New-York tribune., 1910-08-29
SAYS SHE HID CHILDREN
Mrs. Starbuck Confesses She
MisIed Justice Bischoff.
WILLING TO BE PUNISHED
Declares Her Action Was to
Save Little Ones from Fathers
Alleged Cruelty.

Mrs. Grace Starbuck, who has firmly
reiterated to Justice Bischof for several
days that she did not know where her
children were. confessed last night that
she knew all the time where they we're,
but that she made her fabric of lies a
cloth to hide them from what she says
was her husbands cruelty toward them.
The children were given over to the
father yesterday morning, and when
told of this Mrs. Starbuck said without
reservation that she herself placed the
children in an Arlington, \. J.. boarding
house TO keep them out of sight. Her
husband is suing her for divorce
4 am going before Justice Bischoff to-
morrow at noon. and will accept any
penalty he sees fit TO impose on me- she
said. II am perfectly willing To suffer
the consequences. for l was actuated
only by mother love. I could not stand
any longer for them TO plead to me o
take them away. especially when I had
not only seen the cruelty to them but
also had felt some of it myself Justice
Bischof can do with me what he thinks
fit. I throw myself on the courts mercy
or. rather. I do not ask mercy. for I
stand only as mother trying to shield
her children
Z do not want him TO accept my word.
for I have deceived him I only wish
him to take the children and examine
them privately and as closely as he can
They will tell only what l allege and
what is true. l have had no chance to
communicate with them. and so will not
be able to help them in their stories.
Two nights before I took my chill
dren away. the boy was pairing an
orange. His thumb and finger could not
reach around the orange. and this irri-
tated his father. He caught the boys
thumb and bent it almost back on his
hand to see if he could not force it to
fit the piece of fruit. He then knocked
him off the chair. and kicked him half
way down the hall, and then took my
little girls jumping rope and beat the
boy with it. Not long ago he threw my
little girl on the floor.
Says They Hate Their Father.
AS far as I am concerned. Oh, I've
been a beautiful sort of football more
than once. The children will tell this !
when he went to Arlington for them this !
morning they did not want to go with |
him They said they would go with the |
policemen. but not with their father |
Why don't you wait until tomorrow, /
and then we Will go with mother they |
asked him. but he refused. No. come on |
with me, he said.
Il arranged for their boarding place /
and friend. whose name I do not wish |
to bring into the affair. took them there. |
where | knew they would have a good |
home Their board was paid in advance |
As said. 7 will only ask one thing of |
the court I will ask Judge Bischof to
give the children into the custody of
some one other than their father or his
agents. for he is not a If man to have
them
Mrs. Starbuck was summoned into
Special Term, Part l. of the Supreme
Court on Wednesday to show cause why
she should not be punished for contempt
of court in not producing her children,
who had been given into the custody of
her husband who lives at No. 531 West
11eth street She told Justice Brady that
she lld not KNOW where LllfS Nflc- tia
thew had come to see her in Jersey City
two weeks before and that she had given
them 81.
IF YOU are going to send me TO jail If |
cannot produce them. you might as well
do so now" she said.
Justice Brady said that the story was
inproba BILE, but decided TO turn the case
over to Justice Bischoff. before whom the
divorce case had come UP.
Advertised for the Children.
Mrs Starbuck talked with Justice
Bischof next day, but in a long conver
sation she still denied that she knew
ANYTHING about her children, Ferdinand,
twelve years old, and Catherine a year
Younger. Justice Bischof gave her until
to-day to find the children She said she
had made telephone inquiries without
success and on Friday she put an adver-
tisement in Jersey city newspaper ask
ing for information about the boy and |
girl.
Il am willing TO 20 to jail for lie to /
protect them" she told reporter
The two children were found yester-