Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-26
PRODUCES AFFIDAvlTs
Gossipers Insinuated That Girl Was
Mother Of Babe That Had Been
Adopted by the Pearson Fam
lily Three Years Ago.

left in the custody of a family living
near her boarding place. The parents
decided to adopt the child. and &C
cordingly, the girl went back to Des
Moines and brought the baby, a year
old boy. to Keosauaua, her father le-
gally adopting the boy.
Later the family moved to Eldon,
and soon it was brought to their at
tention that insinuations were being
made that Miss Pearson was the
mother of the child.
j. G. Pearson. the father of the
young woman, justly indignant at the
attacks made upon his daughters
name. has secured afidavits from a
number of parties. which form part
Of the following letter he has written
in answer to the slanderers:
Eldou, Dec. 2O.--Editor Courier: NY
attention has been called to an article
in your issue OF the 14th inst. under
the caption, adopts a Babe; Sues
Critics" The article is sent out from
Des Moines and reads as though given
out by us for publication, which is far
from correct. But since it contains
many mistakes which our friends at
Eldon and Keosauqua will readily
see. desire with your consent, to
state the facts plainly to the public.
1t was on April 20, 1904 (not this
year, that my daughter Leila (not
Alta) went to Highland Park to take
some special work in music (not pen
manship jim connection with CORE
spondence course which she had begun
in January. The next sentence is cor
rect. During her stay there she fell
in love with a little orphan baby,
Which was kept by Mrs. Johnson,
who lived in Highland Park near
where Leila boarded The Johnsons
were not poor but did not desire
to keep the little boy. whose dead
mother was sister of Mrs. Johnson.
They wanted to find a home for him
In the country and Leila promised to
tell us of him on her return which she
did. returning May 30 She did not
bring the child with her, neither was
he "tiny mite"
home. we had Leila write Mrs. John
son that II she was still willing for
lis to take the boy, she could send
him to Keosauqua. near where we
then lived, in care of conductor, who
Alou SOlloShlSu " UllllS llltI. w z lG-
ceived the following reply:
'Des Moines, June 8, 1904 Miss
Leila Pearson. Your letter received.
AID will say, will pay one way OF
your fare il you want Dale. as could
not send him with conductor, as he
Is afraid of strange men. So if you
will come will let you have him.
Your friend, Mrs Johnson"
n IL L.
lapd Park, returning the next day
The child was a year old June Is
1904, according to their statement. He
had four teeth, climbed up by chairs
wore blue bib overalls and within a
month was prattling.
| Here was materialefor dame gossip
and while there were sly situations
we never heard an open declaration :,
wrong while we lived where the facts
were SO well known. But in the fall
of 1905, we moved to Eldon Time
rolls on and there is less disparity
between the age of the child and tht
time of Lela's brief absence. Still
we knew of nothing but "sly insinua
lions" until recently We learned that
malicious tongues" in Eldon were
boldly declaring that little Dale was
Leila child. and that when we sale
she was at Highland Park. 1t was on1!
a ruse to cover up her disgrace, ever
locating her at place in Des Moines
Knowing that there was absolutely
no foundation for such a report, it be
! came my duty as her father to ge
| unquestionable evidence as to where
she was and where she was not, dur
| ing her absence from home, going tt
Highland Park, President Longwe.
gave us this:
ITO whom 1t may concern. Mis-
Leila Pearson enrolled in our CORE
1 spondence school on jan 81, 1904
for a course in harmony and music
| and recited to us by mail until April
| rs 1904. when she came to our schoo
I and was here under our instruction.
until May %. 1904, when she returned
home to complete the course by mail
/ o. n. Longwell.''
Leila had left home Monday, Apri
%. 1904, and returned Monday. Ma,
30. 1904. So much for where Lei
was. Mrs. West. at whose place. he
slanderers declared Leila to have beeI
gave us the following:
State Of Iowa, Polk county, S.:
Mrs. Fred West, being first dull
sworn, depose and say, that Miss Lels
Pearson was not to the best of m,
knowledge and belief at my hom'
during the years Of 1903 (the year tn
boy was born) or 1904 {the year LIE,