The Washington times., 1907-10-02
Mrs. Wedderburn Feels
Sure Courts Viii Up
hold Her Course.

The eRoris OF Alexander j. Wedder-
burn. jr., to obtain possession Of IFS
two-yeaT-old daughter, Helen. by habeas
corpus proceedings, viii be bitterly con-
tested 10y the little girls mother when
the child is brought into the District
Supreme Court on Friday. Mrs. Wed
derbu"n said today that she had been
expecting a move of this sort on the
part Of her husband, from whom she
separated about September /. and that
in relieving her suspense the suit was.
In one sense of the word. welcome.
Il left my husband about four weeks
ago on account of his treatment" said
Mrs Wedderburu. land came to Wash
ington to live with my mother. Mrs.
Lucy Pollock, of uIs Seventeenth street
northwest. Prior to this time my hus-
band and I had lived in Fairfax county.
Virginia. IS soon as we separated my
husband began to make threates that he
would gain possession Of my baby. At
first he attempted a reconciliation, but
fearing that ms repentance might not
be genuine / did not return TO him.
Threats to Kidnap Baby.
"It was evidently not genuine, for he
has since vowed that he would get
Helen. even though he had to kidnap
her. ald have not dared to leave her
since coming to washington for fear
that he might carry oIt his threats. He
KNOWS that in Helen he would have a
stick TO hold over my head, for I could
not live without my baby, and this
probably accounts for the method he
had taken IN attempting to wrest her
from me.
Il am not afraid of the issue III the
courts and rather tl:sn be in this sus-
pense would rather have the matter
settled. I will not discuss the reasons
for our separation now. but believe that
/ can show the court that the little girl
belongs to me and that I was justified
in the action have taken. When was
forced TO leave my husband I came back
to my mother.
Wife Ready to Tell Story.
II dread the embarrassment of II
all but prefer going INTO court and
telling my story rather than being il
continual suspense as ] have zen foI
| over a month. expecting every moment
to see some one attempt to take my lit
tie girl~from me-"
Little Helen, Tor whom the TWO are
fightiRg, played happily around her
mothers knee while the recital wa.
| taking place, and was willing to make
/ friends with the visitor.
You see how beautiful she is, saiC
/ her mother. "She will go to any one
and for this reason have to watch hel
/ closely / left her for the first half
hour today in a month, and was fright
ensd dreadfully when told by my nurs.
/ that a strange man had been here anC
asked to see her. This 1 now learn wa:
/ you"
Will Fight for Child.
Mrs. Wedderburn said that the papers
/ in the case had not yet been served
upon her. and a Times re tporter frs
brought her information as to the III
/ ing of the suit She said that she woul,
| Immediately notify her attorneys, Bar
Der q Keith. or Fairfax and prepar
4 10 fight for the possession Of the child
] Mr. Wedde-hurn declined to discus
4 the matter other than 10 admit tina
/ such a suit has been fled. In his De
tition he alleges that his wife LEFT hin
/ on September I. taking with her theI
/ child. He asks that his wife. Mrs. Helel
J Nedderburr. and Mrs. Lucy D. Pollock
/ her mother. be required TO produce tn
/ baby in court next Friday. Both Mrs
! Wcdderburn and Mrs. Pollock said, now
ever. that the latter had nothing TO q
/ with the retention OF the baby, an
should not have been named IN th
| papers.