The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-27
NORTH SIDE NEWS
Little COlOred Girl Placed in
Humane Officers Care.
Taken From Custody of Mother,
Bessie Nesbey.
A CHECKERED CAREER
Father Deserted MOther-Child
Practically Abandoned.
Left in Bee Adams Care-She
Is PrecOciOus.
A CHECKERED CAREER

After a rather checkered career for
one SO young, VILLA May Nesbey, the
five-y ear-old daughter of Mrs. Bessie
Nesbey. a colored woman of about 20
years old, was placed in temporary
charge of Kilmaurs King by Probate
Judge Schoch yesterday. The judge
will try to find a proper home for the
child as it was decided at the trial of
the case yesterday that the mother was
not a fit person to care for the little
girl. The Kings have made several at
tempts to place the little girl in a way
to secure a good home but each time
when their purpose was almost accom-
plished, she would be spirited away and
all trace of her lost. Finally she was
located Saturday at the home Of COL
ored family by the name of Mcclellan
on Kansas avenue, between Third and
Fourth streets. Yesterday, the girl was
brought into court along with her
mother who had been summoned from
Kansas City. In the court the McClel-
Ian woman stated that Bee Adams of
joint fame had sent the child to her.
The girls mother said that she had
sent five dollars a week to Bee for the
child's support. However she proved
by her own statements that she did not
make enough to do this and keep her
self so the court decided to take Villa
out of their care.
The story of the mothers life as the
Kings have heard 1t Is one of the un-
fortunate circumstances of the people
of the lowly.' Mrs. Nesbey married, it
seems, when she was fifteen Her hus-
band deserted her about five months
before the child was born. After the
birth the mother placed the baby in
the care of Bee Adams and went to
Kansas City. AS near as can be learn
ed, several of the officers saw the child
in the Adams resort when the house
was raided. Upon the arrest of the
Adams woman and her confinement in
the jail, the child was placed in the
county Jail according to Mr.. Kings I'M
Outstanding. He heard of the Nesbey
girl being there on March s, but when
he had filed the proper papers and had
reached the Jail the little girl had dis
appeared. 1t was thought that Wis
itor who had come to see Bee had
learned of the intended action of the
humane officers and had taken the girl
away. Later the Kings learned of the
girls being at a meeting at the "B'
street Baptist church and went there
after her. However, when they arrived
at the church, the child was missing.
Until they again located her Satur-
day, it seems that Villa had been in
the care of several families. It ap-
pears that the mother has been in
Kansas City all of this time and had
not seen her girl. The latter thinks
of Bee Adams as her mother and
speaks of Mrs Nesbey as Miss Bes-
sie.' She looks and talks like a child
of ten and seems to be precocious in
other ways.
The following programme will be
given by the Odd Fellows and Re-
bekahs tonight in honor of the celebra-
ton of the ninetieth anniversary of the
founding of the lodge in America:
Opening ode-By Odd Fellows and
Rebekahs.
Growth of Eugene Lodge No. ia.
Diffendorfer.
Piano solo-Miss Edith Gabriel.
Charter Members of 79-Rev. ]. Bar
rett.
Violin and piano solo-Mr. Clark and
Miss Barnes.
Reading-Miss Heron.
Song-Ralph Gabriel.
Address-Grand Secretary w. j.
Russell
Recitation-Nena Bair.
Piano duett-Misses Gabriel and
Withers.
Growth Of Rebekahs-Mrs. Katie
Frisbie.
Reading-Miss Heron.
Piano solo-Miss Edith Gabriel.
Rectation-Miss Josie Hitchcock.
Recitation-Mrs John Hofer.
Song-Mr Barnes.
Address,. ]. Schenck.
Blankville. Kan, April IS, '09.
Dear State Journal and North To-
peka People:
People desire amusement and en-
tertainment. not instruction. I found
this out today when my customers
bought views of scenery and comic
incidents in preference to foreign
scenes and those of an educational
nature I have run so short of the
former class that have ordered more
by telegraph.
Altogether my experience in de-
livering today has been fairly salts
factory. However, 1 have met with