Bastardy Case News Excerpts, Fort Wayne, Indiana

1879

Allen County, Indiana, Bastardy cases as found in the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, 1879

• 10 Jan 1879 The Wells-Rhoads bastardy case will go to the jury this morning.
• 11 Jan 1879 The jury in the Wells-Rhoads bastardy case returned the verdict: "We the jury find that Permelia A. Wells, relatrix was delivered of the child referred to in a complaint that the same is a bastard and that DeWitt Rhoads, the defendant, is the father thereof".

• 15 Mar 1879 Yesterday morning Esquire Ryan was summoned to appear at Mrs. Sweeney's on Barr Street. Arriving there he was requested by a young woman, Alice Christy, to draw an affidavit against George Cartwright, a knight of the razor, for bastardy. On Saturday last Alice became a mother and is still confined to her bed, where she swore to the affidavit. A warrant was issued for the gay deceiver, who, after a private confab with the girl, agreed to support the infant if the mother would not prosecute him. That was agreed to and George departed in peace. Cartwright is married and has a family living near New Haven, but it is understood that he will apply for a divorce (on what grounds is not known) and when it is secured will marry Alice. About a year ago he was tried and acquitted of rape. Alice Christy's people live at New Haven and during the past two years she has worked at the Buckles house in this city. She is young and innocent, and will be made happy when she and George unite their interests.
• 27 Mar 1879 An affidavit was filed by Sarah Davidson against a young fellow living on E. Washington street, charging bastardy. The case will be heard this afternoon.

• 3 Apr 1879 Yesterday, Esquire Ryan gave his decision in the Davidson-Morgan bastardy case in favor of the defendant. The case occupied considerable time and developed much smut. There was no doubt as to the condition of the unfortunate girl, but only as to the identity of the one who placed her there. She and some of her witnesses gave conflicting evidence, which lead the court to decide as he did. The belief of the friends of the defendant is that the girl was lead astray by some irresponsible person, who either jumped the town or is still here and induced her to attempt to fasten the guilt upon young Morgan, with a view to blackmailing his father through him. Whether or not it was a case of blackmail is not known, but it is too true that too much of that kind of business is going on in the city, and guilty parties are not always the victims, for as a correspondent says elsewhere, many men will accede to such demands rather than allow their character to be temporarily blackened.

• 26 May 1879 The Wells-Rhoades bastardy case comes up in Circuit Court today.
• 30 May 1879 The jury out in the bastardy case of the State ex rel., Wells vs. Rhoades.

• 2 Jun 1879 The jury in the bastardy case of the state ex rel. Wells vs. Rhoades, found for the defendant.
• 27 Jun 1879 Mattie T. Clark has filed an affidavit against August L. Schwartz, a Richmond brakeman, alleging bastardy. The case comes up for trial before Esquire Ryan this morning.
• 28 Jun 1879 The bastardy case of Mattie Clark against August Schwartz came to trial before Esquire Ryan yesterday morning. The evidence and surroundings compulsively prove that the young lady is in an interesting situation but not that Schwartz was the cause of it, etc.

• 30 Aug 1879 Recently a girl who some months since failed to make out a bastardy case against a prominent young man, gave birth to twins at the Home of the Friendless.

• 16 Dec 1879 State ex rel. Mary E. Dowell vs. Milo A. Miller, bastardy.