Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-28
LIE, SAYS MRS. S|LSBY
HystericaI in Court During
Battle for Her Children.
SHE BLAMES HER MOTHER
Denounces Lawyers Statement That
Burden Had Fallen on Mrs. Forbes.
THREE-C0RNERED FIGHT IS ON
Grandmother Given Temporary Gus
tody and Her Counsel Is Guar
dian ad Litem.

Its lie. It's lie!'' excitedly cried
Mrs. Annie v. Silsby this morning in
Equity Court No. l before Justice Bar
nard. when Attorney Conrad Fl. Syme.
representing her mother. Mrs Leah NJ
Forbes, told the court that the grand
mother had been burdened with the care
of the two little Silsby children since
their birth.
nearing was in progress over three
cornered fight which has begun for the
custody of Charles Forbes Silsby and
Howard w. Silsby. aged. respectively,
nine and five years, whose father, Dr.
Howard w. Silsby. committed suicide
December 10. a few weeks after he had
been divorced from their mother, Annie
V. SiIsby. The mother has figured in
the Police Court two or three times re-
Gently on charges of drunkenness and
disorderly conduct.
FIVE weeks before his death DR.. Siisby
executed will in which he left his en-
TIRE estate, valued at about $4,000 to
his two children. and named Attorney
Fred Beall as. testamentary guardian Of
the children. Mr. Beall and Howard Mo-
ran are also named as executors
The validity OF this document will prob
ably be contested by Attorney Conrad II.
Syme, named today by Justice Barnard
swer for the children to the petition of
the executors for the probate OF the will
Should the will be contested, 1t is under
stood that the claim will be made that
Dr. Sllsby was not in a mental condition,
October %, the date of the execution of
the will, to make a valid testamentary
paper, by reason of his alleged use of
drugs.
Mrs. Silsby Blames Mother.
Asked for a statement after she left the
courtroom, Mrs. Silsby said:
Its all my own mothers fault. She
never wanted me to have the children
from the day they were born.
|. ut seems as IL fate were pursuing me-
My husband was weak and he let my
mother have the children whenever she
wanted them. He treated me like baby.
And now he is dead and l am alone in
the world. And don't know what to do.
oh, it's awful to be SO lonely In a
big, strong woman now, and yet, because
my husband babied me and let my
mother run things, instead of giving me
| authority over my own home and the
children that were mine, I'm helpless
now. Every one seems to have turned
against me.
Il try to do right. But when my
mother won't even let me have my babies,
and reckless.
Il m so miserable. ] know the court
won't give me my babies now. l have no
place to take them. I'm alone in the
world and homeless. And the court will
be just like the rest of them-have no
faith in me.
But I'll fight for my babies. 1t will be
long and full of grief, but I'll get them in
the end.
For 1 love them and they are all
have in the whole world
Grandmother Wants Children.
Mrs. Forbes, the grandmother today
filed a petition asking that the duties i'm
posed by the will on Attorney Beall. as
guardian, be limited to the management
of the children's estate, and that she be
given their custody, claiming that they
had been with her most Of their lives and
that she had possession of them with the
fathers consent up to a few days before
he committed suicide. Then he had
taken the children to a school in Mary
land, whittier she and the. mother had
gone since the death OF the father and
brought them back to her home.
She offered testimony in the shape of
afhdavits from the pastor of her church
and other friends and neighbors as to
her love for the little ones and her ability
to care for them
1t was when Attorneys c. H. Syme and
W. II. Fowie. representing the grand
mother, were stating the contents OF the
petition and aff1davits that Mrs SiIsby.
unable to contain herself. cried out: Its
a lie! It's lie:' She then began to sob
violently.
Mother Denies Daughters Request.
An incident tending TO show the feel