Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-10
.GRAND Jury OPENS
INVESTIGATION OF
EDITH RILEY CASE
Brother and Sister Testify of
Stepmother'S Treatment
of Little Girl.
BOOMERS IN HOME KNEW
NOTHING AT ALL OF CHILD
Boy Who Caused Probe Becomes
Ward of Board of Public We'll
fare Pending Court Action.

The grand jury today heard the tragic
tale of Edith Riley. who police charge
spent four of her 12 years in a closet
held a virtual prisoner by her STEP
mother.
A boy of IS and a pretty girl of 20
brother and sister of Edith, testified
against their stepmother, Mrs. Elsie
Webster Riley
Mrs Riley and her husband, Harry
Newman Riley. 49-year-old paper
hanger. are under arrest on cruelty
charges as a result of the boys testi-
mony Saturday in Police Court. Mrs
Riley made bond of $4,000, but her
husband, apparently unable to raise
the money, remained in jail.
The couple was taken in custody Fri
day afternoon after Policewoman Ruby
Brandt, accompanied by Detective
Sergt. L. NJ Wilson, raided the Riley
home and declared they found Edith
papers.
Didn't Know of Child.
The grand jury is being asked to
return indictments against the STEP
mother and father charging cruelty to
carries maximum penalty of two
BOTH
If the tribunal decides. however. that
the child was mentally deficient as de-
clared by Mrs. Riley. the jail sentence
may be increased under the law to
five years
Other witnesses summoned before
the grand Jury included two young
students, said to have roomed at the
Rlley'S for two years and never saw
Edith or knew that she even existed
They were said by police to have told
er beaten by Mrs. Riley
Edith herself was viewed by the
grand jury. She was taken into the
room by her aunt, Mrs. Louise Hall of
l4l4 V street.
Clad in a red sweater, with a tam
oShanter to match, q plaid skirt and
blue house slippers adorned with bunny
rabbits, the child looked fresher than
at any time since discovered by police
in the closet
Her ability to walk into the grand
jury room today contrasted sharply
with her condition Saturday, when She
was carried into Police Court, swathed
in blankets.
Child'S Aunt TcStifies.
Mrs. Hall also testified before the
grand jury. A sister of Edith's mother
she said after appearing before the
grand jury that she would go before
Judge Kathryn Sellers in Juvenile
Court tomorrow to seek commitment
papers authorizing her to adopt both
Edith and Francis. She said she and
her husband are Government employees
and have enough to support the two
children. She said she knew nothing
about the children being ill-treated by
the stepmother, except what they had
told her.
Mrs. Margaret Allen, dressmaker
for Edith's grandmother, another wit
ness, said later she had seen Edith
when she was 6 years old and that she
was bright and normal in every re-
spect."
Other witnesses we're Mrs. Emma
Kline. aunt Of Riley; Mrs Brandt, the
policewoman Rachel johnson; Ida
Brown. 4402 Fifteenth street; Mrs.
Glars D. Neigh, 40 N street southwest,
the Friendship House: Detective Will
son and Marshals Kemon and Massie.
Meanwhile. Edith is recovering from
the confinement at Gallinger Hospital
For perhaps the first time In her life
she is tasting the carefree joys Of child
hood. Washingtonians who have read
OF her life in the newspapers have
flooded her room with dolls and toys
Her grave little face, heretofore. express
sionlesS, has lighted up in smiles at one
big doll that closes its eyes.
Psychiatrists Study Child.
PsychiatristS believe it will be at least
two weeks before they can determine
whether she is mentally deficient or a
normal child. the victim of her impris-
onment Her brother and sister, to-
gether with other relatives, have de-
clared she was normal before she went
to live with the Rileys eight years ago
Francis Riley, a student at Lang
ley Junior High School, and upon whose
complaint his father and stepmother
were held, today became a temporary
ward of the Board Of Public Welfare.
He will remain under the boards juriS-
diction pending outcome of the case,
when his maternal grandmother, Mrs.
Susan Annadale, l4l4 V street, will go
into court and ask permission to adopt
the boy.
Louise, because she is 20 years old. is
being permitted to shift for herself"
according to Director George S. Wilson
of the Welfare Board. She left the
Rhode Island avenue home several
months before her father and STEP
mother were arrested and has since
been living with Mrs. Annadale, with
whom she plans to stay.
Investigated Before.
A check-up of records of the Police
Departments Womens Bureau and the
Welfare Board disclosed that on three
occasions previous to last week the
case of the three children had been
called to the attention of officials.
In 1925, 1926 and again in 1923 COM
plants were made to either the Wom-
ems Bureau or the Board of Public
Welfare that Francis, Louise and Edith
were being mistreated.
investigations failed to develop s,lf-
ficient evidence to take the cases into
court, however" said Director Wilson,
land we were forced to let the matter
drop"
Mr.. Wilson explained that unless evil
dence is secured strong enough to con-
vince judge that the children should
be transferred to an institution or
adopted by another family, the chances
of relieving condition of mistreatment
are not very great.
Said Child Was Treated.
Mr.. Wilson disclosed that in investi-
eating one complaint, in July, 1928,
Mrs. Riley declared Edith was being
kept by a private family and maintained
she was receiving treatment from two
of the best physicians" She refused
to divulge the name of the family or of
the physicians, so nothing could be
done about it, Mr.. Wilson asserted.
AT another time, Mr.. Wilson said,