The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-25
Daughter of Village Blacksmith
and Bankers Son Into Court.
Former Asks $4,000 Vindica-
ton for Birth of Child.
GONE INTO LUXURIES is CHARGE
Say Girl Lived at Moss Home
In st. Mays.
Defendant Her COusin-Flne
Clothes Play Usual Role.

! Isabel Kessler, daughter OF the vii
lage blacksmith at Belvue, today
pleaded before twelve Shawnee county
1 jurymen for $4,000 as "a monetary
v1ndication for the birth of her child.
The father of this child, she asserts, is
her cousin. John T. Moss, a ST.
Marys real estate man and son OF the
late Tom Moss, a st. Marys banker
The $4,000 suit against Moss,
brought in the name Of oliver Kes-
| sler, the BeiYue blacksmith, against
John t Moss, opened this morning In
Judge James A. McClure's division of
the district court. W. A. S. Bird and
Judge q. I. Hazen represent the Kes-
sler family. Robert Stone and John
/ j. Schenck are counsels for Moss
Bird In his opening statement to the
jury drew a picture OF the humble
| home of John Kessler, the Belvue
| comfortable home Of the late Tom
Moss at ST. Marys occupied by the son,
John. the defendant.
Bird charged that Moss induced the
kessler family to permit the girl 20
spend her Saturdays and SUNDAYS at
the Moss home in St. Marys. six miles
from Relvue. under the pretext of
teaching her bookkeeping IN his insur-
| ance office.
The first immoral act occurred
when the girl was only IS years old"
SAID BIRD That was in 1915 in the
Moss home. Moss at night stole into
the room of his aunt who lived at the
house and the girl supposed it was
her aunt Suddenly she was caught
in her cousins arms
Gave Her Fine Clothes Claim.
Under inducements in the form of
clothes. fur collars, a diamond ring
and the enjoyment of the luxury of
his fathers comfortable home, so
sumptuous in comparison with the
humble h )me of her father. the girl
was induced to continue these rela-
lions with her cousin, a man more
than 80 years of age. until 1917, when
she discovered that she was in serious
trouble.
This cousin continued these rela-
tions for time after the girl discov-
cred her condition. Imagine the suf-
fering of this girl to look into the
future and find herself a disgraced
woman in that little village-the sub
ject OF every tongue. an outcast. as
such girls are in village like Belvue
| or St. Marys.
| face the friends OF her childhood in
her disgrace. She insisted that she 20
to an aunt in Texas. Her parents
finally consented to the trip.
says Moss Denied Charges.
Finally the aunt in Texas discov-
cred her condition. She insisted that
| the girl return home. Moss when
faced with the girls story. denied ev-
erything and refused to offer any re-
lief.
| A NameIess Child.
"A few months later this girl, then
| only IT years old. gave birth to a
| nameless child in a maternity hospital
asking in a small measure recompense
! for the disgrace. humiliation and cost
OF losing his daughter from the home
and fireside. as the girl will not re-
main at home and has continued to
live with the aunt in Texas. since the
! trouble"
Robert Stone. IN presenting the case
| of his client, stated that Moss would
prove an alibi for every specific act of
immortality charged against him by the
girl.
Draws Different Picture.
"I want to draw another picture of
the village blacksmith" said Stone. Il
want to picture him, as he truly is. a
e'er-do-well, a man who at times
drank to excess and who from time to
time failed to have enough money to
purchase coal for the forge at the viii
lage blacksmith shop. 1 want to draw
| a picture of the late Tom Moss. whose
wife was a sister to the village black
from time to time to help out the
4 Kessler family in Belvue.
Then Tom Moss died. His son,
John Moss. became head of the house
hold and lived in his fathers home
with his Aunt Mollie. a sweet. kind
faced old lady of siXty-five, who has
Isuffered more than any one else and
who, 1 fear, cannot stand the ordeal
on the witness stand to which she
must be subjected.
Disregard Identity of Father.
I'VE will prove that it was this
kind hearted Aunt Mollie who pro-
posed that Isabel, the daughter of the
poor, neer-do-wen blacksmith, be
given an opportunity to acquire
knowledge of bookkeeping in her
cousins real estate office on the days
she didn't attend school at Belvue
Probably, the Moss family did fur
nish Isabel with clothes. as the more
fortunate families often do to unfer-
tunate relatives.
when John Moss became head Of
the household we will show he put
his foot down on the constant drain:
placed on his father during his ire
/