The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-27
AT TER
CLAIMING CHILD
He HAD ADOPTED
Continued From First page)

hand. an iron moldcr employed at the
Richmond branch of the American Lo-
connective Works and he rushed home.
He swore out Il warrant before Magis-
trate II. s. Sunday. charging Dillman
with feloniously taking and secreting"
the Child-almost tantamount to Kid
rapping-nnd Dillman, with the girl
az his side and on his way TO 4 rcstau-
iant for supper, waS arrested by Dep
uty Sheriff Sydnor
Father and child were taken to the
IIenrico County Jail. Driscoll came
later with Attorney James r. Lewis
whom he had employed to represent his
wife. and shortly afterwards Attorney
Smith appeared on the scene. Dillman
gave the child into the temporary GUS
tody OF his lawyer. and she was placed
II Mr.. Smiths AUTOMOBILES Squire a
\. Foley. OF Barton Heights. was
Ncachcd over the telephone just as he
was going into supper, and on the ur-
gent plea OF Mr.. Smith. agreed TO come
TO the courthouse to near the case.
Produced Attestcd Copy.
Mr.. Smith explained TO the magis-
tratc that his client was charged with
i felony. punishable by term in the
penitentiary or by Jail. but that there
was no authority for the action. and
produced the attestcd copy signed by
:. Il. Bryant, clerk Of the Grayson
County Circuit Court. Of the papers OF
adoption. and then read the letter Of
the Rev. Mr.. Vaughan. Mr. Vaughan
had investigated the case for Mrs. Dill-
man He said that Mrs. Driscoll had
written 10 the court clerk and had used
the wrong names in asking him 10
search the court records TO see II the
adoption had been legal. Mr., Dillman
said that Mrs. Driscoll had used the
name OF Elmer Dillmore and that the
court clerk had replied that no such
rame appeared in his records. and that
no child OF the name OF Dillmore had
been adopted on the date given. Thu
records did show, however. that Belva
=. Wright had been legally adopted by
l.. ii. Dillman. with the written con
sent OF her mother. and copy OF the
records was sent to Mr.. Dillman.
Would Not Surrender Her.
Attorney Lewis offered no objection
10 bail. though he would not recon-
mend il. and Magistrate Foley. after
considering the matter. consented TO
bail Dillman in the sum Of $500. and TO
receipt Mr.. Smith ss surety During
the argument MIR. Smith said that
Myrtle was in his custody. and that he
would not surrender her. but would. II
necessary. care for her in his own home
until tho matter had been duly settled
by law.
Meanwhile the little girl was crying
softly in the automobile. fearful that
She would be returned to her natural
mother. who found no favor in her
heart. and begging tcarfully that her
father be not locked UP. Squire Foley
himself returned her father To her. and
the child's tears were dried as she
claspcd her legal parent III her arms.
Il want to 20 with him." she cX-
planned TO squire Foley FOR he's my
father and l love him" She said that
she did not recognize her own mother
and that all her affections were Tor
the mother of adoption. II was {; joy
full reunion.
Mr. Dillman said that his wife had
not eaten since Myrtle had been taken
from her and that She had been i'll
ever since the girl was torn from her
side.
Adopted In 1908.
Myrtle has Travelled the difficult road
TO knowledge as far AS the Fifth
Reader, and said that she was in the
Sixth Grade. She was adopted on Oc-
tober 10, 1905. while both the Wright
and Dillman families were living In
Grayson County. and the adoption was
recorded at Independence, the county
scat.
Mr. Dillman is employed as supply
clerk and sanitary inspector by the
United States Coal and Coke Company
at Filbcrt. He was without friends
when he arrived In Richmond but was
recommended to Mr. Smith through a
college friend of the young attorney.
Impellcd by humanitarian motives
more than such note as he might have
gotten, Mr.. Smith took up the case, and
will care for 1t to the end. He has
now no more loyal friend than the
little girl whose twelve summers have
seen so many vicissitudcs. Reunited
father and adopted daughter went to
the Lexington Hotel for the night.