New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-03
.DAHLCREN ACCUSED Of
BRUTALITY TO CHILDREN
Evidence of Cruel Treatment
Prompts Court to Deny His
Right to See Them.
ELDEST DAUGHTER CH0KED
Mrs. Dahlgren Fled to Europe
in Terror with Eight Chill
dren When She Be-
gan Suit.

The first details of the home life OF
Eric e. Dahlgren. Mrs. Dahlgren and
her children, involving alleged brutality
and insobriety by the head of the fam
lily, became public yesterday through
the filing of afiidavits in the Supreme
Court. Mrs. Dahlgren obtained a di-
vorcc from her husband, but because Of
the trial OF the case before "a referee
not all the details were obtainabc.
sren applied to the Supreme Court for
a modification Of the decree, so that he
would be permitted to see his eight
children at convenient times. They are
now in Europe with their mother JUS
ticc Blur denied the motion.
Because Mrs. Dahlgren is abroad, the
Drexel Emmett, n sister Of Mrs. Dahl
gren. and Miss Cornela Redmond.
Terrible Whom Drunk" Said Child.
Mrs. Emmett told of her own knowl-
edge Of the years Of anguish which she
said the children suffered at the hands
OF Dahlgrcn. telling Of one occasion
when ne choked his eldest daughter,
Lucy. now twenty-one years old. with
out any cause. On this day, as ON
many others, said Mrs. Emmett, Dahl
gren was intoxicated. The afiiant
quoted Josephine. the ten-year-
daughter Of the Dahlgrens. as saying:
Father is terrible when he is drunk.
and he is drunk most Of the time
The normal happiness and gayety Of
the children always subsidized as soun
as Dahlgren entered the house at No.
So Madison avenue, said Mrs. Emme:.
and they would go up 10 their rooms
TO avoid their father II was largely
through her fear for the safety of her
self and children that Mrs. Dahigre1
got a divorce and sailed for Europe or
the day the papers were served in the
divorce suit, taking the eight children
with her.
Mrs. Emmett said: Il never saw d
woman Of refinement and in social DO
sition so frightened as she was at the
beginning Of this action Mrs. Dahl
gren returned from Europe 10 prose-
cute her suit before the referee. She
was accompanied by Miss Lucy Dahl
gren. They went back to Europe after
the hearing.
Mrs. Emmett went Oh TO say that il
the court desired direct information Of
the "frightful performances" of Dahl
gren In the family circle. she would
suggest that the court send for Miss
Dahlgren and the family nurse 10 give
such details.
Mischief Feared as Motive.
She expressed the belief that the ap-
plication of Dahlgren for permission 10
see his children was actuated less by
paternal affection than by "unpaternal
mischief making" She said that Two
=
at the Dahlgren home, when Miss
DahlgreD was just entering society.
He told Mrs. Emmett that Dahlgrcn
had spoken TO Henry about his own
daughter in way that was too vile
TO repeat"
The Dahlgren family is widely sepa-
rated in Europe. Mrs. Dahlgren, Miss
Dahlgren, the two children next oldest
and the Youngest child al, in Rome.
two others arc in convent boarding
schools In London and Belgium, ard
two more arc in charge Of a governess
in Heidelberg.
Miss Redmond said in her affidavit
that she dined about a dozen times at
the home Of the Dahlgrens in this city
and at LenoX. On most of these occa-
sions, she said, Dahlgren was obviously
intoxicated, and used shocking Ian
guage In the presence of his children.
On one occasion. according TO Miss
Redmond. h said 10 his daughter Olga.
twelve years old: Damn YOU, what
makes you so white? Don't you get
enough TO eat?" The child trcmbled In
fright and burs. into tears. Miss Red
mond said there We're many other such
outbursts by Dahlgren.
Mrs. Dahlgren. who is a daughter Of
the late Jos ph Drexel, Of Philadelphia.
recently stripped the Dahlgren family
house Of all her belongings under a
writ of replevin. They were valued at
$1,000 Dahlgrcn Is a broker and a
son of the late Admiral Dahlgren, in
ventor Of the gun bearing his name.