The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-24
GOES into COURT
FOR HER ] CHILDREN !
Mrs. Ben Tillman, Jr.,
Will Bring Ha beas
Corpus Proceedings.
NOW IN CUSTODY
OF THE SENATOR
Sensational Legal Controversy
Is Anticipated as Result Of
Family Differences-chil-
dren Are Taken From
Mother and Decided to
Their Grandparents.
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Especial to Tho Times Dispatch. ]

Especial to Tho Times-Dispatch.
Columbia. S. c., January 23.--In the
Supreme Court tomorrow morning
lucy Dugas Tillnlan. wife OF B. II.
Tillman,, Jr., will bring llabcas corpus
proceedings for the recovery of her
chtldren-Douschka and sarah. IL is
entirely probable that there will fol.
low one of the most Interesting legal
controversies In the history OF the
State. Mrs. Ttllman brings the action
against her husbands parents Sena-
tor y. r. Tillman and his wife. who
are now in possession of the children.
Her attorneys refuse to give out any
information, not that they oppose pub
licity, but because they wish the rec
ords to be presented In court before
any newspaper publication
Mrs. Tillman, who, since her alleged
desertion has been making her home
in this city with her nearest of male
kin, DIR. Francis w. Plckens Butler.
to-night gave out a statement which,
she says. will he sustained by. the af-
hdayits submitted by her attorneys.
Granddaughter of G0vcrnor.
Mrs. Tillman Is the granddaughter
of +. w. Pickens. war Governor of
$. c.. and minister to Russia un-
der President Buchanan. To Gov
crnor and Mrs. Pickens was born.
in st. Petersburg. In the RomanoG
Palace of the Gar. girl baby, for
whom the Czarina stood godmother.
and she was called Douschka. nearing
darling
This woman. afterwards beloved by
the people OF South Carolina, married
DIR. OuRAg 0f Augusta Ca tho father
of Mrs. TilIman. The Pickens family
had long been among the most influ-
ensial In the State. and was PLACED
Tillman, when he got into politics:
boasted that he was Wool Hat.
Some Surprise WAS expressed Eherefore
-:;5'ts,n T .ehifdsa 1l ltso sTGn FAM
ilies. Cavalier and Govenanter. were
married in December. 1909. 1t was de-
clared to be a love match. 1t was es-
pccially roman tic. owing to the fact
that Just a fortnight before Wallace
Sheppard, son OF Ben Tillman's most
power. married the only sister of Mrs.
Ben Tillman. Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Tillman parted Novem-
nounced ofiicially. but Mrs. Tiilman
states that her husband drank to ex-
cess and was very unkind to her. Feb
ruary 26 of last year. after separa-
Tillman. Jr., began living together
again. having reached an anSunderstand-
ing which was believed to mark a
happy ending Of the quarrel. But In
Washington. Mrs. Tillman had a sud-
den and desperate Illness. Her hus-
band. she declares. provided no nurse
for her and showed her no attentions.
On the first day of her convalescence
he came to the apartments to take the
two children to see their grandmother.
Mrs. Tillman assented, but the chill
dren protested. and had to be forced to
go. Mrs. Tillman has not seen them
since that day. which was December 8.
In the afternoon Mr.. Tllman came back
without them. He told his wife that
their grandmother had taken tho chill
drcns and had gone to South Carolina
with them
Children Decided Away.
A few days after their departure
Mrs. Tillman was informed by atto--
father of thestehildren had made and
recorded a regular deed. in which the
custody of the children is given to the
grandparents until they, become of age.
court at Edgetield. shows that young
Tillman, after alleging his wife.s ina
bility to raise them properly. admits
that he is aiso l,. unwilling to assume
getting attidavts from the hest citizens
of Edgelleld to show that shea sis low
ing and palnstaklnR mother. and that
she Is financially responsible, having
a plantation v which ! ooh brings an annual
will declare thai. the mother is far
more suited to raise the children than
their grandparents. who are away from
home half the time. Startling develop
n.ents and revelations insthe af1idavits
to be submitted to the court are an
Mrs. Tillman is named FOR her
grandmother, Lucy Holconb Pickens,
a belle of the Virginia Fashionable sum
n,er resorts before the war who in her
loyalty t othe South. sold her personal
Jewels and fitted out a company known
through the war. as the Holcomb Le-
Eion. She is said to have been the
most beautiful NO. woman @ Of the South
ka, was a belle In South Carolina after
the war. . of the eo once Gs1sS1 prominent fam
ny Mrs oss1y sbysppard ,he AND AND The
late Gensya s rI1;man n 6, Bn,lsr ans " was an an
the bitterest political opponent Of SEN
ator Tillmarn In ne ne sensational g, cam
paign for the United States Senate In
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