The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-16

would indicate that the business Is
not specially remunerative one.
The most found by the acting city
sanitary sergeant, Clyde Tesner.: and
by DR.. j. C. McGill when they exam
ined the Mckinney house and ordered
it cleaned up, was a scanty amount of
necessary furniture and piles of old
shoes, old clothing and soiled rags
which seemed to be underfOOt every
where in the living room, they said.
But it was the unmitigated dirtiness OF
the living quarters to which they testi-
fled most particularly today.
1t was after this investigation that
the probate court removed the children
from the place.
In Trouble Before.
Kilmaurs King obtained for intro
ductiOn at this hearing from the mu-
nicipal authorities of Kansas City, rec
ords of a prosecution against Mrs. Nc
Kinney rather more than a year ago.
for brutal treatment of fouryear-Old
boy whom she had in their home in
Kansas City where they lived before
coming here. 1t being shown that Mrs.
Mckinney had brutally beaten the
child, it was removed from her custody,
according to the report to Officer King.
and she was tried and sentenced to
the house of correction but was pa
rolled. She is said to have left Kansas
officer.
Only preliminary evidence regard
ing the sanitary condition of the Nc
Kinney place was introduced at the
morning session. The case was re-
sumed this afternoon.
Answers Dean Hayes Criticism.
AS a preliminary to the hearing
Judge MacFarland took occasion to
make a statement in court. replying to
criticism recently offered from a
local platform by the Rev. J. p. Deb.
Kaye of Grace Cathedral, who called
the probate court to public account
for permitting the adoption of chill
dren by unworthy persons. The Kaye
criticism was based upon the present
case and had particular reference to
the case of the younger child, who has
been pronounced to have been dis
eased from birth. In his statement
today, Judge Mcfarland threw re-
sponsibility in the case directly upon
the Kansas Children's Home Finding
society, which had recommended the
adoption of this child by the McKin-
neys
1T has always been the custom of
the probate court he declared, Ito
accept the recommendation of this and
Kindred organizations regarding pro-
posed adoptions, without making in
vestigations. 1t is the public function
of such organizations to make the
necessary investigations. They are
authorized and empowered to do SO
and I consider it right for the court
to place reliance in their recommends
tiOns.
However, if it appears that the
court can not place confidence in such
recommendations the practice will be
stopped and every case will be held
for investigation as if the proposed
10 1,o6 tod
waite persons. I do not believe that
such a step will become necessary.
This is an unusual case and will
probably not be duplicated. But this
court must henceforth be satisfied
that such organizations as perform
this function of arranging adoptions
are worthy of the confidence which
has in the past been reposed in them"
Mrs. Mckinney was absent from the
court room. When asked why she was
not present, attorneys for the McKin-
neys said that he advised her to stay
away from the trial.