The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-25
FIGHT FOR A CHILD
STORY OF P0NDERoUS DIPLOMACY
AND A BROKEN HEART.

How an American Girl Was II-Adviss
Enough to Marry q Foreign Scamp. Br
just Sharp Enough. In the Divors
Which Followed In Due Time, to Q,
: curs the Custody OF the Child-Ho'
the Foreign Scamp Stole the Child an
Took 1t to Europe-And How Unci
BAN Failed to Bring It Back
New York, Nov. NkThe Herald says:
. This is story OF diplomatic incident
the story Of how two governments be
came involved in an international dis
pute over the possession Of little chill
extending through several administra
waiting for her stolen child, discouragel
by the ponderous dignity of the power
of Washington, finally dying Of a brok
en heart There is something patheti
IN the two extreme%the simple mothe
love ON one hand, the six years Of weigh
ty correspondence between the Unitet
States government and that of Switzer
land on the other.
The recent death Of Carrie Turner, tn,
well known actress, recalls to those wt1t
knew her intimately the great sorrow
which enbittered the latter years Of ne,
life. Miss Turner was wooed and woz
by Albert His, an importer and member
| Of one of the most influential families ot
Switzerland. They separated. In the
meantime a child had been born tc
| them-Constance Madeleine His-whose
name figured conspicuously in the Dip
lomatic correspondence between this
government and that of Switzerland for
years. Mr.. His returned to Switzerland,
his wife to the stage.
He applied for divorce in the courts
| Of Switzerland. When legally notified OF
| it she hurried there, made fight for her
reputation, and, on what in this country
would be knowe as ''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 IT'S support. She returned
to this country triumphant and resumed
granted January %, 1890. A little more
than year later Mr.. His returned 70
New York and took every precaution to
keep his former wife from knowing that
fact.
THE CHILD STOLEN.
On May 1891, His, by bribing nurse,
got possession of the little girl while her
nix wi IN, ~ ya,
Garden and when Miss Turner came
home it was only to find a note from her
former husband saying he had taken
Connie" as both called the child, and
sailed with her on the Ems that after
noon. The vessel was by that time far out
ct sea, and the agonized mother could do
nothing but mourn for her who had gone
and might not be brought back It is
not necessary to dwell upon this part OF
the story. His took the child to his home
in Switzerland, wher it remained and Is
still. The mother never saw her again.
Miss Turner took the advice OF friends
who did not give the matter sufficient
consideration, and employed a Boston
attorney to go to Switzerland to try to
recover her child by legal process. It
Was hopeless Undertaking, but she did
not know it. He went there and found
confronting him a family OF great in
fiuence and wealth and a prejudiced ju-
dietary. He employed a Swiss attorney
to help him, but it was OF 10 use. They
were driven from one court to another.
There Were all sorts Of devices to delay
and defeat the case. Then came an ap-
peal to the highest court of that country,
and that meant an indefinite delay.
While the lawyers were wrangiing and
the Swiss courts quibbling cad eyed
woman waited, with an almost breaking
heart, in New York for the return Of fler
only child, who had been stolen from
her
It al came TO naught. The Boston law
yer was obliged to return without the
child, and with no nopefu, assurances for
her mother. The expenses OF the fight
in the Swiss courts had taken every dol
lar Miss Turner possessed. Then it was
that some of Miss Turner's friends to
whom she appealed adviced her to 90
to the State Department at Washington !
and ask this great and much extoiled !
government to demand that the rights |
to which she, as a citizen OF the United |
States, was entitled be accorded to her. |
The services Of the Hon. John De Witt |
Warner, then a member of Congress |
rom New York, were enlisted and he |
made a strong and mastery presenta-
ton OF the case to the department, at
whose head was James G. Blaine
TAKES UP THE CUDGELS.
It did not take Mr.. Blaine long to de-
,ide that an American citizen had suf-
,ered an indignity which could not be
allowed TO pass unnoticed by the govern
nent that he represented in foreign sf-
'airs. He took UP the case with his
rsual energy. After an investigation a
despatch was sent to Mr. /
Nashburn, then United State. Minister
o Switzerland, inStructing him to take
he matter under consideration and re-
sort upon it That report came accomp-
Inied by the Minister'S suggestion that
formal demand be made upon the gov
rTnent OF Switzerland for the return OF
ne child TO tie jurisdiction OF the Uni
cd States, whence it had been feionious-
Y taken. Then IL was that NJ. Blaine
cnt a lengthy despatch TO Ny. Wash
'urn, reviewing the circumstances OF the
ase and defining the view. OF the de-
'artmeHt.
The coyresponiancce which followed. |
nd which is q natts- OF record in the
'tate Department at Washington. was
most voluminous. but nothing was ac-
omplished. Mr.. Blaine. believing that
is contentionwas right and that this
teps 70 restore the Child 10 her mother.
minaTy 10 one that was TO follow in a
ew days. The latter was ID be an uIti-