The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-12
The Woman Who
Bested a Judge
BY ADA PATTERSON

IN z Brooklyn court room a Justice
OF the Supreme Court confessed tina,
a little housewife and mother who
stood staring at him with defiant eyes.
knows more than he does. He showed
himself a great man, one OF those who
confess that they make mistakes. And
rwhen he had admitted that the little
woman was right and he was wrong,
ne hid his face III a huge law book.
whether TO hide his embarrassment
or his wholesome laughter none among
the astonished audience of the court
room drama knew.
The eminent Justice on the bench
and the obscure little woman at the
bar had been carving OIL q due, for
six months. 1t seemed e pitiably I'M
equal duel lie was a keen and schol-
arly lawyer, whose success had been
crowned by election to the Supreme
bench Of the Empire state of the
Union. She was a humble little house
keeper, whose name not a hundred
persons IN the world had heard. Yet
after much sparrins and long waiting
me biS man admitted himself beaten
by the little woman.
The battle began and continued over
a child; a little lad. who was three
merely a minor whose custody was the
issue IN the case" To the mother he
was all that was left to her in the
crash OF her world. The Judge looked
upon tho case as a question in law
To the woman il was a life and death
1ght. she was a poor woman and the
Judge asked her If the court should
s,ppoint, 2 counsel in her behalf. She
declined the city'S aid. saying that all
she needed was to tell the truthful
story, and she could tell it as clearly
as any lawyer because the cruel facts
mad been burned in indelible scars
lnto her heart. \ prominent lawyer
was employed at a large fee TO rep
resent her husband.
the father Of the boy be permitted 10
see his son twice a week, on We6nes
days and sundays. The father. who
was . descendant OF Cotton Mather.
the New England preacher. who ad-
vocated vaccination for smallpox and
burning for witches and wrote many
books on the letter and spirit of the
Christian religion, complained that
having gone TO the cottage where his
wife and son lived he had rung the
bell in vain OF Wednesday. and had. on
presenting himself on Sunday. been
told that. order or no order. he should
not see the child. The judge sent for the
woman and asked her to explain why
she had deied the law of the great
State of New York ny treating with
contempt an order from it's Supreme
Court,
The Judge in his black silk robes.
VNN'- = III WIKI tOlbiN iIlptI SCniI
Hyes, would have daunted a less cour-
ageous person. But the small woman
IN the shabby frock and the two sea
sons ago hat showed no fear. She
rose and respectfully addressed him.
Your Honor. ! shall not obey the
order of the court. My husband must
not see the child. l shall not allow
him TO see our child while live. !
am doing this for no selfish reason.
am actuated by no spite. though nv
huSeand divorced me while he was in
California and ! understand is pre-
pairing 70 marry again. | fear he will
Try to take the child from me. He has
already served me with papers in
napeas corpus proceedings 10 get pos
Eesslon of the child. ! understand that
II serve a term in Jail for contempt
OF court my child and l will be allowed
TO live in peace. embarrassed by this
man am ready to go TO jail.
her seat SIZE looked at the court with
eyes Ike those with which Joan OF
Arc loked AT her Judges, eyes that
miGrored a soul that was not afraid
ana ,ired with an uncomfortable de-
termination.
The judge asked questions. She told
nm her h~nsband had gone West and
left her unProvided for for two years.
take her chilj back TO the home OF
her parents. The child had not seen
his father since the little one was four
months old. The boy did not remem-
Der him and he never heard his name
mentioned. She considered the bow
Vas tatAerless. She wished to bring
MIN up in a peaceful atmosphere with
only good, kind people about him
she did not wish tho son TO know this
man, who was his father. She WAS
feedy to go 10 Jail now.
The circumstances Of the case are
$40 SAD The court. but the law is
court. she must go 10 Jail
The little woman with the Joan of
&c eyes crossed her hands in her
was u~nfistakable resolution in her
tone
the III 'a8.es *9f Justice rustled.
The judg: was shifting about on his
oench as uncomfortable as any ordi-
Asty nan m a dilemma. He ordered
LAe off!GAr 10 bring aim . glass OF wa
Ter. lie drank it slowly, ewing the
woman. whose ,eauiuiy eyes .@ye. Les.
tax . few DAYS to consider T'Imf q WI, wii
tAe attorney for NTrs Mather mat
meanwhile this strange woman ~,
sec the light. she saw ONLY ,s an
,mpenetra9le foE tina, which is called
The tndge took moro. limo to on.
aidef IN tacr, ne took two years win
appeals at intervals 10 the obdurata
heleAoaht 10 obey the law. The oth-
ar day she appeared IN cour, onre
more. AS before. She was her own At,
itorney. again she told her story 4,
ne end SIC SAID as she lad done two
years before: "YoEr Honor. ne snail
,tot 5ess the child. am ready to 90
Justice IN the form OF the man il,
M hiack ropes frowaed upon her
r,iS II .; 5iThed. Finally it smiled ana
der granting tho father permission 10
see The child. Hereafter Mr. Mather
cannot visit ths boy
Ihe woman. who rad been eomposAa
" 1att.e, oNIsi INTO tears N victory.