The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-04
BEHIND BARS
He THINKS
OF HIS INFANT
MaIngren Fears 1t
Was Murdered.
AN APPEAL FROM PRISON
THE MOTHER WILLINGLY LET
THE CHILD GO.
After Suffering Few Weeks It Died
in a Shelter Where It's True
Name Was Not
Known.
AN APPEAL FROM PRISON
THE MOTHER WILLINGLY LET
THE CHILD GO.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
ono I2,-o. 4 ms Nrnrr Q


SAN QUENTIN, Oct. %, 1s9s.-To the
Court Commissioner, Alameda County-Dear
Sir: 1 take the liberty of writing you these
few lines TO ask If you will be SO kind as
10 ask my wife, Mrs Louisa Malmgren.
what she has done with our little daughter
that born July 3. 1897 There is moth
Ing mentioned about her in the divorce
complaint that has just been served on me
here by my WIFE When l was free tried
to find her. but they told me that she was
dead They have no death certificate or
any proof to show 1t and it is my firm be-
lief that If my child is dead my wife or
her mother or the. midwife that attended
her murdered it. l am in here, with no
friends or means to do anything toward
finding out the truth but IL the child is
dead I am sure that they murdered 1t to
get it out of the way.
Coroner Baldwin looked into the case
some and said that IL looked bad, but when
/ got in here he dropped it. If you would
make her produce the child in court you
would have the thanks of an unfortunate
man in trouble. remain, very respect
SANDY j. MALMGREN eNo. 1859.
The above letter has been received by
Court Commissioner Babcock from
young convict who two years ago mar
ried Louisa Cruze of Alameda and who
few months after his marriage was ar
rested for bicycle stealing. He served
lease was again arrested for felony, con-
victed and sent to San Quentin. His wife
applied for a divorce while he was In jail,
but the decree was denied because the
court held that a man in prison could not
be deemed guilty of failure. to provide
A few days ago young Mrs. Malmgren
again decided to be freed from her convict
husband. She filed an amended complaint,
adding the record of his conviction for
felony. This complaint was recently
served on Malmgren and induced him TO
write the letter to Commissioner Babcock.
The little child Of the young parents Is
dead, but it was not murdered. 1t lived
twenty-five days, and during that brief
life the little one passed through some
strange experiences. After it's birth the
young mother decided to part with 1t and
a part of the record in the case is depo-
sition from Louisa Malmgren in which
she says: Having been abandoned by my
husband, he now being in the County Jail
in Alameda, and being absolutely without
or physically for any support Of my child
Louisa, do hereby authorize DIR. E. Funke
of 1416 Eighth street, Alameda, for the best
of her judgment, to provide temporary
home in some respectable family who in
the judgment of Dr.. Fsdnke will take good
care of my child for a period of six
months or until my health and means
will allow my. taking the child myself"
The conyict's child did not live for six
months. Dr. Funke found home for it
in a family where value is placed on lit
tie children and before 1t had been with
its foster parents couple of weeks
Louisa's father might make trouble when
he came out. of jail and the little infant
was returned.
3 The next record is that in the health Of
flee in San Francisco from which 1t APP
pears that on July 20. 1897, an infant
known to the world as May Smith. but
who in reality is said TO be Louisa Malm-
gren, died at st. Joseph's Shelter in San
Francisco from pneumonia, after being
attended by DR.. Mclaughlin.
Attorney Clarity, who represents Mrs
Malmgren. said the record Of the death of
the child is quite straight and that the
complaint merely recites the facts that
the issue of the marriage was one child
now dead. He says he will inform Malm-
gren of the details of the little girls life
and death.