The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-14
WANTS HER CHILD
SENSATIONAL INCIDENTS IN LEON
ARD ALIMoNY SUIT.
AN UNHAPPY Welded LIFE.
THREE SEPARATIONS IN FIFTEEN
MONTHS.

the witness Stnnd-DenIes That
He Is s'MoraI Monster" and Tells
of HIS Wife's Strange acts-Does
Not Charge UnfaithfuIness, Hut
Says Their Child Was Neglected.
Mrs. Leonard Repeats Her story
TO the COurt-A Hasty Marriage
and the Troublesome Times That
FolIOwed-Letters written Before
Marriage Ruled Out of Court, But
Others Went indulge FaIligant
VIII Name Custodian of Child To-
morrow, and AlimOny VIII BE
Agreed Upon.
The alimony suit of Mrs Marguerite
e. Leonard against Stephen H. Leonard,
with action for the custody of the five
months-old babe, Francis Rudolph Leon
ard, was heard in the Superior Court yes
terday by Judge Falligant. The hearing
occupied the entire day and was replete
with sensational and dramatic scenes and
incidents.
The case attracted crowd to the court
room and the interest in the proceeding
did not drag for a moment during the
day. The argument of Judge Twiggs. for
Mrs. Leonard, at the afternoon session,
was dramatic. Judge Twiggs used harsh
language in speaking of Leonard and was
particularly severe when any reference
was made 20 him.
Mrs. Leonard was plainly dressed in a
black frock. and did not display her feel
ings to those whose eyes were riveted
on her pallid, but pretty face The de-
PENDANT appeared cool and collected and
changed his position in the court room
several times during the day.
The case was not concluded until late
-Four and Judge Falligant announced that
he will render his decision and award
the custody of the child tomorrow. The
court desired counsel to agree. or make
an effort to agree. on some amount to be
allowed as temporary alimony for the
support of Mrs. Leonard and the child.
The court will announce who is the prop
er custodian. An order was signed re-
straining Mr.. Leonard from taking the
baby out of the Jurisdiction of the court,
until the matter is finally disposed VI
Some question as to the jurisdiction of
the court was raised by Mr.. Osborne and
randa on that point.
Mr.. Oliver read Mrs. Leonards petition,
the substance of which has already been
given in the Morning News, and filed an
amendment. asking that the mother be
given permanent custody and control of
1.-THE child. The amendment asked that
pending the suit for permanent alimony
Mrs. Leonard have full control and care
of the baby and agreeing that the hus-
band would be permitted to see him I'M
der directions from the court.
Custody of the Child
Judge T'wiggs said that the father had
torn the child from his mothers arms in
the streets and then endeavored to take
advantage of his own wrong by saying to
the court that the babe is not in the Gus
tody of his mother. Counsel thought that
the child should be receiving a mothers
care and attention. This was in answer
to Mr.. Osbornes motion to strike the
amendment, which was over-ruled by the
court.
After the plaintiff had gained her first
point short recess was taken to permit
the hearing of another case that had been
assigned for 10 O'Clock. Mrs. Leonard was
placed on the stand when the hearing was
reopened. She spoke in a moduated tone
ana told the story of her life from the
moment she met Leonard until the day
upon which her baby was taken from her
ON Liberty street The young defendant
II came out in evidence that she is but
~ told of her introduction to Mr. Leonard
at church fair In jacksonville; of some
four or five meetings after that; the
showering of attentions by means of mes
sengers; hasty marriage; the first quar-
rel and frequent disturbances, which re-
ted in,
cancellations. The story told on the wit
ness stand was printed in the Morning
News at the time of the arrest of Mrs
Leonard's husband on a charge OF assault
and battery. The things that she said
then she repeated to the court.
The Husbands story.
Mr.. Leonard made a lengthy state
ment in which he told of the strange
acts of his wife during their married life.
He made no charges against her faith
fulness during that time and denied that
he ever had done so. He said that his
wife would seek the company of others
in preference to his own, and that such
actions on her part soon became the talk
OF the hotel 1t was, to say the least
annoying and distasteful TO him. Only
six weeks after their marriage he had
permitted her to go to Buffalo. While
there she did not write him and he be-
rah correspondence Win MIS- Karl ana
DIR. Taylor. Upon the strength of certain
Information obtained in this way he in
sisted that she leave Buffalo and on
June 26 1900, met her in Cincinnati. The
witness was not permitted to state what
Information he had received.
Mr.. Leonard declared that he found In
aecuracies In statements made to him by
his wife and declared that when she
wrote him for money to pay certain al
legged bills he found. upon Investigation,
that she did not owe the money mention
ed In her letters He had obtained consid-
cradle Information from Mrs. Karl, who
had been his wife's closest and dearest
friend. His wife had never told him OF
this individual and he learned OF her
through Sister Veronica of the Convent
in which his wife had been.
After the first separation. Mrs. Leonard
returned 10 Pensacola in October 1900. and
the baby was born She only wrote TO him
when she wanted money. The baby was
born IN January when the father was
engaged in some work at Fort Screven.
AZ soon as he received telegram an
nouncing It's birth ne went 70 Pensacola.
He returned to Tybee Island and not
hearing from his wife. went back 20 PEN
sacola short time later. When he ar
rived at home he found that his wife
had gone out with a brother. The baby
was with a nurse and the witness LEFT