Guardianship of Deisen

This is an application by C. B. Holbrook,' secretary of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, for letters of guardianship of the persons of Ivey Deisen and Katie Deisen, minors. One Hadj Tahar appeared by 'James H. Creely, his attorney, at the hearing of the petition for letters, and objected to the granting of the same on the ground that the said minors were residents of the county of Alameda, and that therefore the superior court of the city and county of San Francisco had no jurisdiction in the premises.

From the evidence adduced at the hearing the following facts were established: The minors are Arabians, born in Palestine, and are aged eight and ten years, respectively; their father is deceased, and their mother is an Arabian by birth and is now a resident of Australia. Hadj Tahar Ben Mahommed is an Arabian sheik, the leader of a troupe of Arabian acrobatic performers connected and traveling with a circus company, and claims the right to the control and custody of the minors by virtue of an agreement with their mother, under which agreement the minors were brought from Australia to San Francisco in company with the circus troupe for the purpose of exhibiting…