The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-06-30

A dramatic scene was enacted yes
ferday afternoon in Judge Ferrafs de-
partment OF the Superior Court in the
habeas corpus proceedings instituted
by Arna Reider to regain the custody
Of her nineteen-months-o baby from
Charles Buscher and wife, of No. 468
Twenty-second Street. The statement
of the mother of the infant was that
the child had been left with the Busch
ers for keeping at twenty-five dollars
month, and that she was owing them
some money on account. Mr.. Buscher
appeared in propria persona for him.
self and wife and made an arguments
tive statement of his side of the case.
He scorned the horrible idea that the
child was kept in pawn for board. The
infant had been rescued q year ago
from a noisome den by his daughter, a
young lady stylishly dressed in red,
who was also in court. The mother
was not proper person to have the
child. She had no home and no money,
and was of q decidedly vulgar nature,
argued the gentleman. s.The mother
said there was q mystery about the
child, and l think she ought to tell
what the mystery is" he continued. 1t
was humanity that prompted him and
his wife to take the child. and they had
become so attached to the little girl
that they desired to adopt it as their
own, but as yet had taken no legal steps
to effect such desire. This last admis-
sion settled the controversy in its legal
aspect, and the court announced that
nothing could separate the mother and
her offspring.
''Do understand that the law of the
State of California says that the child
must go to . mother who has got no
home and no money to take care of the
child and isn't fit to have the baby? Is
that the law?" sarcastically inquired
MFR. Buscher. after he had fully COM
pretended the courts decision.
His honor nodded in assent and re-
buked him for his contemptuous in
quiry. The attorney for the mother of
the child then asked for an immediate
compliance with the decision. Judge
Ferral so commanded. The foster
mother, who. nursed the child in her
arms, was irresolute. The real mother,
who sat Immediately in front of her,
Strengthened herself up with the rigidity
of an iron-peker. and, swelling with
triumph, was determined not to make
the initial concession. No one moved
until deputy sheriff broke the spell
by making a speedy transfer of the
child, which put in its motion in arrest
of Judgment in series of agonizing
yells. The foster mother, who until
this moment had failed to comprehend
the situation, now completely broke
down, and, bursting into tears, abject-
ly begged the mother to return to her
the child. The mother, reddening at
being the cynosure of all eyes aud the
central figure of the dramatic demon
straticn, stood aghast for a moment,
but, receiving the infant in her arms,
smothered it in embraces and sought to
quiet its cries with very cold, ''Come,
my darling to me-" During all this
scene the hoary foster father, calm and
resolute, stood in the middle of the
courtroom like Spartan hero, sar-
castically ordering his wife to ''obey
the law of the State of California" and
Ito put the baby on the floor" The
mother and child then precipitatedly
left the courtroom, followed by the
crowd of excited lookers-on of the
lobby, who expected physical contest
for the child by the women, but were
disappointed Francisco Bulletin
Chronicle.