The Stephens House was the scene of their marriage on April 25, 1917, and quite possibly the birthplace of their son, Robert E. Messer, six months later --- on Oct. 15, 1917.
Less than two months later, on the 13th of December 1917, Glenn enlisted in the U.S. Army Aviation Corps, then forming at Omaha, and was gone.
The initial post in the series, "A daring young man & his flying machines," is here.
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Early in 1918, Glenn --- now Lt. Messer --- was dispatched to England where he both trained British pilots and flew with them on missions over France until the war ended during November of 1918. It appears that he returned to the United States during early 1919 but continued his role as a training pilot in Texas and elsewhere during the first six months of that year.
The Chariton Leader of July 24, 1919, reported his return to Chariton: "Lieut. Glenn Messer returned home Thursday, after a year in France with the Aviation corps. He expects to be discharged from the service within a short time."
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Glenn and Goldie resumed their married life --- producing a second child, Sarah Louise Messer, born at Chariton on Nov. 25, 1920 --- but any hope Goldie may have had for a settled life had dissipated by that time. Glenn was determined to forge a career as a stunt pilot and had relocated himself to Fort Madison in order to do that, leaving his family behind.
The same Dec. 2 edition of The Leader that announced little Sarah Louise's birth also contained a front-page story headlined, "Messer in Stunt Role: Former Charitonian in Hair-Raising Airplane Feats for Movies":
G.E. Messer and "Bud" Bridges, aviators of the Ft. Madison Aero club, have gone to Chicago, where they are to make a series of flights over Grant park for the Pathe moving picture company for scenes in connection with a new serial which the company is putting out.
Among the stunts which the fliers will put on without the aid of safety appliances will be a leap from one plane to another, acrobatic work on the wings, standing on head on tail of plane, hanging by teeth from wing skid and undercarriage by Messer while Bridges performs on a trapeze attached to the legs of Messer and a handspring on the top of the wing of the plane.
Another feature will be a 25-foot drop from the plane at the end of a rope tied to his leg, made by Messer.
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During the weeks that Glenn had been finding consolation in aerial acrobatics, Goldie had found consolation in the Lucas County court system --- filing suit against him for desertion. The outcome of the resulting trail was published as follows in The Chariton Leader of Nov. 11, 1920:
The jury in the case of the State of Iowa vs. Glenn Messer, who was charged with wife desertion, returned a verdict Wednesday morning finding Messer guilty as charged. Judgment will be passed next Tuesday. Messer has until that time to file a motion for a new trial.
Messer was indicted in August for deserting his wife and child. At the time he was located he was at Ft. Madison where he was making an effort to promote an aerial corporation, we understand. Our readers will remember mention being made of his return to Chariton in an automobile, driven by himself and accompanied by the deputy sheriff of Lee county. At that time he furnished bond for his appearance at the trial and returned to Ft. Madison. When the October term of court opened he again came to Chariton, this time in an airplane.
Messer was married April 25, 1917, to a Miss Stephens, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Stephens, formerly of this city but who now reside in Whitebreast township. He later entered the army and spent about 16 months in the aerial service. The desertion is said to have taken place last June.
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A week later, after his lawyer had tried every trick he knew to shield him from the financial claims of his family, Glenn finally agreed --- under threat of imprisonment --- to pay up. Here's how The Leader reported the settlement on Nov. 18:
Glenn E. Messer, convicted last week in the District Court of the crime of wife and child desertion, has finally decided to endeavor to provide for his family. Tuesday Messer was in court and after his attorney had sought by several motions to protect his client and which were in turn overruled by Judge Vermilion, the court began to pass sentence on the defendant. In his comments Judge Vermilion intimated that the sentence would be a year in the reformatory at Anamosa, but that if Messer would give bond for the support of his wife and child, judgment would be withheld. At this time Messer decided that it was better to support his wife than be supported by the state in a penal institution. As a result of negotiations, Messer give a bond yesterday signed by his father in the amount of $1,000, the condition of the bond being that he pay his wife $75 December 15, 1920, and $50 on the fifteenth day of each succeeding month. Finally judgment in the case was continued as long as he fulfills the conditions of the bond.
To be continued ....
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