Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-20
Fred Gibson Deserts
In. Serious Trouble
Icrt The Navy, Now Federal Pris'
0ncr--Thinks He May BE Shot.
COULDN'T ENDURE JAR
OF THE BIG GUNS.
tlc's A Fine FcllOw--Ericnds Work.
inT For His Release--Sam Bovine
Doing His Bit.

The neighbors and friends of Mr..
and Mrs. J. L. Chilcote, northwest of
CQtralia, are doing all possible tow
ard having leniency extended by the
Army Board to Freddie Gibson, the
orphan boy. 1S years old. who lived
with Mr.. and Mrs. Chilcote and who
deserted the Navy in August and was
arrested at the farm recently and ta-
ken to the Great Lakes Training Sta
ton. Petitions are being circulated
over that section to show what. the
people who kow think of the boy and
money will be made up to hire legal
help.
Sam ]. Bovine, Jr., who accompani-
ed the boy to the Illinois Station, ask
the officer in charge what he could
do in extending help and help keep
in touch with him, so the folks here
would know what the New York
Court Martial Board did did with
Gibson. Mr.. Bovine was informed
that only the father and> mother
would receive answers to letters sent
in his behalf. Mr.. Bovine told the Of
ficer that the boy had no relatives
that he knew of and asked if a guar
dian would be enabled to carry on
the work. He was told that guar
dian would have all the advantages
parent would have, and so when he
arrived home Mr.. Bovine immediate
ly took up the matter with the Au-
drain County Court and he was ap-
pointed to the guardianship of Glib
son.
Mr.. Bovine tells The Message that
while in Chicago he got in touch with
a wealthy woman who is spending her
time and money helping the boys in
the army and navy, and she is trying
to have the case of young Gibson
come up in Chicago instead of New
York.
Freddie Gibson came to Centralia
eight years ago with several orphan
boys and girls and found home with
Mr.. and Mrs. Chilcote. These good
people, as The Centralia Guard ex-
presses it, kept him and raised him
but never legally adopted him. He
proved to be a most lovable and obe-
dient child and had good breeding
and religious training, which he al
ways maintained, together with strict
honesty in all matters.
Gibson became interested in the
navy from advertisements, which fir
ed up his zeal, and he volunteered
against the advice of his friends. He
told S. j. Bovine that the situation
was all. so different, and he felt
he could not live under the discipline
when the great cannon on the Ari-
zona-his ship-were fired the roar
and the concussion would almost kill
him. He was knocked down by the
shocks more than once. He said he
finally came to the conclusion that he
wanted to go home. He felt that II
he could 60 back to the farm an6
stay two weeks with pap aand ma
ma" they could come and get hin
and shoot him, as he expects to b'
shot.
He deserted from the Arizona a.
New York harbor and came home. HI
had just two weeks with his fostel
parents when he was arrested. HI
was told of the the letter the Fedora
authorities had written to Mr.. Chill
cote, and he told them to write ant
tell the officers to come and get him
as he did not want to get his onl.
friends in trouble.
On the trip to Chicago the younI
man was left on his honor while hi
guard stole a few hours of sleep II
another coach. Gibson made no ef
fort to get away altho he had dozen
of chances. He was ready to accom-
pany Bovine from the Chicago sto
to the station up the lake.
Mr.. Bovine says the government
authorities were amazed when h
told how the boy had come with hiI
willingly, how he had not put tn
irons on him nor restrained him l
any way except to tell him that he ca
pected him to go with him and trea
him as he would want to be treate
IL their positions were reversed. Nj
Concluded on page 81