The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-24
THEY FO|LEO The k|OnAPER
District Attorney JeF0mes Clever
oetectNe is Baked
JOHN HAFF, 4 NEW YORKER, IS VICTIM
BUT GOTHAM OFFICER is BLUFF
ED OUT BY HAFF's FIGHT
ING ATTORNEY.
JOHN AAfF, 4 NEW YORKER, IS VICTIM
ABERDEEN, S. D., Dec. PA stor!

ABERDEEN. S. D., Dec PA story
in which warrants. counter warrants
charging child abandonment a divorce
plea, and numerous other incidents fig
ure, became public today with the ar
rival here of a party of men from
Pierre The central figure is John Half,
a New York man, who is seeking a di-
vorce With him is Sheriff D. ]. Jones
c. H. Bartlett of Sioux Falls, Haff's
attorney, and Charles D. Farley, one
of District Attorney Jerome's detec-
tives sent here to get Half and take
him back to New York, where a charge
awaits him of child abandonment. The
latter is a Hercules and is possessed
of an abundance of nerve and resource
as was shown yesterday at Pierre.
Wife Starts Suit.
The story dates back about six years,
when Haff's wife left nim. The hus-
band came to South Dakota to estab-
lish a residence and a short time ago
he began divorce proceedings at Sioux
Falls. In the meantime, Mrs. Half
learning of the suit at once began pro-
ceedings against woman, who, it is
alleged, is the cause Of all the trouble.
She charges the woman with alternating
her husbands affections and asks $685.
900 damages. 1t is reported that the
woman is wealthy and that Half, who
is worth about $1,O00,OOO intends to
marry her as soon as his divorce is
granted.
Mrs. Half wants her husband back
in New York to testify in the suit she
wOman's attorneys then dug up an old
law by which a man could be arrested
for abandoning nis child. This is a
felony in New York. so a warrant was
sworn out for Haff's arrest and re-
quest made on the governor of South
Dakota to grant the requisition.
Requisition Granted.
The papers were served at Ipswich
about ten days ago. Yesterday, all the
persons concerned went to Pierre to
learn what action the governor would
take in regard to the requisition. Doubt
was soon removed. for the requisition
was granted.
Haff's attorney. expecting the usual
twenty four hours in which to take the
matter into court would be ample for
his purpose. started to prepare papers
the activity of Jerome's detective. That
gentleman started to railroad" the
business through and do little body
snatching in the way of taking Half
out of Pierre without delay.
Then the excitement began, Bartlett,
when he found how things were going,
swore out warrants charging the de-
tective and Sheriff Jones with at
tempting kidnapping Bartlett mad to
fight hard for time, for the officials
had Half all ready to be spirited away.
A few minutes before the train started
the detective attempted to take Half
away. but his attorney pulled off his
overcoat and. pulling Half back, faced
the detective and dared him to lay a
hand on Half.
eff you touch that man." he shout
ed, "I'll knock you cold"
kidnapers Checked.
Before the matter could go further.
Sheriff Landon of Hughes county ap-
peared on the scene and read the war
rant to the detective and the Ipswich
official. The attempted kidnapping
came to a sudden termination and the
party went on to Eureka, where At
torney Bartlett will argue a motion for
an order permitting him to institute
habeas corpus proceedings in behalf of
his client, who is virtually a prison
err awaiting return to New York.