Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-04
SUIT BEGUN TO
TAKE CHILDREN
FROM WILSON'S
WOMAN MAY BE DEPRIVED OF
CUSTODY OF INFANTS
PRETENDED MOTHER OF QUAD
RUPLETS IN COURT
Penetrating Investigation Into Mater
nifty Hospitals is Started by Grand
Jury with Especial Reference
to Smith Institution

to Smith Institution
The first appearance in court of Mrs.
C. V. M. Wilson. the pretended mother
of quadruplets; legal proceedings to
take from her custody three children
still remaining under her care; charges
that Mrs. Catherine Smith treated
young mother cruelty, compelling her
to leave the Smith maternity home
while in a delicate state of health; the
serious illness of one of the children
known as the Wilson bankruptcies;
discovery of the parentage of two more
children, in addition to the one claimed
last week by Hilda Lindquist, and the
commencement of d penetrating lnVeS-
tigation into maternity hospitals OF
Los Angeles, were the chief develop
ments yesterday growing out of the
efforts of Mrs. Wilson to foist herself
on the public as the mother of quad
ruplets.
Nearly score of witnesses responded
to summons to appear before the grand
jury to give testimony in the inves-
tigation into the conduct of maternity
hospitals, with especial reference, it is
believed, to the Smith institution, and
the hearing in Judge Wilbur's court,
adjourned a week ago, was resumed.
The latter inquiry merged into the for
mer, all persons connected with the
case appearing in Judge Wilburs court
being instructed to go to the grand
Jury room and await further instruc-
tions.
Babies Held at ChiIdren's Home
The four babies about which there
has been SO much publicity are still
held in a children's home. One of
them, a little girl, was reported yes
terday to be seriously i'll. The parents
of this child are known to Dr. H. E.
Southworth, who was witness in
Judge Wilburs court, but owing to
the condition of the mother, who is
said to be lying almost at the point OF
death in the Clara Barton hospital,
Judge Wilbur did not insist upon the
name being revealed at this time.
1.-THE woman is married and her nus
band is working in a mine in Northern
California" said the physician. He
added he had been called to attend
| the woman at a rooming house in East
| Eleventh street. and that the attitude
of the landlady toward the patient was
| such that he ordered the latter's re-
| moval to the hospital. The baby was
| turned over to Mrs. Smith shortly af-
ter it's birth, on her representation
that she had a good home for 1t, the
mother agreeing to the transfer on
account of her straitened circum-
stances.
Facts concerning the birth of an
other child were CLEANED from DR.. j.
l.. Jones, who conducts a hospital at
1715 East Fourteenth street. DR.. Jones
said the child was born to young
woman about II years old, who came
to the hospital late one Saturday
night and applied for assistance. She
gave the name of Brown, which, he
believed, was assumed This baby was
also turned over to Mrs. Smith to be-
come one of the bankruptcies
Mother Leaves City
'I do not know what became of the
mother" said DIR. Jones. ''I under
stand she left the city and that the
father of the baby is married and
living in Los Angeles"
This is the only child whose parent
age cannot be traced.
The fourth child was found to be
the offspring of a 16-year-old girl
named Agnes Engleman, who is now
quite i'll at her home. This child was
born at the Smith home, and testi-
mony yesterday tended to refute the
story told by Mrs. Smith last week
when she said she took the case be-
cause of sympathy for the girl, and
that no agreement was made as to the
payment of any money. Her story
that the young woman left the home
of her own volition was also denied,
Humane officer r. w. Reynolds stat
ing the young mother told him she was
compelled by Mrs Smith to leave her
place because the affair threatened to
become public.
Mrs. G. V. M. Wilson was called to
the witness stand after Drs. South
worth and Jones gave their testimony.
She is more than 40 years old, a large
woman and somewhat aggressive.
81 know nothing of the parentage
of the children, except what l was told
by Mrs. Smith and her daughter, Mrs.
Hayes" she said. "It was with them
[ negotiated for the children. The
children were to be cared for by me
as a mother, and I certainly intended
to raise them. I have had eight chill
dren; five are dead and three are still
living with me-"
Mother of One Child Ill
Humane officer Reynolds said he
called on Miss Engleman. mother of
the child born at the Smith home, and
that she was too ill to come to court
"She told me the baby was given
away by Mrs. Smith the day after its
BIRTH" said Mr.. Reynolds, land that
five days later Mrs. Smith ordered her
to leave the home, as the affair would
probably get into the newspapers. No
conveyance was provided for her, and
she would have had a bitter experience
had a friend not called at the home
and assisted her. AS it was, she was
compelled to walk several blocks after
leaving the street car, and it is due TO
this, / believe, that she is now serl-
ously ILL., Mrs. Smith, she said, was to
receive SIS for her work"
Judge Wilbur instructed all the wit
nesses to report to the grand jury
and continued the hearing two weeks.
DR.. A. C. Pratt, DR.. j. l.. Jones, DR.,
Paul Bresee, Mrs. Smith, w. w. VIII
son and his wife, Mrs. c. V. NJ Wilson,
were called into the jury room, while
Helen Lindquist, the only woman who
has come forward to claim her on
spring, was told to return at 10 o'clock
today, to which hour the jury ad-
journed.
81 did not know my baby was going
to Mrs. Wilson when I gave it to Mrs
smith at the county hospital, said
Oh was fold that 1t