The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-01-17
Confessed Culprit Who Was Caught
RObbing Hardware Store is
Sentenced to the State
Penitentiary
TELLS STORY or HIS
LIFE TO REPORTER
Had Drunken Father Who Deserted
FamiIy---Left to Shift for Him
self Oh Death Of His
Mother

Ottie Idlett, the is.year-oId boy
caught in the act Of robbing Buie &
WalIaces hardware store Thursday
morning at 1890 entered a plea Of
guilty yesterday afternoon before
Judge Frank N. Bailey and received a
sentence Of five years In the peniten-
tiary at McAlester The length Of the
sentence came AZ a surprise to the
court house officials. who were Of the
impression lhat the sentence would be
lighter
Idlett told the same story to the
Judge that he had previously related
20 the officers ia regard to how he
came to chickasha and from where
That the story impressed Judge Bailey
was evidenced by his assertion thar he
believed the boy was telling the truth.
He, however said to Idlett, you inn
press me as a boy who knows and who
has had considerable experience in the
way Of the world Idlett maintained
to the last that the Chickasha robbery
was his first osiense. but offered no
remonstraAee when the sentence was
imposed
Idlett talked yesterday evening to
an Express reporter. giving an entire
history Of his life a story OF boy
fighting an uphill battle since baby
hood. a boy with a drunkard for a
father who abandoned wife and boy
years aeo. leaving them TO fight life's
battles. unprotected and alone
He was born, he said in Navarro
county. Texas His father was work.
man In brickyard. learning eventual.
II the brieklayer's trade He dld not
know his mothers maiden neE.s. but
said she was born. raised and merried
in Texas. When he was a mere baby
the family moved to Trinidad, Colo
where his father worked for several
years al the bricklayer's trade. The
boy entered school and pursued his
Studies unlii he bad reached the fourth
grade. AZ which time. family trouble
caused by the drunkenness Of the
fatIer, eliminated IN the elder ldletl
abandoning wife and child He said
they never heard from bis after his
departure and he does NOT know
whether 81 nei his father IS living 70
day.
Left alone With her eightyear-old
child, the mother obtained work al
chambermaid in a hotel, which oeea
patton she pursued until her death
three years ago After the boy quit
school and. according to the best in
formation that could be drawn from
him. followed no particular occupation
until after the death cf his mother
The two kept house in preference 4
living at the hotel and the boy stated
yesterday that after her death he knew
not what became Of their belongings
He has only q ring 10 keep as re
membranee Of his mother
After lie death Of his mother, thl
boy left Trinidad and returned q
Texas without as Tar as he knew.
living relative. lie states that 70
more than Two years ne worked d
whatever eame- to hand. which wa
mostly farm work, and his hands
which are large ana calloused civ
mute evidence Of the fact that the bo
has worked hard.
On June $ the Youlg man returne
TO Trinidad where he says he was en-
ployed By the M. J Clark tent shows
with which aggregation he travele
for about month"; leaving them al
point in Colorado, from where he wen
to Wichita Falls. Taxas Finding II
work be pushed on to Denison, wher
he secured employment on the farl
Of less Knight three miles northWes
OF Denison. in whose employ he r.
manned for three weeks. After leayln
Knights employ, Edlest says he wen
to Fort Worth, where he spent som
time looking for work and finding non
and decided to 90 to Oklahoma CIT
Landing there he says ehe traInpe
from place to place looking for Woi
and finally landed d job as dishEas