New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-15
Jaw DIVIDES FAMILY
0F DR.. c. NJ. PARKER
r.ther Gets Custody of His
Elder Children, Mother
Takes the Younger.
CALLS WIFE INTEMPERATE
nsfendant Denies to Referee
She Is Addicted to Drink or
That She Beat Her
Little Ones Cruelty.

-. a court order. The trouble between
- nbvsician and his wife. Mrs. Nancy
? parker. was caused, the referees re-
nor, states, by her Incorporate habits,
ub,ch caused DR.. Parker to take their
,hrAe children TO the home of his
mother. The wife then brought habeas
cornus proceedings. The case was
hoard bv Wilbur Larremore, as ref
.,ss and in his report filed in the Su-
nrene Court yesterday he recommends
chat the father have the custody Of two
NJ the children and the mother the GUS
tody Of the youngest.
Miss Mary Clara Parker, sister of the
doctor. testified at the hearing before
The referee that Mrs. Parker had
treated her children cruelty. She said
the mother beat them with a leash
that had a buckle on the end and left
welts on their legs; also that she had
whipped them with cane. The three
children are Nancy, nine years old;
John c., seven, and Kathleen, three
years old.
In her application for a writ OF
habeas corpus Mrs. Parker complained
that DR.. Parker took the children out
on May 50 and did not bring them back.
She learned he left them at the home Of
his mother. and Mrs. Parker said she
had since been unable to get them or to
communicate with her husband. DR..
Parker is living at No. Al West SD
street and the address of Mrs. Parker
is given in the papers as No. 16 East
93d street. Mrs. Parker said the doctor
kept the children from her because Of
his Fperverseness, spitefulness and his
unwillingness to permit her to have
control of the two girls and the boy"
Mrs. Parker went to the home Of her
mother-in-law to get them. and there
was d quarrel but her demand availed
her nothing.
Mrs Parker said her husbands
mother was seventy-five years old and
Kathleen. she said. wakes in the night
and needs her mother TO rock her to
sleep.
The referee said in his report that
the main question involved in the pro-
ceeding was Mrs. Parker's addiction to
liquor. He said that all who testified
agreed that when she was not under
the influence of alcohol she is a woman
of education and refined tastes and if
not quick tempered kindly in DISPOSE
ton The referee further found that
The acts of violence and general course
Of misconduct" of which she was
guilty, were due TO her unfortunate ad-
diction t. drink The evidence showed
there was no doubt about the unfitness
Of the mother TO have the custody of
the children, said Mr.. Larremore in his
report.
Or. NJ. 5. Gregory, an expert on
nervous and mental diseases, testified
Mrs. Parker was suffering from chronic
alcoholism, and suggested that she be
sent TO "a sanatorium. He said she
showed an alcohol tongue" one coated
down the middle. DR.. Parker, although
an interested party in the proceeding,
also gave expert testimony. He told OF
having to overpower his wife III self
defence on several occasions.
Mrs. Parker, mother of the doctor,
and his sister told Of the cruelties they
said Mrs. Parker had practised on her
Miss Parker was asked If she
believed In the adage, Spare the rod
and spoil the child" She said it was
not always necessary to spare the rod
and that children needed a whipping
occasionally, but that children did not
need to be beaten.
1T all depends on the children, does
il not?" was asked of Miss Parker, to
which she replied that il depended a
great deal on the mother.
Mrs. Parker denied on the stand be-
Tore the referee that she was addicted
TO drink. She admitted she sometimes
had hit her children with a strap, but
never used the end with the buckle on
it. Il wouldn't use buckle on a dog"
she said. Whatever bruises the chill
dren had. the mother added, were
caused by their falling down.
Mrs. Parker said she did not drink
gln, brandy or rum, but sometimes
Drank beer. She could not tell just
how much beer she drank. 'Is 1t be-
cause you drink so many bottles?" she
vas asked. Mrs. Parker answered:
No, but some days 1 drink none at
all"
Mrs Parker said in answer to an
other question that she was never so
intoxicated that Il couldn't get along"
She said that If she ever was she
would feel sorry for DR.. Parker and his
family. She said the cane which it
was said she had used on her children
Vas a-thin, weak stick, such as is sold
al country fairs, with a pennsnt at
'sched to IL. Two friends of Mrs. Par
her testified that they never had seen
hef under the influence of liquor.
The wife said that in the eleven
years Of her married life DR.. Parker
look her to the theatre only five times.
enc wanted to see THE Playboy of the
western World" when the Irish play
erS were here. she said, but somehow
ner husband never seemed able to take
her.