A Custody Dispute Turns Into a Near-Brawl
When two children disappear during a divorce proceeding, a hired detective and a father find themselves on the edge of violence.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The disappearance of the two children of Mr. and Mrs. H. Baldie nearly caused a secondary affair late yesterday afternoon. Detective Joy, who is employed by the Northwest Detective agency, was accosted by one Potts, who is alleged to be in the employ of Baldie, and threatened with bodily harm if he did not produce the children. Detective Joy called the bluff and Potts backed water. Later, Joy reported the affair to W. W. Wingard, manager of the Northwest Detective agency, and together they called on Potts to find out where he was at. By that time all desire for blood had left him, however, and he easily satisfied the callers that he didn't want anything, especially when he didn't have the advantage over the other fellow. Anticipating that the suit would be thrown out of court, friends of Mrs. Baldie took the children in charge for fear that Baldie would get away with them before the order of the court should be given. Mrs. Baldie's attorney has assured the court that the children are in safe keeping and that they will be produced when they are called for by the court.
“By that time all desire for blood had left him, however, and he easily satisfied the callers that he didn't want anything.”
Child custody disputes were often high-stakes, extra-legal affairs in early 20th-century Tacoma, where private detectives acted as agents for parents. Today, family law remains deeply contentious, though we have moved from private muscle-men toward court-mandated mediation.
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