Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-14
BITTER FEELING
A Kansas Newspaper HarshIy
Criticizes Barclays in lncu-
bator Baby Litigation.
SAYS MOTIVE Is REVENGE
Indications Are Decision of Federal
Judge at Topeka Will Not be
the End of the Case.

That the legal fight between Mrs.
Charlotte Bleakley and Mrs. James G.
Barclay over the noted incubator baby,
which has now been thrown into the
federal court at Topeka, Kan, has
spread and become the foundation of
bitter feeling among the people of
Kansas is indicated by newspapers
from there. The, Lawrence (Kan.)
Journal of Monday denounces. the con-
tinued prosecution of the suit on the
part of the Barclays and terms the
new step another chapter of infamy"
In another article in the same paper is
the following: rs Mrs. Barclay a
devil? Is it possible for woman to be
so entirely devoid of human sympa-
thy that she will follow another wo-
man as she is following Mrs. Bleak
ley? The case is unparalleled in the
history of Kansas. There can be no
affection on the part of Mrs. Barclay;
nothing but a spirit of revenge
Continuing, the writer says: "The
record of the case is a record of in
fanny from beginning to end. 1t is Il
record that causes one to lose faith in
humanity. The only explanation is
that Mrs Barclay is not human. Fer
Mrs. Bleakley there will again go out
| the human sympathy that is divine"
The paper suggests that a fund be
raised to assist Mrs. Bleakley in the
fight in the courts for possession of the
baby.
The case comes up before Judge
John c. Pollock of the United States
court at Topeka, Nov. IS. 1t is not
likely, however, that the decision of
Judge Pollock will settle the matter,
| for both sides seem disposed to con-
| tinue the bitter fight through the high
| er courts.
History of Case.
A long petition has been filed by the
Barclays in the federal court, reciting
!, the history of the long court battle for
the possession of the child. The baby
was born in the spring of 1904 in a
hospital in st. Louis, and April % of
that year was placed in the baby incu-
bator at the st. Louis worlds fair.
The petition sets up that Nov. 9, 1904.
for valuable consideration, Mrs.
Bleakley released all right to the child
to Mrs. Barclay, and the child was
adopted under the laws of Missouri.
In January, 1905, the Barclays moved
to Moline, and May &c, 1905, Mrs
Bleakley began the habeas corpus pro-
ceedings in the circuit court here be-
fore Judge Emory c. Graves, claiming
of nh
comply with the laws of Missouri, and
was invalid. The child was given to
Mrs. Bleakley, and the case appealed
to the appellate court at Ottawa Pend
ing decision, the Barclays filed a
habeas corpus petition in the district
court of Douglas county, Kansas,
claiming that Mrs. Bleakley was not
court ruled against Mrs. Bleakley and
denied a new trial Mrs Bleakley
then took the child and disappeared.
The supreme court of Kansas reversed
the lower court there, and the appel
late court in Illinois reversed the cir
cuit court here.
Mrs. Bleakley, however, has remain
ed beyond the jurisdiction of the Hi
Inois courts, and retained possession of
the child until the case was taken up
in the federal court.
/ A Long Chase.
i The petition describes the pursuit OF
Mrs. Bleakley land the baby through
Kansas and Oklahoma recently, and
charges that the county attorney OF
Chautauqua county, Kansas, has al
along acted in collision with Mrs
Bleakley and assisted her to thwar
the will of the courts,
Mrs. Ora Thompson, Mrs. Bleakley'