Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1917 — FIGHTING FOR THE POSSESSION OF CHILD [ARTICLE]

FIGHTING FOR THE POSSESSION OF CHILD

Oscar Leech, Former Rensselaer Boy, Seeks to Gaiii Possession of —; Child By Mother. Oscar Leech, son of Alex. Leech, now deceased, formerly of this city, nas gotten into the limelight through an escapade at Brook recently. Oscar was a resident of this city until two or three years ago, when he went to Brook aiid opened a dry cleaning and pressing shop. Later he went to Detroit and traveled for a jewelry firm. While a resident of Brook he was united in marriage to Mrs. Mai Whitmeyer, who later secured a divorce from him at Valparaiso. They had one child, which is at present in the possession* of the mother, who is living at Brook, which is the cause of the present trouble. The following account is taken from the Valparaiso Vidette of February 1: “On January 24th Oscar Leech, her former husband, accompanied by the town marshal of Brook, appeared at the home of her parents, Mr. and

Mrs. Rufus Whitmeyer, Mrs. Mae Leech ‘cojnplains in an affidavit filed in the circuit court, and threatened to carry away Jack Robert Leech, little son of herself and Leech, by authority of an order from Judge Loring of the circuit court. Mrs. Leech, by hqr present action, hopes to keep the child in the care of the Whitmeyers, who give him the best of care, she claims. Williams & Dean, of Rensselaer, are Mrs. Leech’s attorneys. “ZL ' “Oscar Leech and iMai Leech were divorced here and the father Was given the custody of the boy. Mrs. Leech now claims that the order was granted in her absence and when she had received no notice of the time set for the hearing. She alleges that Leech is not competent to look after the child, and seeks a reversal of the order. The fact that Jack Robert Leech was under a doctor’s care when the father appeared on the scene with the Brook marshal prevented the force of the court order. Another date is named for the delivery of the child, and the grandparents and the mother, before then, will make desperate efforts and reopen the suit and defeat the father’s purpose.”