Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-25
SIX MCDONNELL,
CHILDREN HAVE
Home AT LAST
Little Waits Begin New and
Happier Life at Chill
dren's Home.

i. rafgo, n. D., March 25.-Thoughts
OF the dark days in the little old
house of miseries," one and one-half
miles northeast of the village OF
i,ourtenay, are becoming a thing OF
che past in the minds of the little Nc
Donnell child zen. until now their past
Zimmerman life seems like a blurred
film.
Things have beer happening with
30 much rapidity for the little ones
since they were brought to Fargo last
. Thursday evening from jamestown
events OF the past which were fraught
with brutality and cruelty by the par
ents, Nh. and, Mrs. Dan Mcdonnell,
held in the Stutsman county Jail at
jamestown 'on the charge of first de-
gree murder in connection with the
alleged beating and whipping to death
of their 1~2-year-old daughter, Eta,
and the possible death of a two-year-
old child. who, ill with. pneumonia.
:. was placed outside the home one cold
night n exposed to the cold for an
hour because the little ones breath
ing was too loud and noisy and kept
the father from getting his nights
sleep.
Sunday noon the five Mcdonnell
children, staying at the North Dakota
children's home, under an order from
Judge j.. A. Coffey of Jamestown,
went to Sunday school and heard
something about a wonderful Easter
to come. They became interested-as
little children do-and> ever since
DADDY" Hall has been besieged with
questions by the energetic and ambi-
tious'c children who want to know more
about the rabbit that lays the colored
egg and makes little children happy
on Easter morning. Spring has a
promise of life for them-a new life,
so different from the dark days on the
horrible farm.
In the coming Easter they are
dreaming and seeing a festival Of joy.
Already Daddy" Hall has told the
children to keep their eyes wide open
~ which may be seen capering about
the ya;ds of the children's home any
time these mornings and for them to
learn the hidden or concealed places
about the yards for it is in these
places that the bunny is very apt to
lay the colored eggs. If Daddy"
Halls prediction does not go amiss
children play is going to be strewn
with many prettily colored eggs Easter
morning. At Sunday school one of
| the teachers tried to explain to the
! little ones. that the egg on Easter
\ morning is an emblem of the resur-
4 ~rection. Although the Mcdonnell
/ children could not quite understand
it ally the teacher has promised to
make the story of 'He Has Risen
cleartr each Sunday morning until on
Easter morning they will have a full
grasps like the other children of the
Sunday school as to the Significance
of the day.
The sudden transition from life on
the farm, filled with dark days and
SADNESS, to the sunshiny surround
4 ings of the North Dakota children's
1 homt and 1t numerous playthings and
! playa9ates, has within a few days
time brought a most noticeable
preston on the faces Of the little ones
That, famished, emaciated appearance
has been lost. Today the children are
extreme happiness have brought sun.
shins into the home for the other
chillren. Even to Duncan. the
c .ippled lad in st. Johns hospital
the children have learned that there
is slch a thing as kindness in the
wond.
Every one has been good to the
Children" said Frank D. Hall, super
inttndent Of the children's home, thl:
al afternoon. 81 am afraid that it will
be necessary for me to prohibit visit
III ors from calling at the home to see
q the little children. Scores and sco-e:
of people visited the home last Friday
ana Saturday to see the little Nc
tD,nnell children. Some of them'were
Epyompted by morbid curiosity. The
children must have rest, so when thu
visitors came in such numbers Sun
Fday morning I thought best to place {
card on the door stating that no visit
ors would be allowed. 1t may b.