The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-02
1IlLMAN CASE IN COURT.
SENATOR is PRESENT AND SIR.
MITS AN AFFIDAVIT.
Marital Trouble of B. II. Tillman, DR..
and His Wife Laid Bare by Latter's
Ebert to Secure Custody of Child. .
rCn.


CT marital unhappiness, Of separa-
tions, Of striving for the posgc ssion of
offspring never came before a South
Carolina Court, and perhaps rarely
before any other Court, as was told
in the Supreme Court today, when
Mrs. B. R. Tillman, Jr, appeared un-
der petition to secure custody Of
her two little daughters. There was
nothing left untold. the whole marital
life Of Mr.. and Mrs. B. r. Tillman,
Jr., was given in numerous affidavits
from the first day Of their marriage
to the happenings leading to the pre-
sent proceeding in the Court. 1t
was indeed recital such as one
reads of in books and only once in a
while sees enacted in real life.
Countless charges and counter
charges were aired and set out In
minute detail in the various affida-
Wits submitted in behalf Of young
Mrs. Tillman and those supporting
the contention Of her husband. Sem
ator B. r. Tillman appeared in court
and sat throughout the proceedings.
He himself submitted an affidavit,
which was a fine piece of work, set
ting out all differences that arose
between his son and wife and giving
his reasons for taking the custody of
his two grandchildren under the
terms of the deed from his son.
The point of issue between Mr..
and Mrs. B. r. Tillman, Ja., is the
custody Of their two children, Dou-
schka Pickens Tillman and Sarah
Stark Tillman. The mother and ia
ther having separated and all efforts
at reconciliation being of no avail,
the question arose as to who should
have possession of the two little
daughters. An agreement was reach
ed at one time that the two children
should be alternately with each
parent, but later the deed was ex-
ecuted by which they were turned
over to Senator and Mrs B. r. Till
man, the parents of B. r. Tillman,
Jr.
To those in the court room today
the affidavits read were bearers of
a sad and pitiful message. The once
happy young couple were pictured
at their new home; then step by step
the estrangement, the hatred OF the
two old families that not even love
could conquer, the efforts on the part
Of all Interested to make the path of
married life easier. the outbreak of
all the hatred that beforehand had
been smoothered--and finally the
separation.
Not even his own father and
mother claimed for young Tillman
that his life had been an exemplary
one since his marriage. Admitting that
the boy had been a drunkard at vari-
Gus times within the past few years,
but declaring that before his marriage
he had led sober life. Senator Till
man, in his remarkable affidavit, laid
bare the whole history of B. RS"
life. He told Of the occasions when
his son was almost bereft Of reason,
because Of drink, of how he had on
one such occasion attacked the
character of his beautiful young wife
and was sorry the day after, Of The
many times that unavaling efforts
had been made to bring the couple
together. Senator Tillman's AFFIDAVIT
certainly bore the earmarks of frank
ness. and in its beauty of language
and evident show Of sincerity towards
those who had entered into his life,
was document that mayhap knows
no parallel in South Carolina.
The husband likewise did not deny
that he had been addicted to the use
of drink. His affidavit leaned often
kindly toward his wife and showed
that even in the home, which Is now
no more, there had been deep affect
ion. He, however, denied that he had
ever been cruel to his wife, except
perhaps on that one occasion, when
he, under the Influence Of drink, at
tackled her character; that for this re-
morse had come to him. Now he
ta- IS no longer strong drink and
feels that he has returned into him
self.
In the court room, surrounded by
her friends, the young wife sat
through the proceedings to-day. A
strinkingly handsome woman her
pale face showed that it was not to
her liking to come into a Court of
equity and seek relief. She evinced