This post is the 7th in a series of posts about the life of my cousin and con man Elridge Solomon Price, Sr. You can find the other installments here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6.
At the beginning of 1944, Elridge is 50 years old. Things start out quiet that year, but he still has tax problems.
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, Saturday, May 06, 1944, Page 11 |
Because this sale was never mentioned in the newspaper again, I do not know if it actually went through. Elridge seemed to have some miracles stuck up his sleeve, so maybe he managed to pay the taxes before the sale was completed. Again, I do not know.
Then in December, it is "here we go again." Edith filed for divorce... for the third time.
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Wednesday, December 13, 1944, Page 11 |
"Eldridge Price
Defendant In
Divorce Suit
Divorce Suit
Ten minutes after a jury in coun-
ty court had found him sane, Eld-
ridge S. Price, oil man of Austin,
was named defendant in a divorce
and injunction suit filed in 53rd
district court by his wife, Mrs.
Edith W. Price, and Wednesday
had been restrained by Judge J.
Harris Gardner from interfering
and annoying his wife and their
two children, Jeamisean Edith
Price, nine-year-old daughter, and
Sterling W. Price, 15-year-old son.
Also named defendants in the
injunction phase of the suit were
L. Novy of Austin and Mrs. Jane
Weller Hill of San Antonio, whom
the plaintiff asserted are holding
part of the couple's business prop-
erty in trust for them and also were
placed under a restraining order
against disposing of any part of
this property.
Price was acquitted by a jury in
the county court late Tuesday aft-
ernoon on a lunacy complaint filed
in that court on Dec. 7 by Mrs.
Edith Wynn Price. The acquittal
came after extended testimony.
Judge Gardner set down for
hearing the application for injunc-
tion on Friday at 9 a. m. Pending
that time the restraining order
signed by the court will be in ef-
fect.
In her petition for divorce, Mrs.
Price alleged cruel treatment. She
seeks monthly support of $100 for
the two children until they reach
the age of 16.
The petition recited the couple
were married in Jackson, Miss.,
Feb. 19, 1917, and that they lived
together intermittently as husband
and wife until Dec. 5, 1944. During
their marriage, the petition further
set out, Mr. and Mrs. Price ac-
quired certain real estate, leases,
stocks, bonds, oil field equipment
and supplies, automobiles and nu-
merous other items of property,
part of which is located in Runnels
county and in other counties of
Texas; a home at 1508 Enfield road
which Mrs. Price said is reasonably
worth $15,000, and furnishings in
that home reasonably worth $5,000.
Petitioner gave the value of prop-
erty other than the home at $100,-
000.
In her petition, Mrs. Price seeks
to require her husband to file un-
der oath an inventory and appraise-
ment of all property, real and per-
sonal, and asks the court to enter
an order partitioning the property
between her and her husband."
- Transcription by Google Gemini
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Thursday, December 14, 1944, Page 14 |
The hearing was continued.
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, Thursday, December 21, 1944, Page 6 |
A decision was announced in the newspaper on February 4:
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, Sunday, February 04, 1945, Page 4 |
While I am trying to keep my personal opinion out of this, I am amazed that any court in the land at that time would award Elridge custody of a child. Even without knowing what was coming next, it is unbelievable.
In March, we find out that Elridge is in trouble with the courts again.
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Friday, March 16, 1945, Page 2 |
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Thursday, March 22, 1945, Page 8 |
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Friday, March 23, 1945, Page 18 |
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Monday, March 26, 1945, Page 2 |
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| Newspapers.com, The Ponca City News, Ponca City, Oklahoma, Tuesday, March 27, 1945, Page 1 |
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Tuesday, March 27, 1945, Page 2 |
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| Newspapers.com, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, April 02, 1945, Page 1 |
So when Elridge is pulled out of a hotel room in Fort Worth and taken to jail, where is his son, Sterling?
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| Newspapers.com, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas, Tuesday, April 03, 1945, Page 2 |
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, Wednesday, April 11, 1945, Page 14 |
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, Wednesday, April 25, 1945, Page 14 |
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Thursday, April 26, 1945, Page 2 |
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| Newspapers.com, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, April 02, 1945, Page 1 |
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, Saturday, April 28, 1945, Page 1 |
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| Newspapers.com, The Waco Times-Herald, Waco, Texas, Saturday, April 28, 1945, Page 1 |
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| Newspapers.com, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, Monday, April 30, 1945, Page 2 |
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| Newspapers.com, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, Tuesday, May 01, 1945, Page 2 |
Elridge has unlimited "tricks" up his sleeve, apparently.
Well, this concludes years 1944-1946 in the ongoing saga that was Elridge Solomon Price Sr.'s life. I must stop here because 1947 was a doozy of a year, and this part is long enough. Until next time...
