El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-05-28


verusement from a Mrs W. r Jones.
Of 1105 East San Antonio street
However, I made no effort 10 see her.
Later she telephoued me and asked
san antonio street 10 meet her. She
said her husband. who was almost
blind, was one Of the wealthiest law
yers in Douglas, Ariz-
she said she was making him be-
lieve that she soon was TO become
a mother and had to have a baby
IN her home before he returned from
a trip. On a later occasion. after she
had our child and she told me when
she told her husband il had been
bern to her that he felt 10 over and
remarked what a large child II was
The baby then was a month and two
days old The woman told us she
never had had any children. but had
grown Her husband. she said, be-
lieved all Of these children were his
own"
Mrs. Coils testimony regarding
the placing OF the child in the hands
OF Mrs Mcconnell. known to her as
Mrs Jones" was the same as that
Of her daughter.
Refused to Give Up Child.
-Bernlce never slept and she cried
for the baby for weeks" she con-
tinued. she continually talked Of
getting her baby back So on May
25, at 10 p. m, I came back here.
That was a few days ago. ! went
to see Mrs Mcconnell and we talked
for some time I offered her all we
had II she would give US the baby
back. She refused and said that il
her husband knew the boy WASH
his child, he would turn her and her
children out on the street. Ny mar
ried daughter here learned last June
that the woman's name was not
Jones but was Mcconnell
Later we went to Mr.. McConnelfs
office and told him the whole story.
He did not seem surprised but said
was his. He said. however, that II
his wife confessed that IL was not
her baby he would see that we got
It back. The next day we went to
his office and he questioned US at
some length regarding the matter.
We finally proceeded TO get the pa
pers for this suit PREPARED
Throughout all Of Thursday after
Moons session Mrs. Mcconnell kept
the baby close by her side. At times
she played about the court room with
it and at other times sat before the
witnesses. the baby continually
laughing and cooling to Mrs. Baker
and Mrs Coils.
Applies for Baby.
Mrs. Clara Belle Hooper, assistant
secretary Of the Associated Charities,
was called as a witness Friday morn
ing
4 nave Known MS AGLNAAAlH4A
since February 2, 1873 Mrs Hooper
testified. I had a child in the chart
ties for adoption and she applied for
it. 1t was a girl baby. She told me
her husband was an attorney here
and she also told me that he believed
she was 70 become a mother, and
that she had TO get a child some
where in a short time She said that
she had had one child In Mexico. 1
went to her home and after seeing L
H-H Nnn oh
had She told me the three chill
dren I saw at her home she had
Mrs Florence Belle Cameron. head
nurse at the county hospital. also
declared that Mrs. Mcconnell had
adopted a baby from the hospital
she came 70 the hospital when she
learned that we had baby for adop-
ton" she said. Before this she mad
telephoned me under the name OF
Jones and said she wanted baby.
That was about two years ago When
she came to the hospital she said
she had five or six children that she
had adopted ] think that the Mrs
Jones who telephoned me and this
Mrs. Mcconnell are the same person
when she came TO the hospital she
said she adopted the children and
that Il was easy TO make ner nus
band believe they were hers she
said she would give the baby we had
a good home and an education and
we let her have the child. She later
gave the baby TO another woman
named Foster"
Posed as asIrs. JONES'
Mrs. Grace Kotrbe, a sister OF
Bernice Baker. testified that Mrs. Nc
Cornell posed as a Mrs Jones and
said her husband was wealthy law
yer from Douglas, AriZ- she told
US" Hrs. Eotrbe testified, that her
husband expected her to have baby
and that she had TO have one
shortly after she got the baby
went to her home. The baby was
not well then She told me her nus
band was there and 70 talk in low
F. tone so that he would not hear ana
SUSPICION that the child was not his
/ was holding the baby when he
walked into the room he asked me
10 put the child down Then ne
asked me questions, how Ions uau
been there and what I wanted He
didn't listen to uiy answers, how
ever. but took those OF a girl who
was there. The baby at that time
seemed to be unable 10 see vel and
] told her TO take him 20 doctor
for treatment and I would pay Tor K
Again I saw Mrs. Mcconnell and
she said Mr.. McConnelrs mother was
at the house and we could not come
there. She said this woman seemed
suspicious regarding the child and
we would have TO see IT at another
time
Identifies the child.
Il can positively identify the child
Mrs. Mcconnell has in this courtroom
as the baby belonging to Bernlce-
Mrs. Mcconnell always spoke Of the
baby as belonging 20 Bernlce. Mrs
Mcconnell told US we would have TO
take legal action TO get il back and
later her husband told US the same
Dr. W. E. johnson. a physician. tes-
tilted that on april ]. 1913, he at
tended Bernice Baker at the saliva
ton Army home He said, that al
though he could not positively swear
that the child in the courtroom was
the same one he attended for Bernice
that 1T had all Of the appearances
Of being the same baby he said
that when the matter Of giving up
the child was mentioned to her
Bernice declared that she did not
want TO give it up
with this testimony the petitioners
rested their case. The defence be-
gan its testimony at ? o'clock Friday
/ afternoon.