The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-17
NOT LIKE
SOLOMON
Mrs. Shields Would Not Take
That Much Responsibility.
BUT KEEPS THE CHILD
Five Year Old Girl Wanted by
Both Father and Mother.
BUT KEEPS THE CHILD

'I will not be like that all-wise judge,
Solomon, with you and this child. When
there was a controversy between two
I people over the possession of a child the
great wiseman threatened to cut the child
in two and give each contestant half. I
will not do this in this case. AS you two
cannot agree in this matter. I will take
the child myself and keep it until the
court has time TO pass upon the matter. ;"
said Ella Glenn Shields 10 Mr.. and Mrs.
William Epdicott. yesterday morning.
Mrs. Endicott has sued her husband
for divorce and she asks for the custody
of their fve-year-old girl. The father of
the child also wants his baby and his
asking for the possession of the child
and the aid Of Mrs Shields caused the
statement of the police matron given
above.
Mr.. and Mrs. Endicott have separated,
but the mother kept possession of their
little girl. The father wanted it and he
asked the police matron to get his daugh-
ter for him. Mrs. Shields went TO their
former home and brought the woman
and child and friend 10 her Office. She
had heard the mans side of the case
and he was present when the wife and
mother arrived. AS Mrs. Shields ex-
pressed it, ''she talked to the family and
friend collectively and singly." She
talked to the whole crowd and then
would take the father and husband into
her private Office and talk to him. Then
the wife and mother was brought in and
finally the little girl. Both the father
and mother and the friend wanted to
talk at once and tell their side of the
case, but the genial police matron told
them that their stories did not interest
her and she did not have time to bother
with it, as the district court was the
proper place to air their troubles and
the judge was paid and had time to listen
to them.
When the little girl was taken into the
room she told Mrs. Shields frankly that
she would rather stay with papa" and
then Mrs. Shields walked and told them
that as she had no authority to settle
their case and as neither would concede
to the other at any point, she would
not cut the child in two and give each
half, but would take the child and place
it in good home until the court had
decided which one was TO have the Gus
tody of the girl.
She told them that neither could see
the child until after the court had given
its decision. She would keep the address
secret and would not allow either to see
the child under any conditions. This was
satisfactory to both father and mother.
but squabble was precipitated when it
come TO which one was to pay for the
child's keeping, which was IN Mrs
Shields custody. The police matron ex-
pected Of course, that the father would
pay the boardbill, but the mother imme-
diately spoke up and said she would pay
it. There was considerable talk between
the two about who was better able to
pay and finally Mrs. Shields told the
woman to go home and let her husband
pay for the keeping of the child The
woman did not like this very well, but !
she finally consented and left the ONCE !
feeling better and each determined TO OBJ
tain the possession of the child in the
end. Mrs. Shield wrote note to the /
Of each party saying that she /
had the girl in her possession and ex-
planned the circumstances fl