Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-17
To REMAIN IN HOME.
Cecil Howard Fails in His Habeas
Corpus Proceed
ings
TO RECOVER HIS CHILDREN
Who Had Been Given Over TO Gus
= tody of the Bethany Asso-
GIt - citation.

Walter and Leta Howard. children
of Cecil and frankie Howard. are to
remain at the Bethany Home until the
further order OF the court. This was
the verdict announced by Judge W H.
Gest in the circuit court this morning.
on the completion of the testimony of
fered in support of the petition of ha-
beas corpus filed by the father 10 gain
custody of the little ones
The. Towards separated last August.
Mrs. Howard said that she could no
longer live with her husband because
If his. habits. She said that once q
week regularly. after receiving his pay
from the Fremont Butter Tub com
pany, where he was employed. he
would go out and get drunk, not Civ
ng her sufficient money TO properly
care for herself and little ones
The boy is 6 years old and the girl
is 4. They are pretty. bright children.
They were brought TO court by the
matron of the Bethany Home. During
the hearing the boy divided his atten-
tions between his father and mother,
TO whom he seemed equally devoted.
NeighbOrs With the Mother
Several neighbors who had lived as
neighbors to the Towards testified to
seeing Howard intoxicated. and there
was none who thought him a fit person
TO rear the children. Howard is a
|oung man. There was no effort made
deny his weakness for drink, but
his attorneys sought to make the point
that he had reformed. and had not in
1ulged in liquor to an excessive degree
for upwards of a month.
Howard is fond of his little one.
and well he might be, for they are the
dearest children that a father would
want. His wife is youthful and pretty
also She was in tears during her re-
cital on the witness stand. She said
she had put up with her husbands
faults as long as she was able to-
Finally il became necessary for her
to go out and work to earn money 10
support her home One of the neigh
borhOod women told of employing Mrs.
Howard to do her washing. The WON
N liked Mrs. Howard. They said she
was a good woman and labored SO
lard to get along. They knew how
she had suffered.
Frequently she had to help her hus-
band in the house and she would re-
move his shoes and clothing and put
him to bed. and care for him until he
vas sober enough to return TO his
work. There. were times when Mrs
Howard would draw his pay check. but
she was warned that if she did not
allow him TO draw his own money he
would quit working.
Contributes To support.
When Mrs Howard left her husband
she placed the children at the Bethany
Home. and since has been contributing |
what she has been able towards their |
support in that institution. She said |
;he knew they were better cared for |
there than if they were left on her |
hands, for the reason that she had to
work during the day. and did not earn |
rnough to rent and maintain a house. |
Besides. if she had a house, she would |
have to be away from the children !
while at her work during the day.
Judge Gest took the view that the |
children were better off at the home. |
He said they should remain there, as
the mother wished, but that both par
7nts would be permitted to visit them
there. The court also ordered that
each contribute towards the mainten
ance of the children at the home. He
asked the matron to report to him. if
pay for their support was not forth
coming from both parents. and If they
failed in this. he would make different
Howard was represent
ed by Ludolph & Reynolds. and the
mother and the home by H. NJ. McCas-