The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-25
HAD NO CLOTHES.
Mrs. Searles' Reason for Not
Sending Child to School.
Marital Troubles of East Sid
Family Aired.
LIKE a NJ RISER
Many Children Are in the Court
Room.
NeighbOrs Give Father a Bad
Name.
LIKE A NURSERY.

Another chapter of the Searles trout
bIes from the East side was told today
IN the probate court and Judge SchOch
continued the case to await the Out-
come of the divorce suit in the district
court. Frank Searles filed suit against
his wife, Sarah Searles, because she
didn't send Clara Searles, their 10-year-
old child, to school,
The Searles trouble have become the
basis of a neighborhood row on Chan1-
Ter street and a dozen women brought
their children to the court house to-
day and spent three hours explaining
the various phases of the trouble to
the court. Chandler street women are
of sentimental turn of mind and any
thing which the newspapers term hu-
man interest, appeals deeply to their
emotions. So when they thought that
Mrs. Searles ana the little girl were
not receiving fair play, they volunteer
ed their services in an effort to set the
court right
Mrs Searles and the neighbors told
how the husband and father has mis-
treated his family, how he recently
made false charges against the Wife
in the court of Topeka and now q us
ed her the embarrassment and humil1-
alton Of an arrest under the delinGuen1
parent act. 1t wasn't right. the women
said, and they wanted justice.
These neighbor women told how Mrs.
SearIes wanted to send the little girl
to school at the opening OF the Iali
lie
not the best and the mother hesitatec
to subject hes child to sighting re-
marks at the hands of her playma1es-
1t was this mother pride, the moiha ;:
and neighbors said, that kept the girl
from school until two weeks ago. Then
Mrs. Searles washed and seWed ana de-
MED herself a few necessities that
Clara might have new dresses When
the dresses We're bought the child VAS
started to school
Last week the mother was sick. There
was no one to care for the woman put the
1O-year-old daughter. So cara Searles
STAYED at home and did the house work.
Surely the neighbors pleaded. no one
should be punished for this Then they
exhibited the little girl Her hair was
carefully combed and she wore bright new
though material wasn't Of the Dest-eVeh
her feet were encased in pair or shoes
that were good enough for any chlio-
Searles they said, had contributed not
nickel of the cost of these clothes. II rep
resented the labor and sacrifices OF the
mother, whom they We're sure should
have a Carnegie medal and not fine Tor
her heroism.
In the court room during the hearing
were a dozen women and half a score OF
children, who toyed at their mother S
skirts and romped the floor in the
enioyed the trial as much as their ELDERS
and were disappointed when the court ad-
iorrned the trial Searles himself was
present but he was evidently in bad
standing with the Chandler street visitors
who believed the mother should be the
subject of praise rather than censor and
condemnation a the hands of the court
To he sure Mrs. Searles' finance and OPP
porf1nities were limited but Mrs. Searles
had done her best.