The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-01
Senator Tillman Makes
Reply in Suit Brought
by Sons Wife.
BOTH FIGHT FOR
HER CHILDREN
He Disparages Her Fitness tc
Rear Offspring, and Asks That
They Be Permitted to Re
main With Hinl-Great
Crowd Present at
Hearing.

LSpecial { Q The Times- -Dispatcll.

Especial to The Times Dispatch. i
Columbia, S. c., January 3i.@sub-
mittins an affidavit in reply to tho
| petition of his daughter -in-law, Mrs
b. r. Tillman, Jr.. asking for the
custody of her two infant children
that read as II letter, with no such
words as "deponent' and kindred legal
terms. but with "I' prominent through
out. Senator B. r. Tillman, in tho
South Carolina Supreme Court. to-day
| resisted tho appeal of mother ask
ing for her babes.
No decision was rendered. but to-
morrow morning at 10 o'clock the
court Will reconvenc, and 1T Is probable
that an order will be filed then.
lust before the court adjourned this
afternoon attorneys for Mrs Tillman,
Jr.. asked for a temporary order Civ
ing the possession of the children TO
the mother until the final settlement
of the case is made, but the court
stated that all matter submitted would
be considered in the interim between
the adjournment and the reconvening
of tho court tomorrow morning.
Doors Are Locked.
Hearings in the supreme Court are
usually sparsely attended, with only
attorneys and perchance a few people
In attendance, but to-day tho doors
We're locked to avoid suffocating
audience, and hundreds. including
many women. were turned back. In
the large audience We're many women.
relatives and friends of the parties TO
the suit
Mrs. B. r. Tillman, Jr.. was present,
sitting on one side of the courtroom.
while on the other We're seated Sem
ator Tllman, his wife. and son, B. r.
Tillman. Jr., the father of the children
in dispute, and the husband of the pc
titioner.
The first business of the day was
tho reading of the petition in which
young Mrs. Tillnan asks for the two
children. With the petition were over
zoo affldavits. Many of these were;
read to show that the mother Is capable
and able to rear and nurture her chii4&
idren. After the affidavits and petitioigi
were read, the answer Of the re-
spondents was read.
This answer denies every charge ex-
cept that of the drinking of B. r.
TiIlman, Jr. The point was raised
and stressed that young Mrs. Tillman
did not like the Tillman family and
had taught her children to dislike the
family.
The return was formal, but the let
ter OF Senator Tillman, couched in any
thing but legal form, was very in
formal +, It was vindictiye and OF the
Tillman tinge. He disparaged her
children, and his grandchildren, proper
ly.
In reply to the accusations OF hatred
against her husbands parents and the
Tillman family. young Mrs. Tillman in
troduced contradictory afftdavits in
reply.
"DrasEcd" to Court.
The affidavit of Senator Tillnan
opens with IT, the Senator saying, II
am now nearly sixty-three years old,
and this is the first time that have
in court of justice as a
defendant or plaintiff; and I would
not be here now II had not been
dragged here
The Senator goes on to say: Speak
Ing for myself and my wife. who is
the other respondent in this cause,
shall dismiss the usual 1argon OF law
which couches such papers in the t
third person and use either the first
person singular or the first person
plural"
In this long document Senator TIL
man tells his side of the affair, deny
ing that ho has refused to assist III
the reformation of his son, admitting
that he had gone from bad to worse
after he commenced drinking. He said
in his affidavit that he had begged his
to assist them in
making a sober and good man out Of
the son and husband.
In similar strain the letter con-
tinues to the end. The Senator con.
cludes:
our son. as is natural. is most
deeply concerned about the future OF
his two little daughters. He felt his
own inability to care for them prop
erly. and naturally turned to his own
mother" IS
Ia SaiJ Tall Fn,~
them and give them whatever you
would have given me. am .able to
take care OF myself Knowing all OF
the conditions, we have assumed the
trust and will faithfully carry out Its
obligations"
The affidavit of b. n. Tllman. Jr,, is
In legal form and has deponent snb-
stituted for the "I' OF his father, In
this he denies the allegations In the
petition except the drinking to ex-
cess, which he admits. In addition TO
these afIidavits several depositiona
from eight Edgefold county people
we're filed, all attesting the character 81
If Senator Tiilman and his wife
Claims OF Mother.
With the reading of these the re.
pondents completed their case The
'etitionor then introduced a number
# aftldavits In support OF her claims
hat sho Is it to rear the children.
he also submitted two affidavits made
y herself. in which she sets out, by
he presentation OF letters, the tesl-t
ngs of the Tillman family toward
er. which she alleges was hostile in
he extreme, This she undertakes
how by producing copies of letterg
rom Senator Tillman. Mrs. Tillman,
n, and Miss Sophie Tiilnaan she
lso recited the conditions OF tho
greement on which she consented to
I've with her husband, Among tho
tlpulations was one that Mrs. b. n.
fllman, III. should nov be required Ia
Xchange visits With her parents-in-
aw.