The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-03-16
FAMILY RIFT ASUNDER
BY PApAL TRAGEDY
Michigan Judge, Millionaire Uncle
and Rome's Part in This Trag-
edy Of a Mothers Life
By Marvin Brown.

er place for her two daughters,
Gladys, eight years old, and Violet,
six years old. She was the widow
of Frank Boyer, nephew of Joseph
Boyer, head of the Burroughs Add
ing Machine Co. At last she gave
up the struggle and married Ches-
ter Smale.
After she and her husband had
spent months in depriving them
selves of everything except the bare
necessities of life, she applied to the
probate court for custody of the chill
dren. Attorneys for st. Vincent De
Paul Home opposed her in her suit
before Judge Command late Satur-
day.
The attorneys for the home told
the judge they were interested only
in seeing that the two children were
provided with proper home. They
said that if the two girls were con-
tinued in the custody of the home
they would be provided for and for
nal application for their adoption
would be made. This, they admitted,
would forever nullify any claims the
mother might have. >.
Mrs. Smale on the witness stand
pleaded for her daughters. She said
her mode of living had been changed
materially and she told of her mar
riage to sober, industrious work.
man who wanted to make home for
her children. Her husband told the
court all about his work, his pros
poets and his ambitions. He ad-
mitted that he and his wife now have
only one small room in which to live.
"But," he said, 1--WE have been liv-
ing only for the two girls. We have
been saving money and keeping our
own expenses down so that we might
appear before this court and show
that we were in position to take
care of them. We have planned a
real home, q house with several
rooms and we intend to move into it
Just as soon as my wife's children
are returned to her." r
It was brought out in the court
hearing that Mr.. Boyer, millionaire
manufacturer, had been paying all
the expenses of the two girls since
they have been in the institution
which now is their home.
After a bitter court fight, Judge
Command denied the application Of
their mother. Proceedings will be
instituted at once, representatives OF
the st. Vincent De Paul Home said
to have the girls adopted.
The above article was taker
from the Detroit (Mich.) News
of February 10th. You no doubt
read it before you reached the
comment I am about to make
but before you go further thar
the next period, read the article
again, and read it carefully.
This is the kind of a text thu
writer dislikes to use, for it il
one that is hard to handle, a!
tears dim the vision and tn,
English language is inadequate
to express my disgust with an!
aggregation of men, be it com
posed of judges, jurors or wha
not, who can find it in theil
hearts to attempt to substitute {
sectarian institution for a hous,
with mother and all the comfort
it brings.
This poor widow, it seems
was the wife of a nephew, nov
dead, of Joseph Boyer, million
aire and head of the Burrough
Adding Machine Co., a wealth,
corporation. He was able t
have provided this poor woman
with a home for herself an
children for the balance of thei
natural lives without missin,
the money so spent, but it ar
pears that he had allowed tn
children, instead, to be placed j,
a Roman Catholic joss hous
three years ago.
The woman testifes that sh
has been working day and nigh
for three years, marrying a SEE
ond husband, with the hope Q
making a home to which tn
probate Judge, Command b
name, would allow the littl
daughters of six and eight year
respectively to return.
The testimony of the stel
father of the children is tina
though conditions might nc
have been favorable heretofor,
they are now ready and in pos
tion to give the children the kin
of a home they deserve, and
home as good as the averag
r child has.
Notwithstanding all this tn
influence of the papes prevaile
and this heartless Judge denie
the application of the motht
for the possession of the childre
and virtually stole them frol
her bosom.
Not only that but the Roma
joss house in which they hay
s1r s--lsL..l y