Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-11-26
sIDEIIlGHTs OF TILLsiAN CASE.
Aged Senator Fears Grandchildren
May BE Lost to Him.
(Staif Cor. Atlanta Georgian.)

|
Half blind, broken in body and
spirit, and with but few more years
to live, Senator Tillman has at last
! admitted that his son has been a
drunkard, thus sacrificing his pride
/ that he may again see his two beau
| tiful grandchildren, Douschka and
! Sarah.
! For more than three years, since
! the separation Of Benjamin r. Till
man, Jr., and his wife, the old Sena-
tor has fought for the children, whom
| he loves beyond anything in the
world.
| Leaving Washington two years
ago, he hurried to his home in South
Carolina, and personally drew and
took into court petition asking
that he be given the custody Of the
grandchildren.
1--WE love them" he wrote in the
midst Of the formal legal paper. 1--WE
love them, and will care for them
tenderly."
| But the young Mrs. Tillman, who
was formerly Lucy Dugas. grand
daughter Of former Governor Pick
ems, stubbornly fought for her babies,
denying the old statesman's conten-
ton that she was not doing we'll by
them.
| Mother Wins Children.
| She set up in her answer that her
divorced husband was a drunkard;
that he could not support the chill
dren, and that they would be better
with her than with him or his kin.
| And, despite Senator Tillman's
great influence, the court denied his
petition, and permitted his daughter
in-law, who had been restored to her
maiden name Of Dugas, to keep her
little ones.
| Then came the paralytic stroke
that nearly cost the Senator his life,
and from which he was slow to re-
cover, even sufficiently to resume his
duties at Washington.
Through the days Of his partial
convalescence he mourned for the
children, repeatedly calling for them
when he was not himself, and beg
ging that they be brought to his side
when he could receive any visitors
at all.
He was at loss to understand at
first what had become Of them. The
babies who had been his Joy and
nr'ac whom he loved with a tender
. devotion haL ne bestowed on few
] hOmHn beings, coult nor o2ne TO
HIM. u was pu2aIlnG. Why was it.?
Witn mrthcr recovery Canc ,G?li.
A.,.ion, and from tmaL uiow it was
thought he would not recover
Gradually Of late he has been gain
his sons weakness, he refused to ad-
NIT it, or to speak Of it till it became
necessary, in order that he might
have better claim on the children.
Habit Cured, He Contends.
Now, with as much strength as
will ever be his, he has brought HIM
self to admit that his son has been a
drunkard, but at the same time he
contends that the boy has been cured
of his weakness and that once more
he is a fit person to take charge Of
his own children.
The determination to take this hui
initiating course was brought about
by the fact that Mrs. Dugas contem-
plates leaving the State. AS soon as
the Senator heard Of this intention
he forthwith gathered himself to-
gether and drew the new petition, in
which, owning that his son has been
addicted to drink, he quotes affida-
Wits to the effect that the young man
is once more the master Of himself
Chief Justice Gary has set Novem-
Der 26th for the hearing. The chill
dren's father has filed with the court
copies OF letters sent by him to his
former wife, together with her an
swers, as transmitted by her attor-
neys. showing his love for her and
the children, his efforts at a recon
Citation, and the manner in which
he has been repulscd.