Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-15

a law-enforcement system powerless to
interfere.
Reviewing the strange case from its
inception several years ago, observers
have arrived at the conclusion that
Edith was a pawn In a grim game, IN
which such emotions as hate and pride
were impelling factors.
While police and welfare agencies
were reporting their inability to act
the child, according to testimony given
| in court, was languiShing In dark
closet at the home Of her father and
stepmother, Mr.. and Mrs. Harry New
man Riley.
The marriage of Riley to a woman Of
whom. relatives disapproved was the
force which started the emotional mael-
strom revolving around Riley's children
by former marriage-Edith, Louise
and Francis.
ken, acting head of the Woman's BIZ :
reau, which investigated the Riley
home as long ego as 1925, pride played
a prominent role In the case.
Won Children in Court.
It was pride, she believes, and not a
distrist Of childrens institutions, which
caused Mrs Riley to persist in her re-
fusal to turn Edith over to the police
or the Board Of Public Welfare. The
stepmother had been awarded the chill
dren in court battle.
To have had the children, or any one
of them, subsequently committed to an
institution would have been Illuminating
to the stepmother, and she vigorously
opposed the several efforts OF tnveSti-
gators to induce her to give the chill
dren UP, 1t Is declared.
"She felt that it would give her hus-
bands relations a long-sought oppor-
tunity to say. I told you So: II Eoitn
were taken from her by the law one
official explained. THE step-children
apparently had a natural prejudice
against the step-mother, and In this
case the malice was aggravated, uIl-
doubtedly, by certain Of Rfley's people.
This made the step-mother,s task an
extremely difficult one from the outset.
Can there be any justification. under
"extenuating" circumstances, Tor con-
finement Of the child In windowless,
7 by Z closet?
Mr.. and MRS. Riley, in the first place,
have denied charges Of the police that
Edith was kept In the locked closet
for four years. The step-mother de-
clared she only confined the girl when
1t was necessary for her (Mrs. Riley to
leave the house at intervals. It was
impossible to leave her at large be-
cause she mistreated herself, Mrs. Riley
dSS6TLSQ. BRUISES ana SEATS were Tic
result of the child's own misconduct,
due to a mental afiiction, the woman
claimed - - s
Agar st this defense are the charges
Of Edith's brother and sister that Mrs.
Riley abused her step-children, that
Edith was beaten and given scraps from
the table, and that she was imprisoned
in the closet. There are also assertions
Of relatives that Edith was a normal
child prior to her residence with the
step-mother, and statements of board
ers, who are quoted as saying they
lived at the Riley home in ignorance Of
the existence Of Edith.
Files on Case Reviewed.
It Is pertinent in this connection to
review the history Of the case as re-
corded in the files of the Woman's Blu
reau and the Board Of Public Welfare.
The Board of Public Welfare first
heard of trouble at the Riley home in
1925. Then, and on subsequent occa-
sions in 1926. representatives Of the
board visited. the family, noted condi-
tons, sought yainly to remove Edith to
an institution and finally dropped the