Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-29
CHILD CHAINED UP
PITIFUL TALE TOLD TO THE
POLICE.
Grandmother Said It Was Done for
Good Of the Little
One.

Bound by dog chain and a lock to a
block of wood-the block being over yard
in length and weighing over twenty-six
pounds-twelve-year-ol Eva Lyles was
found by Sergeant w. T. Anderson Of the
Anacostia police station yesterday after
noon in the yard at her grandmother's
home. No 154 Harrison street, Anacostia.
Sergeant Anderson filed the chain off the
leg of the little girl. releasing her. and she
was taken to the police station to tell the
story OF her punishment.
Eva lives with her grandmother. Mrs
Mary Perkins, in Anacostia. Mrs. Perkins
works every day in the mail bag repair
shop. When she went to work yesterday
she locked the chain to the girls ankle and
left her In that condition for the day, or
until she should return from her work, be-
tween and o'clock In the afternoon.
The girl was found in the yard, in full
view of the street. where hundreds of peo-
pie pass every day.
AT the same time that Eva was released
from her chain her little brother and SIS
ter, Willie. eight years old, and Mary,
seven years old, were removed from the
home and were later sent to the house of
detention.
The mother of the three children has been
dead for about five years. Ever since that
time their father, William Lyles. and the
three children have lived with the grand
mother. Mrs Perkins. Lyles is away from
his home on business a large portion of tha
time. so that the grandmother, it Is said,
has had nearly full charge of the children
for the past five years.
Child Tells Her Story.
When Eva was interviewed by Sergt.
Anderson she told pitiful story covering
the past few days. According to the police,
the child hYS hea, n ai pad tn IF
wood for seventeen days. Once Willie, her
brother, was chained with her
The chain Is about eight and a half feet
long, giving her radius from the block
of about eight feet. Her play, the police
say, was limited to this area during the
while the grandmother was away at work.
The little girl also displayed, according
to the police, several red marks across her
back, which she told them were made by
her grandmother with leather strap The
girl told a tale of repeated application of
the rod or strap by her grandmother.
When asked what she had done to deserve
the whippings, she told the police that she
went to play with the other children of
the neighborhOod in the street against the
instructions of her grandmother.
Not Chained Easter Monday.
Easter Monday, she told the police, the
lock was not put on her foot, but she was
day she went to the fort" where the chill
dren of Anacostia go to roll eggs. Because
she went there, she says. the chain was
again put on her leg on Tuesday, so that
her play would be limited to the yard.
She had been chained up in that way
every day since, until she was released by
Sergeant Anderson yesterday.
Mrs. Mary Perkins, who had chained the
girl to the block of wood, was told to come
to the Police Court this morning. After
consultation between the humane officers.
Sergeant Anderson and Assistant United
States Attorney Given this morning,
a warrant was sworn out for the
arrest of Mrs. Mary Perkins for viola
ton of section 81 of the District code,
which makes it a misdemeanor for a per-
son ito willfully maltreat a child under
the age of eighteen years. The warrant
will be served this afternoon and the case
will come up in the Police Court, 1t Is ex-
pected, on Monday.
In regard to the disposition of the chill
dren, the board of children's guardians has
filed petitions to have them committed TO
the jurisdiction of the board. The applica-
ton came up in the juvenile courr, before
Judge Kimball this afternoon. During the
trial of that case Mrs. Perkins had a chance
to tell her side of the story. She was very
profuse in her explanations OF her conduct,
81 chained her up to save the child she
exclaimed. The girl has been going OH
with boys and girls and would not stay at
home She had plenty of good clothes ana
plenty to eat But tnouSllI II "'S pe.'oi
to keep the child at home than to let her
run around everywhere and be picked UP
and carried off to the hospital. She has
had the chain on her only four times. She
used to get the boys to carry the poaro
around so she could go to play with others
out of the yard
Questions from Judge Kimball developed
the fact that Eva is in the second grade In
school; her sister had never been to school,
and the brother had been only short time
when he was suspended for bad conduct.
The Judge was impressed with the chill
dren's story and ordered the trio to be
placed in the hands of the board OF chill
dren's guardians, where they can be sent
to school and receive proper training
The case was the chief topic of converse
ton around the Police Court among all the
ofBcials this afternoon The unusual cir
cumstances, the bringing of the heavy block
of wood and the chain into court and the
child's tearfully-told tale were all dramatic
incidents which won the sympathy OF the
police Court officials and spectators.