The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-10-23
.PR|CKETT BOZ
GIVEN TO UNCLE

JUDGE FREEMAN RULES GUS
TODY OF CHILD SHALL BE
AS DECREED BY FATHER.
That the Young men who have
gone to war, and the older ones, too,
for that matter, are to be protected
in the courts oi the country just as
the congress of the United States
intended they should be when it
passed the act to this end, was evi-
dcnced Yesterday evening in the dis
trct court OF Carter county when
Judge W. +. Freeman decided that
the baby boy OF a soldier Carter
County gave as some OF its quota
should be kept in the custody OF
those whom the father designated
a, its guardians, until such time as
the war should be over and sixty
days thereafter, as the law provides,
or until that many days after the
term OF the fathers enlistment shall
have expired.
1t was stirring case, although
not an unusual one. so lar as the
average domestic lie and the dl-
vorce courts are concerned, but
gathered from the appearance OF the
parties litigant the character OF the
witnesses. the charming personality
OF the chubby little thrce-year-old
boy who ran about the court room,
not knowing that perhaps, hls future
success, or failure in lie might de
pend upon the words Judge Free
man should utter at the conclusion
OF this case, one that attracted the
attention OF many lawyers not en-
gagged in the case, the county peace
officers and particularly the women
employees OF the court house offices.
Brief History of Case.
Briefly summarized. the case grew
out of this: Fred Prickett and Lilly
p. Evitts were married in Texas,
Dec. II, 1913. Their boy, Frederick
William Prickett, was born Dec. 25,
1915. and will be three years old next
December; that during this year the
father was called to the service and
was sent to Austin, Texas and later
transferred to College Station where
he Is now in a training camp; that
in August he secured a furlough and
went to Waco, to the home OF his
mother-in-law Mrs. Marie EvittS.
took his boy, with her consent, and
placed him in the home OF his broth
cr. Walter Prickett, highly paid
employe Of the Carter Oil Company
at Writ. in this county; that he
wrote his mother-in-law, two or
three letters saying she could not
again have the boy, as his wife was
pursuing a course that would not
entitle her to have the care and Gus
tody Of the child.
Kidnapped Boy Last Saturday
The last Of these letters appears
to have been received by the moth
er-in-law on Oct. y. Following this
she and the mother OF the child came
to Ardmore last Saturday. hired
service car. went to the field. found
the child in the yard at The home OF
his Uncle. Walter Prickett, caught
it up and hurried to Ardmore; that
the uncle Walter Prickett, followed,
secured a writ OF habeas corpus, got
the child and the women into the
district court room, whence they
again GOT away, carrying the child
to Overbrook and catching tram
there. were on their way to Texas
when they were caught at Mariet-
ia. taken from the train and brought
here Saturday night.
Yesterday two or three business
men of Waco appeared here in the
interest of the mother, but they did
not take the witness stand. There
was legal battle over the plead
ings with s. A. George representing
the women and James Mathers and
r. r. Sneed appearing for the uncle,
Walter Prickett, who has had the
care and custody OF the child since
its father brought il here from
Texas.
Early in the hearing, Judge Free
man announced that the lawyers
must remember that this was not
case in which the court was bound
by the sharp lines OF the law, but
that it was an equity proceeding and
that the ruling element was the voice
OF God, calling out for the protec-
ton of the child and the inherent
right of the parent; that il 1t was
shown that the father, or his repre-
sentative were not the proper per-
sons to have the care and custody
OF the child, or that the mother was
not a fit person to have charge OF
it, the case would SO be decided,