Evening star., 1949-10-05


themselves among the homeless
waits of the Industrial Home
School annex today after their
mother gave them up because a
Judge had taken a foster child
from her.
The children, 15-year-old Edith
Christine Hernandez and her half
brother, 3-year-old David Gregory
Little, were left at the Public We'll
fare Departments Offices yesterday
along with the foster child by their
mother. Mrs. Geraldine Little.
A while later, when they were
found by a case worker returning
from lunch, Edith said:
my mother brought us here
and left us. She said that II she
wasn't fit to have Jonathan, she
wasn't fit to have us"
Given Alternative.
The day before Judge T. Alan
Goldsborough had called in all
parties concerned in a custody
battle over Jonathan, a 3-year-old
boy who has lived with Mr.. and
Mrs. Floyd Little from the day he
was two days old.
Judge Goldsborough said he had
been informed Mrs. Little was not
"fit person" to rear Jonathan.
He gave no alternatives OF turn
ing him over Immediately to his
mother, Mrs. Mary Miller, of the
61O0 block of Parkwood road,
Landover, Md, or to welfare au-
thorities pending final settlement
of the custody fight, october "a.
Judge Goldsborough did not en-
large on reasons for the action.
but 1t apparently was based on an
investigation he had ordered ear
lier by a domestic relations COM
missioner.
Chose Welfare Department.
Mrs. Little chose the welfare de-
partment to turning Jonathan
over to Mrs. Miller. When the
matter came to the attention OF
the welfare departments child
welfare division, Mrs. Robin Miller.
superintendent, agreed that the
department should take jurisdic-
tion.
Mrs. Little, who lives at 1917
Tenth street NV. left the three
children at the child welfare offices
shortly before pm.
Brown haired Edith. Mrs.
Little's child by a former marriage,
quietly assumed the responsibilities
of a mother in watching over the
3-year- -olds. Finally, when it was
closing time, the welfare workers
sent them to the industrial home.
Today Edith was taking it as
philosophically as possible. Dressed
in white and brown checkered
gingham like all the other girls,
she said as. she prepared for her
first day in school:
I'D like to go home, but II this
is the way mother wants it, I will
stay here. -.
Brother Burned to Death.
But I can't understand why
they took Jonathan away. I feel
that he is my own brother, and
mother has always taken good
care of him."
Edith recalled that tragedy
struck the Little home early In
August when her 18-month-old
brother, Benjamin, burned to
death in fire. She said MIR. Little,
Capital Transit Co. employe, had
not worked steadily recently be-
cause of domestic problems.
Welfare workers said Edith was
a quiet, well-mannered girl.
The custody battle over Jona-
than began with the filing OF a
habeas corpus petition by Mrs.
Miller. She contended the boy
was placed with the Littles on
temporary basis.
The Little's attorney, Jefferson
Busby, ST., read to the court a
motorized statement signed Sep
tember 30, 1916, in which Mrs
Miller purportedly gave Jonathan
to the Littles for adoption "ab-
solutely and without any reserva-
tion or purpose to repossess the
child
! On the stand, Mrs. MillY said