The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-08-02
BRAVE OLDLADY
HSTAR WITNESS
At "a She Braves Court
room and Testifies for a
Widow Mother.
IN STAUNCH DEFENSE
Emma Won Wald Has True
Friends and Her Neigh
bors VOuch for Her.

Sweet in her true neighborliness
and brave with all the bravery of age,
it was a little silveryl old lady of "a
summers who rustled forward to the
witness stand in the municipal court
Friday afternoon and gave testimony
in behalf of another woman. She had
never in all her life as neighbor per-
haps lent cup of sugar or a drawing
of coffee or done simple kindly act
that was more timely than this one.
For her neighbor, young widow,
Mrs. Emma Won Wald, was in court de-
Tending her right to have the custody
OF her children, The widows daugh-
ter, Bernice, girl of Is, was state
witness against her, and the mother
against the state of Wisconsin was
seeking to prove her mothers rights.
In the chair of prosecutor sat John F.
Kuehnl, assistant district attorney,
while Atty. Roy S. Stephenson took
the part of the -mother-defend-
ant.
But the little old lady, who was Mrs.
Anna Berry of South Pleasant street,
declared stanchly that the mother was
always lady-like, bore a good reputa-
ton and was truly a good woman.
"A Good Neighbour"
When the little old lady took the
stand and was asked if she lived near
Mrs. Won Wald, she replied, "Yes; you
could throw biscuit from my house
into hers" IF you had biscuit"
added Judge Slater. eyes, sir" She
said.
Asked if they visited together, she
replied, "We visit, but we never Cos
sip" And by Inference she rebuked
all those of her sex who love to run
the knife in the reputation of sister.
"How old are your interrupted
Judge Slater.
"Eighty-four," she replied proudly
"What, and never gossiped!"- the
Judge threw up his hands in banter.
''No, SIR" she retorted crisply. ut
isn't in the Bible"
"Well, then you're the first woman
/ ever met in my life that didn't do
it," he returned.
'You have had some children of
your own?" questioned Attorney Ste
phenson.
Fourteen" she replied.
one WSlG Oil w Sdy1 LtS AAGO4S uC1S IL
Dor, that she knew the defendant,
knew her as neat housekeeper, as a
carefu4 mother and as a good woman.
"She is a good woman" said the ex-
perienced old lady who knew her
world, and she folded her hands de-
cidedly in her lap.
The witness stated that the daugh-
ter, Bernice, who had already entered
the testimony against her mother, was
known as a child whom it was hard
to control.
After the old lady had given her
testimony she had little private
parley with the judge just as she was
leaving the witness stand.
Suppose" he said in conclusion to
her, 81 should decide this case the
other way?"
81 shall object" she said sternly.
Daughter on Stand.
But before the testimony of the
little lady and other neighbors, the
daughters and the other state witness
es unfolded their sordid recital of
suspicious.
There appeared to be no inference
to be drawn from the testimony other
than that 1t showed that comely
young widow was being wooed and
that at the unfortunate termination
of happy marriage by the death of
her husband last February, she was in
the rather natural situation of being
courted once more and possibly will
ing again to be the good wife of a
good man.
The opposition on the part of her
adolescent daughter of fifteen, who
exhibited an inquiring and curious
mind in such realms. abnormal even
for her years, brought in what the
novels call "counterplot." The young
girl's~shrin protests at conduct which
she interpreted as irregular brought
the support of a circle of relatives,
including grandmother and sister
in-law.
The probation officer and police
woman took up the case, enlisted by
the aforesaid relatives, and sought to
show that the mother was not a fit
person to have the custody of the two