Arrested For Bastardy

Perhaps Carrie Raschka and Lovisa Nelson had to become so strait-laced just to balance out the antics of their stepbrothers: Exhibit A was John Chester's Prohibition troubles; now I've found Exhibit B in the form of a Hobart Gazette article from July 31, 1908, delicately entitled: "Arrested For Bastardy."

On July 27, 1908, a woman by the name of Mary Kovanek, age unknown, Bohemian by birth, filed a complaint against Jerome Chester alleging that he was the father of the child born to her on February 28, 1908.

She had been hired by Henry and Mary Chester as a live-in domestic beginning in mid to late May 1907. Jerome was then about 27 years old, unmarried, still living with his parents. She remained with the Chesters no more than two months. During that time, she said, Jerome "visited her room" on several occasions.

Mary left the Chester household on July 16, 1907, and was married to Mr. Kovanek the following day. Seven-and-a-half months later, she gave birth to a child. (She already had another "fatherless" child about four years old.)

She claimed that Jerome had earlier acknowledged his responsibility, and given her a little money now and then, but by July 1908 he had so completely reneged on his promise to support the child that she was obliged to file the complaint. The Kovaneks were in financial straits and needed the money.

Jerome was arrested the same day and brought in for a hearing before Judge Mathews. (My reading of the article is that the hearing took place in Hobart, but it isn't clear.) Attorney R.R. Peddicord argued the state's case; Jerome was defended by F.T. Fetterer and W.W. Bozarth. Witnesses included Dr. Mackey, who delivered the baby, and Drs. Bulhand and Gordon, expert witnesses on "evidence concerning maternal cases." Both sides gave spirited arguments, and the hearing carried over into the following day. At the end of it, however, Judge Mathews found Jerome not guilty.

The large crowd attending the hearing was outraged. As word of the verdict spread, so did the scandal. The Gazette said, "This community is almost of one opinion and firm in the belief that this poor, ignorant mother, who belongs to that race of people who are taught from infancy to obey their masters, told the plain, cold facts, uncolored and uncoached." (Again I find myself surprised: I wouldn't have thought people in 1908 would be so sympathetic towards a woman who admitted to being the mother of two illegitimate children.)

On the evening of July 29, R.R. Peddicord went to Hammond to pursue Mary's case with City Judge McMahan. The judge issued a warrant for Jerome's re-arrest, and before dawn on the 30th, Jerome was again in the hands of the law — riding the early Nickel Plate train to a new hearing in Hammond.

There, Judge McMahan "decided that Chester was the father of the child and bound him over to the superior court in the sum of $300 bonds, which were furnished. The case will probably come up for trial at the September term."

I have been searching the Gazette and other 1908 papers for follow-up reports, but I haven't found any.

Weren't things complicated before we developed the science of DNA?



[4/6/2010: Update here.]