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| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, October 8, 1924 |
Happily-ever-after
began in earnest for the Maurice Harrisons on October 4, 1924 in the
unlikeliest locale for two young Inksterites in love. Except that they
were Chillicothians (or whatever you call Missourians from the town of
Chillicothe) then and none of the travails of married life had yet to
present themselves to the couple. Three years, four kidnappings (three
spousal, one child abduction), numerous fines and charges of alcohol
possession and disturbing the peace, several moves across the
geographical region, a pending divorce, a banishment for one and more
drama than two sleepy towns in the Midwest can sustain between said
marriage and a felony warrant for the arrest of Maurice Harrison,
shattered any illusions of supposed marital bliss.
 |
| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, June 9, 1928 |
Apparently,
Maurice Harrison liked to unwind with a little alcohol. He also unfurled
whatever had gotten into him in the form of distemper onto Mrs.
Harrison. Insults, maltreatment, non-support and violence were inflicted
upon the former Hazel Middaugh by her husband, so said she. She filed
for divorce in 1927. He retaliated by first kidnapping their young
daughter Charlene June and then later Hazel herself. Three times in
total for the latter in a span of a couple of years.
 |
| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, September 12, 1927 |
After a
move (or two) to Inkster, presumably motivated by Maurice's banishment
from Chillicothe for multiple charges of possession of liquor in March
of 1929, the couple's fortunes didn't improve.
 |
| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, March 16, 1929 |
By May of that same year
Hazel was back in Chillicothe. Maurice wouldn't stand for her desertion.
Leaving his job at the Ford Motor Co. plant in Dearborn and with the
baby in tow he headed back to Missouri. After securing the help of some
friends he found his wife in Chillicothe strolling down the street with
her sister, who the former was staying with. The men in the car used the
baby to bait Hazel to the car and either abducted or enticed her into
the automobile.
 |
| The Lathrop Optimist, May 29, 1930 |
A four state manhunt began and ended with
Maurice and his accomplice Johnny Mason, apparently a brother-in-law,
being detained in Inkster on a fugitive warrant.
 |
| Detroit Free Press, May 25, 1930 |
Hazel, despite
previously having stated that she was abducted changed her tune and
decided to stay with her husband and family in Michigan.
 |
| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, February 19, 1931 |
Their
rocky road evened out and a year later Maurice Jr. was born. They even
made amends with the family back in Chillicothe as newspaper clippings
attest to a visit by the entire family to their home town.
 |
| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, April 11, 1940 |
Minor
misfortune seems to have found them in the form of a car accident in
1940 where Maurice fractured both legs after being struck on a Detroit
street while walking. But they seemingly prospered as a notice in "The
Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune", December 30, 1942 looking for
domestic help would attest to.
 |
| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, October 29, 1936 |
The family back home in Missouri
had their own scares. Maurice's father Fred went missing in October of
1936 but apparently nothing tragic happened despite Fred's checkered
past (that's yeoman's research work for a genealogist). Apparently,
Maurice had followed a little too closely in his father's path. That
road eventually led him to Inkster and a reformation in his life that
took a little coaxing to come to fruition.
 |
| The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, December 30, 1942 |
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