[Transcribed from the Philadelphia Inquirer, 1903-03-23 by Nancy Hannah]
LEFT MOTHER TO SAVE INDIAN STEP-FATHER
Mrs. White’s Daughter Agrees to Return to Dr. Telford’s Seminary
PROSECUTION DROPPED
Full-Blooded Aborigine Was Charged With Abduction, But Magistrate Freed Him
LITTLE GIRL AN HEIRESS
Father Was a Wealthy Landowner of West Virginia, Who Died Two Years Ago
With the parting of a beautiful girl, aged 14 years, from her mother, in order to save her step-father – a full-blooded Indian – from going to jail, as a feature, the second chapter of an interesting West Virginia romance was brought to a close before Magistrate Kochersperger, at City Hall, yesterday morning. The third and concluding chapter of this story will probably be enacted in July at Union, Monroe county, West Virginia, when there will be a legal battle between the mother and the relatives of her first husband for the guardianship of the child, Edith, who is a wealthy heiress.
Frank White, the step-father, who is a typical Indian, was arrested on Saturday evening on the charge of abducting his step-daughter from the Lewisburg Female Institute, of West Virginia, a fashionable seminary, where she had been placed by the order of the State Court. Mrs. White – formerly the wife of Wallace Ballard, who was a wealthy Southerner and the father of the young girl – is a handsome woman of about 32 years, who was once the belle of Monroe county. She is possessed of a considerable fortune in her own right.
Another figure who plays a prominent part in the latest development of the story is Rev. Dr. R. L. Telford, the president of the Lewisburg Institute. The story as told by Dr. Telford, and which in many particulars is agreed to by the friends of White, is as follows:
Dr. Telford’s Story
Three years ago Wallace Ballard, his wife and their daughter, lived on a large estate in Union, Monroe county, West Virginia. Ballard was the owner of two of the largest farms in that fertile country. The family moved in the best social circles and all went well until a year later, when Ballard fell sick and died, bequeathing his estate, worth about $125,000, equally between his wife and daughter. A misunderstanding arose between the widow and her husband’s relatives, and when, about a year later, Mrs. Ballard married White, all intercourse between the families ceased.
Upon a technical ground the relatives secured a decree of the court appointing A. E. Johnson, a friend of Mr. Ballard, as guardian of the girl and also had the court order that Edith be sent to the Lewisburg Seminary until June 10, when she should return to her mother.
Last Monday White and his wife determined upon a trip to Canada, where the Indian owns some real estate. They decided to take Edith with them. As to the means they took to get the child accounts differ. According to Dr. Telford, White visited the seminary, scaled the wall and by drawing a large dirk, forced the night watchman to permit him to take the girl away.
White claims that the young girl came to the station and after buying her own ticket joined her mother and refused to return with a watchman who was with her.
The two came to this city on Tuesday, stopping at the house of an Indian named White Cloud, at 707 North Seventh street.
Traced To This City
In the meantime Dr. Telford, the principal of the school, had started in pursuit of the pair and traced their baggage to Philadelphia, but was unable to locate their stopping place. The matter was put into the hands of Attorney Everett Schofield, who at once engaged the help of Detectives Miller, Detectives Smith and Almendinger were assigned to the case. By means of a registered letter, sent by the sleuths, White was discovered, and on Saturday night was arrested upon a fugitive warrant.
When the warrant was served upon him, the Indian made no demonstration, although several of his friends were at first disposed to resist the officers. He was taken to City Hall, and his wife engaged ex-Assistant Attorney Samuel Boyle to defend him.
The daughter was told that if she would return to West Virginia with Dr. Telford the prosecution against White would be dropped. After a conference with her mother she consented and immediately fulfilled her promise.
At the hearing at City Hall yesterday the prosecution was withdrawn, and at the Seventh street house it was stated that Mr. and Mrs. White had departed for Canada.
According to White Cloud they will return and put the case into the hands of the National Indian Commission, as White thinks he has been unjustly discriminated against.
If White had not fallen ill after his arrival in this city he would have left three days ago and probably escaped his pursuers.
Attorney Schofield yesterday stated that there is a statute in West Virginia which forbids any person taking from the State any one who is placed in a seminary by the order of the court.
