Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-23
'BABY'S SMILES WIN
SYMPATHY Y|NC0URT
infant, Unwilling Victim of Love
Tragedy, cuddIes in Grand
mothers Arms
oNLy CRIER IS UNM0VED

"On your way ,.-.., II,
leaving of Catharine Roster in the Cen
..a, Police Court this morning, this
must have been it..
lluo mon vour way git" snarled the
s,d. .foced Cerberus TO the curious who
.atbered at the doors and could show
no reason why they should be let in
side. .,
The room filed earlier than usual
For n while oil eyes were focused on
,be second row Of benches in the center
aisle, where Mrs. Robert Reid, the
mother of Catharinc Roster. sat with
Mrs. Rosters baby. on her lap. Mrs.
Reid Is n woman of possibly forty two.
rsthcr stout and with but casual gray
hairs strewn with the black under her
crushed silk hat-a helpless and hope
| less figure.
Her face and eyes were swollen from
two days of weeping. Now she sobbed
methodically. with her eyes bent to :
ward the base Of the magistrates desk.
| She moved the baby up aad down on
her knee.
Baby Smiles at Court Scenes
The baby was good. Against its
cushion Of Mrs. Rcid's coat, he turned
his head from side to side, regarding
all about him with unafraid eyes. Some :
times he made soft noises somewhere
inside bis throat and moved his arm ex-
citedIy up and down. Once his gaze
halted for a good two minutes on the
blase face Of police lawyer. the cor
ners of his eyes dimpled little and
his small ,oop of n mouth widened into
an irresistible smile.
Just then the clerk pounded nervous
" for order. The drone of conversation
stopped abruptly. Magistrate Renshaw
appeared through the right doorway
and sank into his place.
"0n your way"' shouted the Ger
berus. as he pushed a man aside and
closed the doors.
The sudden stiffness and then the
loud shouting Of the name of prisoner
frightened the baby. 1t whimpered a
little.
Hush" said Mrs. Reid softly.
The clerk rose to the rampant of the
desk.
silence" he roared, pounding and
garing at the baby.
The baby, fascinated apparently by
4 the noise, stopped whimpering at once.
and Mrs. Reid forced the nipple of Il
bottle Of milk into it's mouth.
4 A dozen photographers had taken
lplaces behind the railing. and had set
Their cameras at places which seemed
most advantageous. There was an oc-
casOnal clicking as one photographer
or another made practice shot.
"On Your Way" for Everybody
There was the usual collection of
hnpIny pnnppinu ppiuannrg
dope fcnds, shoplifters, gunmen and
bad boys. The testimony and the vcr-
diets were summary in each case.
Discharged" said the magistrate 10
one. 'On your way snapped tkA'
attendant. To another, Fifteen days"
On your way
Occasionally the baby lost the nipple
Of its bottle and cried. Each time the
clerk gared and shouted silence. and
each time Mrs. Reid bounced it d little
faster and replaced the nipple.
At last came pause lcngthier than
any other. The clerk and the mugis-
trate looked at one another.
"All right said the clerk. and Mr..
Connor made his way to the rail.
Mrs. Roster Assured
An instant later the door at the left
opened, and Catharinc Roster was fol.
lowed out by the drab figure of IL police
matron. Z She walked self consciously
to the chair i'll front Of the desk. The
attendant bent down and whispered.
Then he looked up and shouted out her
address TO the court
Mrs. Reid had risen and wis Stum-
bling toward the rail. The matron
touched Catharine on the shoulder and
she rose and took the baby from her
mother with "A calnf smile of possession.
Mrs. Reid resumed her scat now so1-
bing.
The prisoners cheeks were pale and
her hair Il little dsordcrcd. Still she
seemed cold and relaxed. and if there
was any expression in her eyes, it was
fataliSm
-. She gave no heed to the listlcss tcs-
tlmony of the first policeman, nor to the
myStihed gaze with which the second
poIiceman accompanied his, nor seemed
10 need that it was an alien atmosphere
ABOUT her. She pressed the baby to !
herselt, and moved her lips to it with
out making sound,
but as the witness in his story !
stumbled over the name of Mildred G.. /.
heckitt, Catharine bent down TO her |
ppaDy ana cupped its temple with n
MSS; lt was here that the sobs of Mrs.
held became audible-even above the
constant clicking of the cameras that
were making negative after negative
VI the strange picture Of maternity be- |
side the bar.
-, - but the child, sir, is only three
mmVathS DID," Mr.. Connor was saving.
arrangements could be made so-f'
r, Smiles When Leaving
,.,.ie ne magistrate and the clerk were
MiTlng in an undcrtone. IAN rlghti' |,
MIa '0d the clerk in the official voice. The .
mhn'rOn touched Catharine again. took
'"o Dooy from her and the girl arose.
mirthIcss. hUmOrless half smile was
oyaWh Tor moment across her strange
pett{ mouth. Moved by some curious
impulse she turned toward the Spcc-
Muiors ana moved her arms from her
sues IN the gesture that is as old as
srIet ss,t itself. At another touch she
tHHphcd and wa ked passively through
,ne door from which she had come, Tie
hm"'ron h"s followed, cooling to the babe in
! me ascnHtcd crowd watched the
ooor close behind this group.
:. oh our way" their glances seemed
TO say to the slim little mother who Ind
way" "'' '"'''' y" your