Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-08-13
PALMER CHILD SOUGHT
FATHER OF DEAD WOMAN HERE
TO CLAIM YOUNGSTER.
Theory That Daughter Ended Life in
Lonely Cabin at Black Rock By
Suiciding Is Discredited

Mr.. A. S. Wertheim, father of Mrs
Alice Palmer, whose mysterious deatf
in logging cabin above Black Rock
last June attracted considerable at
tention from the authorities at the
time, arrived in Dallas on Wednesday
morning, his purpose being to gair
possession of his daughters two-year-
old son, who was found playing about
the body of its deceased mother when
neighbors entered her home and dis
covered that death had invaded it, Mr..
Wertheim s home is at Comfort, Tex
as, where Alice Wertheim was born
and reared, and where in later years
she was engaged in teaching school
and in setting type for her fathers
newspaper. He had but recently learn
ed of the untimely death of his daugh-
ter, the information coming through
the juvenile court of Multnomah coun-
ty, which has undertaken to secure
jurisdiction over the child in question
and thus prevent it's adoption by Mr..
and Mrs. Chas. Trimble of Falls City,
they having made application to the
Polk county juvenile court to adopt
the offspring of the dead woman. Mr..
Wertheim, who is in moderate circum-
stances, came to Portland and Dallas
as quickly as possible, and will en-
deavor to secure custody of the two
year-old, that he may take it to his
home and rear it. This, he says, is a
sacred duty he owes his daughter. He
refuses to consider the adoption of the
child. Palmer, the divorced husband
of the woman, holds prior claim to
the child, but diligent search by the
Multnomah juvenile court to ascertain
his whereabouts resulted in naught.
Concerning the mysterious death Of
Mrs. Palmer the father adheres to the
belief that it resulted from fasting.
On sundry and divers occasions dur
ing her earlier life she had tasted for
weeks when in ill health, and accord
ing to the father, sometimes went so
far with her belief that she had
swooned and medical aid was neces-
sary to return her to consciousness.
The woman was physical culturist,
and in this way met and married
Palmer. One day while reading mag
azine devoted to physical culture she
read an advertisement inserted by
Palmer for wife. After some cor
respondence the then girl left her
Texas home and went to Montana, and
was there united in marriage to the
man of her choice, who was widow
er with a twelve-year-old daughter.
Mr.. and Mrs. Palmer afterwards mov-
ed to Portland. Disagreements arose
over the management of the younger
member of the family, and this result
ed in Palmer deserting his wife and
in his later securing a divorce in the
courts of Montana. Mrs. Palmer,
whose child was then unborn. under
took to do housework in Portland
family, according to the fathers
story, for time, following which cor
respondence was broken off between
her and her relatives.
Mr.. Wertheim was desirous of re-
ulONlHS tut rtndiHo VI MID oihnoi W
Comfort, her childhood home, for re-
but Coroner Chapman de-
clined to grant a permit at this time.
The father is earnest in his endeavor
to secure the custody of the child,
knowing that it would be the wish Of
his departed daughter that it be given
into his care. He asserts that he can
not entertain the thought that his girl
that her devotion to her off
spring would not permit the rash act,
and further that she always had a
home under her fathers roof if need
ed. Mr.. Wertheim, after comforting
with Judge Teal, of the juvenile court,
relative to the child, returned to Port
land Yesterday.