Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-19
SIX YEARS OF DIPLOMACY.
VAIN EFFORTS TO RECOVER CHILD
ABDUCTED IN SWITZERLAND.
Actress Carrie Turner's Long Fight
Which Ended in Her Dcnth-Stolcn
Taken to His Home
by Divorced Husband.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
This is a story of Il diplomatic Incl
dent the story of how two governments
became interested in an International dis
pute over the possession of a little child.
extending through several administrations:
the story of a mother weary OF waiting
for her stolen child, discouraged by the
dignity of the powers at Wash
ington. finally dying of a broken heart.
There is something pathetic in the two eN-
tremes-the simple mother love on the one
hand. the six years of weiahty correspond
ence between the United States govern
ment and that of Switzerland on the other.
The recent death of Carrie Turner, the well
known actress. recalls TO those whe knew
her intimately the great sorrow which en-
FILTERED the latter years of her life.
Miss Turner was wooed and won by AL
bert His, an importer and Il member of one
of the most influential families of Swift
erland. They separated. In the meantime
n child had been born to them-ConStance
Madeleine HiS-whoSe name inquired conSpic-
uousiy in the diplomatic correspondence
between this government ana tina OF swift
switzerland. his wife TO the stage. He APP
piled for a divorce in the courts of Swift
erIand. When legally notified of it she
hurried there, made Il fight for her repu-
tation and. on what in this country would
be known as a cross complaint secured
the decree of divorce herself and was
awarded the custody of the child. there
being a private agreement. not a matter
of record, between the father and mother
as to its support. She returned to this coun-
sional career. Thu divorce was granted on
January ~. 1890.
The Abduction.
little more than a year later Mr.. His
returned TO New York and took every
nrecaution to keen his former wife from
i-,,,- ~; that fact ON Nav ! 1901 His
by brihing a nurse. got possession of the
little girl while her mother was playing
I'm Nero at Niblo'S garden. and wheI
Miss Turner came home it was only tc
find a note from her former husband say,
ing he had taken Connie, as both calico
the child, and sailed with her on the Ems
that AFTERNOON. The vessel was by tina
time far out at sea. and the agonized moth,
er could do nothing hut mourn for hel
who had gone and might not he brought
back. Ii is not necessary to dwell upon thi!
mart of the story. His took the child Il
| his home in Switzerland. where 1t Remained
: and is still. The mother never saw hel
Miss Turner took the advice of friend.
who did not give the matter sufficient con
10 go to Switzerland to try to recover heI
child by legal process. 1t was u hopeless!
undertaking.. hut he did not know it. H
went there and found confronting him
family of great influence and wealth and
preiudiced judiciary. lie employed a Swis
attorney to help him. but it was of no use
They were driven from one court to an
other. There Were all sorts of devices t
delay and defeat the case. Then came al
appeal TO the highest court of that coun
try. and that meant an indefinite delay
While the lawyers We're wrangling and tn
swiss courts Quibbling a sad-eyed woman
waited. with an almost reaking heart, i
New York for the return of her only child
who had been stolen from her.
1t all came to naught. The Boston law
yer was obliged to return without the child
and with no hopeful assurance for he
mother. The expenses of the fight in TIL
Swiss courts had taken every dollar Mis-
g.. Turner possessed. Then it was that som