The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-08-05
PARENTAGE OF child
IS issue INVOLVED
That Nine Defendants Con-
spred to Induce Plaintiffs Hus-
Band to Leave, Charging That ;.
the Father of Her Baby
Was a Negro.

DECAl Oh, MISS, August "a Sell
sational damage suit which promises
to rival in interest the famous case
of Sivley VS.. Sivley, tried here at the
last term of circuit court, in which
Mrs. Mamie DePriest Sivley secured
judgment for $4,000 against her
mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Mrs.
w. Baker Sivley, Sr., of Jackson, and
Hamilton w. Sivley of Newton, for
alienation of the affections of her
husband, w. Baker Sivley, Jr., after
which she eloped with the estranged
husband, will be tried in the Newton
county circuit court here next Monday.
The case is that of Mrs. Pearl Hun
ter Johnson against nine defendants.
asking $4,000 damages for SANDER and
alienation of affections of her husband.
and some of its features form strong
parallels to the Sivley case. Besides.
the plaintiff is represented by tho
same attorneys, Messrs. Flowers,
Fletcher G Whitfield, of Jackson. as
sisted by Messrs. Mum and Rewzee, of
Newton, while the defense is repre-
sented by Messrs. Foy & Banks, of De
catur and Newton.
The principal feature of the dec
laration is that the defendants con-
spired to induce Mrs. Johnson's hus-
sand, Walter Johnson. to abandon her
by circulating a report and convincing
him that the baby born to the couple
about six months ago was of negro
paternity and the child of a negro in
the community named Jim Ellis Pace,
the report as conveyed to the husband
and as generally circulated carrying
with it rumors of her infidelity to the
husband and her frequent clandestine
meetings with the negro.
Miss Pearl Hunter was married to
Walter Johnson about nix years ago,
and they have one child about five
years old. Johnson was an orphan
and was reared by Mrs. Reynolds, who
is one of three daughters of Mrs.
Abney. The other two daughters are
Mrs. James and Gordon. These, with
their husbands. are made defendants
to the suit, as are also Lou Reynolds, |
a son of Joe Reynolds, and his wife.
When the child in question was
born it had a dark complexion cnd /
curly hair. It lived but two months. !
and the husband had no suspicious, ,
and the couple was living happily to-
gether until, the declaration alleges,
The defendants started the rumors
talking them to the neigh
1ors and to the husband. writing him
etters and urging him to leave her or
send her away. He continued to live
With her despite all this, however. mr.
II on certain Saturday a few weeks
lgo the members of the families mot
It Johnson's. house and told the
.ouple they void have to separate.
ohnson weepingly told his wife that
le did not want to separate from her,
mt that if must be done. and left her.
pending Saturday night, Sunday anG
unday nieht with an aunt. Wheu
he returned Monday she found that
REYNOLDS had taken her husband in ,
buggy to Hickory and spirited him
wov end che has neither seen or
,or1 c,.o,,, hin, ciDco
JTTHarrisonahnllconws shr ia hem
She maintains her innocence Of the
larees Of infidenity brought against
er by the several families, and wants
both for the injury to !
'r reputation and for the alienation l
hor husband. A. A. James, 4
of the plaintiff HAVING {
arried her sister, has interested j
mself in the prosecution of the case. e
ID al the parties are moderately Il
3ll-to-do, being among the most prom !
emit farmers in a section some ten S
les or more northeast of Decatur q