Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-01
FORCE USED IN
RECLAIMING SON
DESERTED HUSBAND HAS
HOME OF WIFE RAIDED
SANTA BARBARA WITNESSES
CHAPTER IN OLD SCANDAL
comeIy Matron, Said to Have Left
Eastern Home with Chauffeur
Will Fight for Retention
of Child
Try Associated Press.I

SANTA BARBARA, Cal, April 3O-A
sensational denouement of an old scan
dial in one of the wealthy families OF
New England took place in Santa Bar
bara last night when detectives en-
ployed by j. f. Shaw, president OF the
Interborough Railroad company OF
Boston, raided the apartments said to
be occupied by Mrs. Shaw and II. Kero
Marble, formerly the Shaw chauffeur,
and seized possession of a 1O-year-old
son Of the Shaws. The boy was taken
to the police station, where he is now
held. Mrs Shaw says she Will make
every effort to prevent the boy being
taken east by his father. The raid was
directed at o'clock this morning by
Lewis Field, the Shaw family butler.
According TO the story as learned
here, Mrs. Shaw deserted her husband
in Brooklyn in June, 1907, and came to
California in the company of Marble,
and bringing her 10-year-old son with
her. The couple went to Pasadena,
where a home was established at 4z4
Arroyo terrace. The father of Mrs
Shaw is w. F. Eldridge, a wealthy
brewer of Portsmouth.
Whether for need of money or other
reason, Marble and Mrs. Shaw came TO
Santa Barbara over a year ago and
went into the moving picture show
business. They established little
theater called the La Petite, where Mrs.
Shaw sold tickets behind the wicket.
The detectives employed by Shaw
trailed the couple to Pasadena, where
the house was located after some diff
ficulty The couple was not there, the
home being in charge of housekeeper
They We're then traced to Santa Bar
bara. After the couple had been To-
Gated the detectives waited a favorable
opportunity to seize the boy, which
came last night.
The case is said to be one of wide
notoriety in the east. Mrs. Shaw Is
about 50 years of age and comely.
Marble is an understood man, some
what younger and less prepossessing
Both of the families connected with the
affair are said to be very wealthy and
prominent in New England. The Shaws
own several homes in different sections
in the east. Mrs. Shaw said today that
the newspapers in the east had pre-
viously printed pages about her af-
fairs.
Millionaire Father to Help
"Mr. Shaw doesn't dare to make d
fight for Eldridge. He is not fit per-
son to have the boy, and he knows it.
He squandered 100000 of my fathers
money. Everything he ever had was
got from my father" This statement
was made by Mrs. Nettie F. Shaw,
runaway wife of James F. Shaw, bos-
ton millionaire and president of the
marlborough railways of Boston.
Mrs. Shaw ran away with Shaw's
chauffeur eighteen months ago and
went to Pasadena. Afterward they
came to Santa Barbara. where they
bought a 10-cent moving picture the
alter. They brought Shaw's 11-year-old
boy. This morning the chief Of police
and detectives raided their lodging
house and took possession of the boy.
Mrs, Shaw signed an agreement to
give up the boy to his father this
morning, but tonight declares that she
will make a fight for possession of the
boy. She does not care where the
fight is made-either here or in Boston.
She received a wire late today that
her father, H. F. Eldridge, millionaire
brewer of Portsmouth, N. H., would
leave tomorrow morning for California
and that he would help fight the case.
Her father has wired to spare no ex-
pense to get the best legal assistance
Eldridge Shaw, the boy, said today
that he was willing to go to his father
81 would like to go back and see papa"
said Eldridge. HE always treated me
well and like him. I like Santa Bar
bara better than Boston. I do not have
to go to school here"
Shaw's representatives are not talk
ing. 1t is said that they do not know
what Shaw wants. Filed, the colored
Butler, says he has all the evidence
desired by Shaw He saw the room in
which Marble, the chauffeur and Mrs
Shaw were living.
Watch out for that negro; he's a
wise one" said Mrs. Shaw, speaking
of her former butler II certainly
treated him right when he was with
us, and he is entirely to blame for this.
He knows a few things but he won't
tell"
Habeas corpus proceedings brought
are returnable Monday.
Il realize now that 1 have made an
awful mistake in life. see it all. and
am going to get away from it as soon
as 1 can" This is the only sentiment
Mrs. Shaw shows,