Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 276, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1912 — MOTHER WINS BABY [ARTICLE]

MOTHER WINS BABY

Mrs. McDowell - Clark-Tanner Takes Infant by Force. Dramatic Scene Enacted as Woman, Accompanied by Attorneys and Deputy Sheriffs, Invades Rail Magnate’s Home. Los Angeles.—Mrs. Virginia McDowell Clark-Tanner took forcible possession of her infant son, J. Ross Clark 11, whose legal custody had been granted her by Judge Robert Clark, but whose actual custody was denied by the grandfather, J. Ross Clark, vicepresident of the Salt Lake railroad. A dramatic scene was enacted at the Clark home when the young mother appeared accompanied by two attorneys and two deputy sheriffs and armed with a hastily drafted order by Judge Flnlayson giving her Immediate possession of the child. Several times during the day Mrs. Tanner had gone to the Clark home and demanded the child, In accordance with the court order, and each tlpne was refused. Mr. and Mrs. Clark and their attorneys contended that the court order had given technical custody pf the child to Miss Margaret Heffron, the nurse, and that as Miss Heffron had become suddenly ill and could not be moved without endangering her life, the child would have tp remain there. Mrs. Tanner and her Attorneys then searched the city for Judge Clark. That jurist had returned to Ventura, and Judge Flnlayson was appealed to. He immediately gave an order to Sheriff Hammell to secure the boy and deliver him to Mrs. Tanner. 4 Admittance to the Clark home was

denied the party until the order was shown, and a locked door to the nursery barred the way after they had entered the house. * The cfflcerfc demanded that the door be opened, or they would break it down, and when it swung open Mrs. Tanner rushed in and seized the sleeping child from its cradle. Despite the protests of the grandparents and their attoripys, the Tanner party departed with the child and the nurse, who was said to have been threatened with appendicitis, dressed herself and accompanied them.