he had had personal
encounter with Mr.. Pease, who, he alleged,
struck MIN with a cord wood stick.
He testified that when it became GER
tain that he was to go, the children
wanted TO go too; that he urged them to
be good little girls and stay with their
fat her; that he never wrote for them to
come to Otis, aud was great ly surprised
when he came out OF the woods and
found them there.
Cross examined by Mr.. Patten Byron
admitted that since the mothers death
he had talked of marriage to Lucy-th hat
be wanted to marry her when she was old
enough.
WHAT THE GIRLS SAID.
Judge Emery asked the girls II they
wanted to tell their story. They did, and
they did 1t In highly picturesque
manner; they were so anxious to get at 1t
hat they started in together. The judge
suggested that perhaps it would be just
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