The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-07
Judge Enters Nolle in Case
Of Woman Charged With
Abandoning Her Child
When She Marries, But
Charities Superintendent
Won't Give Up Babe.
Father Of Infant Threatens
TO Sue City of Bridgeport
and Habeas Corpus Pro
ceedings Are Likely Soy
is Listed AS "Pauper' in
City Records.

Utterly ignoring the action OF the
court in entering noI1e in the case
Of Miss Esther Peterson this morn
ing on the charge of abandoning her
SIX weeks old child. superintendent
Spencer r. Gordon refuses to give up
the babe, although Miss Peterson was
married this morning to its father.
As q result, a high official of the
police department is known to have
consulted with Mayor Wilson and
Hialmer e. Anderson. the chfld's
father threatens to sue the city OF
bridgeport
Anderson has placed the case in the
hands of his attorney. Although ana-
fous to take his child and care for it,
superintendent Gordon has placed it
ii q private home and listed it as a
s.oauper.'s Anderson makes enough
to support himself Andf family proper
".
Esther Peterson, aged %. q mater
uftv nurse formerly connected with
the Iyfng-In hospital IN New York
city. is the mother Of the child, which
vas found abandoned on the night OF
DEC. 8. and Hja1nar e. Anderson, a,
Taachinist, living in Southington.
Conn. is the father.'z Anderson came
to this city today and appeared be-
fore Judge Frederic A. Bartlett In city
court, when his fianceeS was being ar
raigned on the criminal charge OF
abandonment VS.
He admitted being the parent of the
babe ana informed the coHrt that lt
was his Intention to marry the girl,
Jpdge Bartlett hen oreisrea Z aessfas W
81 Miss Peterson held sbaeek for an
l.oY,r and In the rfea 4t1ane Detect1ve
James A. DaeIey escorted the paf TO
fhe office bN Aasfscs Towle Clerk
clarence e SuInton, #here they were
united In m1atrirnony with tha detec-
tive and q girl attache of the office
as witnesses
court room and Judge Bartlett ORDER
ed 3 noile in the case Of Miss Peter
SON He suggested that they procure
the infant from the board OF chari-
ties and go back to southington where
they will reside in the future
when application for the child was
made at the office of Supt. Gordon,
the latter stoutly refused to turn the
child over to its parents, saying that
the mother of the child was not fit,
in his opinion TO be entrusted with the
youngster and that until such time as
he saw fit to surrender the young
ster to its parents, it must remain In
charge Of the department Of public.
charities.
when informed of this the parents
were indignant and threatened to-
bring SUIT against the city of Bridge
port and have the matter threshed' out
In the superior court This would ne
cessitate the arrest of Spencer R. Cor
don under habeas corpus proceedings.
After the finding of the two weeks
old babe it was turned over to the
authorities at the Bridgeport hospital
as a charge on the city. but has since
been placed in private home and
is listed as a city "pauper."
When the father OF the child was
interviewed as to what action would
be taken on the refusal of Gordon to
give him charge or his son, he was
rather reticent and did not care to
discuss the subject other than to say
that he would see that he obtained the
boy and that the matter will rest in
the hands of Ahis lawyer in southing
ton.
The dispute has caused considerable
discussion about the court rooms and
some lawyers even went SO far as to
recommend that the father use ply
sical proWess to obtain the child
claiming that as he is the rightfu1
parent no man has any right to keep
his father from him and that law will
not uphold Gordon IN his action.