The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-26
STOLE his BOY TO SAVE HIN.
FESTETICS HAD An ORDER FROM
JUSTICE MADDOX.
Lawyer Failed TO Record Paper. So Inc
Father Was Arrested Yesterday on
kidnapping Charge-WIfe a Christian
scientist Child Has serious NaIadS

Father Was Arrested Yesterday on
kidnapping Charge-WIfe a Christian
scientist Child Has serious MaIady.
Ciyula de Festetics, whose marital troubles
nave already been aired in the police courts
a number Of times, was arrested late yea
terday afternoon at the Hotel Imperial
by Detective Sergednts Fogarty and Carey
on a warrant issued four months ago. which
charges him with kidnapping his own son.
F~eStetics was AZ once arraigned before
Magistrate Wshle, in the West Side police
court, and paroled for A hearing in custody
of his counsel, Moses Grossman.
Mr.. Festetics's present difficulty dates
back to May %, when he took the boy
from his mother, in whose custody he was
placed by order Of Justice Dugro Of the
Supreme Court, in May, 1902, when Fes-
te'ics was suing for a divorce. The order
was madv o. aLco n Of tho tender age Of
the child, who was then but 5 years oil.
The father, however, had permission to
visit the boy. whose name Is Arthur, as
often as he desired. On April II, 1905.
Justice Maddox granted the custody OF
the boy TO Festetics, who had begun an
action before him 10 hat end,
On Nay 20, Festetics. ~supposinR he
was legally entitled TO the child, took him
away from the mother, Elsie Feetetics, and
carried him to a small town up State, where
be ms since kept him. Some time later,
however, Fcstetics discovered that the
LAWYER VINO represented him had never
t.en admitted TO the bar. though he had
pr1ctised for Fifteen years, and that he
bad failed to file the decision. This techni-
cali'v caused Festetics to lose the legal
custody nf the boy, and when his wife
learned of the situation she sWore out the
warrant charging her husband with kid
mapping II was not until yesterday that
the Central Office men were able to Law
their hands On FpStctics, though they have
trailCd him through many parts OF the
State.
Underneath all this lies the fact that
FeStetics's wife and daughter are Christian
Scientists and refused to ALLOW the son
Arthur to receive medical treatment for
hRmOphlia. feStPtics il devoted to the
boy, 1t is alleged that while the child was
in the custody of his mother the disease
became Virulent. II ~ characterized by
hemorrha ges and swelling of the joints.
Mrs. FesteriCs, her husband says. refused
10 have a physician attend the child, al
though Eestetics sent 10 the house for that
purpose the best experts that could bp
found. Among them we're DR.. Plympton
Of the Orthopedic Hospital and DR.. j. Swim
huTne Hopkins of So West ~Eighty-fOtlrth
street. The mother, Festetics alleges, al
ways drove them from the house. Finally
Dr.. Hopkins told Festetics hat his son
could live not more than four weeks longer
n proper medical attention were not given
him. II was then that Festetics took the
child away under the guise of giving IL "A
cab ride, The mother has never seen the
boy since.
Festetics said in the police court yester-
day that in the four years during which
the child was in its mothers custody il
gained IN weigh only nine pounds. and
that during the six months since he took
him away the boy had gained ten pounds.
Though onlv a frail and dwarted child,
ne said, the boys knee was swollen to the
Hlze of q grown persons at the time he
took the boy away from the mother.
Festetics gave his occupation as n manu-
facturer OF gold bronze and silver art OBJ
iccts. He says he has a sufficient income
10 provide every necessity for his child,
and that his action was taken wholly to
rave the life Of the child, who he hopes will
OUT grow the disease and become a healthy
man, The child is now, he says !, receiving
excellent care in an upstate village.
F~esteticS diSClaimed any right to Use
the title Count. which ~ sometimes applied
10 him. He said he belonged TO a noble
Hungarian family. but that he came TO
AMERICA forty years ago and became an
american cifizen years before his elder
lrorInr. the holder Of the title, died. He
said he had never assumed the title, ana
the fact oF his noble birth would have been
forgotten %"ntirelv had il not been for his
wife. who insisted upon calling herself the
Countess do FesteticS. To be a good Ameri-
can citizen, FestetiCS said, was his sole
Pn1HIrion.
got all of the Counts" troubles have
Ipen on account of his on. On September
u, 1871. his wife had him arrested on a
charge Of assault. While he was awaiting
"N7miratiou he signed separation papers
m the court room. agreeing to give her $2S
= week. On March II. 1902, his wife again
caused his arres', alleging that he did not
support her al he had agreed.
E%ostctics refused yesterday TO give his
IRE -ont address. as il might imperil the
safety Of his child, he said. The police say
ths; for "A time he was at a farm house five
miles from M~iddletown, Conn. Mrs. Fes-
street. The couple were married in 1875.