The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-08
LITTLE BOY WORKED IN bOGS
Mrs. Wadde|| Gets Her Young Son
Back From ireland
FATHER SENT HIN TO ERIk'S ISLE
HAPPY FAMILY ONCE MORE RE.
UNITED AFTER THREE DE-
GREEs ARE GIVEN.
FATHER SENT HIM TO ERIk's ISLE

SEATTLE Mch. S.-After having
been the subject of long continued
controversy as to his possession, and
after more than years residence with
an uncle in Ireland, where, according
to his own story, he was denied the
privilege of schooling and was COM
PEELED to work in the peat boys digging
fuel, Harry Thomas Burke, the p
year old son of Mrs. A. ]. Waddell, of
this city, formerly Mrs Cornelius
Burke. arrived in Seattle Sunday night
with his brother, William c. Burke,
to his mother.
His return concludes, temporarily at
least. a long drawn out and bitter
| struggle for the possession of three
| happy. The three children in question
are William c. Burke, age 10, Kath-
crime Burke, age 16; and Harry ThOs
Burke, age II. Three years ago Mrs
/ Burke obtained a divorce from her
| husband and was given the custody
of her three children. In March, 1905
Burke got a subsequent decree giving
| him the possession of the children. He
| Immediately took the youngest boy.
Harry, to Nevada, and subsequently
! sent him to Ireland, where he was put
into the keeping of a brother, Dick
Burke, a farmer residing at LOugh-
; more in Tipperary. Mrs. Waddell
states that the boy was sent there so
that she could not obtain possession OF
him. Rather than submit to the father
the other son, William, ran away. go
ing to Mexico, thence to Panama,
where he worked for time on the ca
nal and returned only a few months
ago after his mother had received an
| other order from the court again giving
| her the children. Katherine was, ac-
! cOrdng to the second decision
| of the court. placed in the Holy Name
! convent but as the father lately re-
| fused to pay her expenses she left and
| has since been living with her mother
| and step-father, Albert Waddell, a
we'll known real estate broker
Mother Gets Later Decree.
In January, Mrs. Waddell obtained
an order from the court giving her
| the children, and having learned that
| her son was in Ireland, dispatched her
son, William to seek the boy and bring
| him back to this country. william
Burke, although only 10 years old. left
! Seattle late in January and arrived
| in Ireland about the middle of Febru-
airy. He states that he had no dlff-
Guilty in finding his uncle's home, and
stayed with him for two or three days.
According to his story as told yester-
day, the two boys took a walk one al
ternoon and did not return. Fearing
detection and arrest if they kept to the
roads, they made their way across the
fields. through swamps, along hedges,
and bitches to a railway station some
miles distant. Thence they proceeded
to Queenstown, where they had to wait
two days for the boat to sail. Fearing
that they might be apprehended, they
went to the United States consul, and
showing him the court orders anc
proving their identity, were informed
that the authorities could not prevent
them from leaving, although they
might be somewhat annoyed. Had the
boat not left Queenstown on Sunday
William Burke stated that they would
have been prevented from leaving.
l!ncIe Notifes Father,
Meanwhile Dick Burke the uncle
cabed the boys father, in Utah that
some one had kidnapped Harry, ana
that they were going to New YORK OH
the Etruria When the boat landed,
the father, with several detectives
came aboard, showing clippings from
Seattle papers and court orders giving
him the boys, and demanded his young
son. The immigration officials, now
ever. knowing that the fathers decree
had been superseded by another, re-
fused to give up the boy. By passing
through Ellis island, the two eVaueu
their father, and taking train week
ago Sunday night, arrived In Seatue
last Sunday night.
Harry stated yesterday that MS
uncle had told him that his mother was
dead He says he was allowed TO write
only such letters as were dictated. ne
said he had made up his mind some
time ago that he would run away DIS
soon as he was old enough. The year
and half of residence in Ireland mas
given the lad a pronounced accent.
Mrs. Waddell stated that she is ahA
ious to give the children thorough eo-
cation, which she has heretofore peeh
unable to do. owing to constant anu
conflicting litigation.