The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-07-22
HUMAN INTEREST
STORY OF Child
SOUTH DAKOTA SUPREME COURT
HOLDS HER HAPPINESS

Sioux Falls, July 22.-With the
five august judges of the supreme
court of the state of South Dakota
lies the future happiness and well
fare of little child, child whose
tender heart nurtured to love the
beautiful in life and to see good in
all things, is torn by conflicting emo
tions.
For. on Thursday, at Pierre, the
court heard arguments in one of
those delicate cases where the law
is called upon TO decide whether the
dictates of the heart are compatible
some of it's homelier phases is laid
bare to the cynosure of all eyes and
the innocence of childhood in all its
trust is put to the acid test that the
world requires.
Six years ago last May, Caroline
Egge Haglund, wife of John Hag-
lund, claimholder of Watkins,
Mont, closed her eyes in her last
sleep at the little home of Haglund's
parents at Medina, N. ID. Just 13I
days before the mother had given
birth to a baby girl whose lips she
was destined TO feel but so brief a
time. On her death bed, she made
the request that her mother, Mrs.
Karre Egge. 1119 East Sixth strect,
this city, should have the rearing OF
the babe the young mother left be-
hind. The father was out on his
claim, had never seen the child and
was not present to bid his wife good
bye on her last journey, so Mrs. Egge,
who had been summoned by her
daughters illness, brought the re-
mains here and buried them in the
county where the girl was born and
raised, and with her also came the
little Luella. No whisper of estrange-
ment between the father and the
dead woman had been heard; he was
just absent on his claim, and Mrs.
Egge regarded her trust as something
| akin to sacred
Time passed. The baby, given
every care that willing hands and
loving hearts could provide, grew
and thrived. All her expenses were
paid by her foster parents, grand
mother, uncles and aunts. who Law
ished upon the child a wealth of af-
fection and developed in her a sweet
and trustful nature. She heard from
her father-Papa John she called
him-was taught to revere and re-
spect him and all went well.
But there came day when the
\ father desired the child to make his
i prairie home her own. He asked and
was refused. The baby did not even
know him. She had learned to love
J those around her and separation from
them brought fear from which she
! writhed and turned. Perhaps Hag-
lund, too, felt the need of those baby
hands and longed for the caress that
only his child could give, and urged
on by the impulse of desire, he sought
the aid of the court.
All these facts developed in the
trial. Judge J. w. Jones, after hear,
ing the case, decided that it was fol
the best interests of little Luella to
remain with her grandmother and
other relatives. The father persisted
and appealed to the supreme court
That body reversed Judge Jones and
ordered the case back to the circus
court, instructing ii to file q judg
ment giving the child to the father.
Since then Luella has lived in 4
world of uncertainty. Her love fol
those who had cared for her alway.
knew no bounds. Her father was 8
stranger and had done nothing fol
the child. There were bitter thought!
at leaving the Minnehaha count,
home where the Egges have been re
spected residents for over 40 years
But the case was not over. TIL
father lives SO miles from the rail
/, road, in sod house and near n,
school house.
The Egges appealed to the suprem
court for rehearing which was de-
MED June "a last.
Next the attorneys for Mrs. Egg
and her children appealed from tn
judgment OF the supreme court t
the' ground that II conflicted wit
the original findings Of Judge Jone
! and the other side promptly moves
g to dismiss this appeal, on which poin
v the supreme court will decide tn
Il case on briefs, each side having no,
2 10 days In which to submit them b<