Murphy, Viola - adopted - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The Kennedy repertoire company, which played at Music Hall during the past week, left Monday morning for Kokomo, and they took with them a new member whom they picked up during their stay in this city. The new little actress is Miss Viola Murphy, a little tot of five years, who never before had any experience in the Thespian art, but Mr. Kennedy believes that she has great talent and will do for her all that is in his power. During the week just passed, Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy noticed a cute little girl playing on Market Street near the Ramsey, where they were stopping. They were at once taken up with her and asked her of her home and parents. It developed that her mother is an inmate of a house of ill fame, and at the suggestion of Mrs. Kennedy, her husband went to the mother and asked if she could be induced to part with the child. At first the mother, with a mother’s natural love for her child, demurred, but upon the assurance of Mr. Kennedy that the child should never want, and also that under the circumstances in which the child was living her life could never be one other than one of shame, she at last reluctantly consented that Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy should adopt her. The father of the child is a man in this city who has never done anything for the support of the child, nor has he ever seemingly taken any interest in her welfare in any way. Yet Mr. Kennedy thought he would see him and secure his consent to the proposed adoption. This he did, but found that the idea was not at all in accordance with the desires of the father, who very dramatically said when the proposition was broached to him: “No, I would rather see the child dead and in her coffin, than see her go on the stage.” To this Mr. Kennedy did not answer a word, but realizing that the words were said only for the purpose of securing money from him, and not feeling that he would be justified in paying him for his final consent, Mr. Kennedy decided not to have further intercourse with the father, but to take the child on the strength of the consent given by the mother. Sunday when Mr. Kennedy went to the resort where the child’s mother stays, an affecting scene was enacted. The mother realized that what she was doing was for the best as the child would all her life be handicapped by her parentage and surroundings, yet she hated to part with her child. The parting was really sad, as the baby, by her bright and winning ways, had found a warm spot in the hearts of even the unfortunate women with whom she had been associated, and all of them shed tears at her departure. The little miss, when Mr. Kennedy led her away, said: “Mr. Kennedy, let us walk a little way with mamma, she feels so bad.” This was done and a final farewell at last bidden. Monday morning she went to Kokomo with the company and is seemingly perfectly satisfied with her new lot. The papers necessary to her final adoption were made out Monday and signed by the mother and Mr. Kennedy. - kbz