The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-07

Mr.. DePass, of counsel for Mrs.
pugas. stressed the main consider
alton as the welfare of the children
and said that there had been no ma
terial change in any of the parties
since the last action; that the fathers
rights to the daughters were not para
mount to the mother. but that what
right he had he lost when he decided
them to Senator and Mrs. Tillman.
Referring To Mrs. Dugas' going back
TO her husband and living with him
after their first separation in Wash
ington, and of young Ben" bringing
the children to this State and deed
ing them To his father and mother.
the speaker said: 1T was most
diabolical scheme to deprive the
mother Of her children" He pointed
out that the drastic allegations made
by young Tillman about the unfitness
OF his wife to rear the children at the
former trial was followed by his writ
Ing letter TO her. In which he said
that this unf.tness existed only in his
conception and the speaker pointed
out that this happened after young
Tillman says he had quit drinking.
He dubbed the attempted recon-
veying Of the children by Senator
Tillman back to his son as dlsrespect
of the courts opinion and that it was
a probable foundation Of what he said
was some scheme to, thwart the
courts opinion.
1t has never been declared by this
court that a divorce granted in an
other State would not be recognized
when granted by q court OF compe-
tent jurisdiction" said the speaker,
replying that Mrs. Dugas had been
driven against her will to get a di-
vorce simply to protect herself from
the intentions OF the husband to force
reconciliation on his wife. He de-
MED that divorce was taught in the
home of Mrs. Dugas and asked that
the court allow her to keep the chill
dren, as she was better fitted to rear
them than their father.
In flashing eloquence. c. MEG.
S.mpkins, of Mrs. bogus counsel said
that he regretted the aspersions
which counsel on the other side had
attempted to heap on the head of
Mrs. Dugas, Of whom her husband
said, There Is no purer woman in
all Carolina" and she woman
crowned with all the virtues that go
To make up noble womanhood. He
said no practical reason had been
shown why the children should be
taken from the care of their mother,
than whom a more solicitious and low
ing mother never existed, as attested
by scores of the good women OF Edge
field, and given to their father. He
plead with the court 20 allow the
mother to keep her little children,
and dwelt on the mother love, (which
Is law implanted in every human
breast and the master passion that
emanates from every human heart"
F.. Barron Grier. Esq, closed for
the petitioner, contending that the
deciding OF the children to Senator
Tillman did not estop the father from
coming into court and claiming his
rights, which were paramount to the
mother He said that they were not
asking that the children be deprived
OF their mother; that all they asked
was that they be awarded to their ia
ther and that his home had ever been
open and was open now for Mrs Dugas.
Hell hath no fury like love to hatred
turned" exclaimed Mr.. Grier charg-
ing that Mrs. Dugas was rearing the
children In an atmosphere in which
their father and his name were de-
spised and that this was wrong. He
charged that she wouldn't let the ia
ther see the children and went on to
picture the home with the father as
the head He said that all they had
to show vas the fathers worthiness
and denied that 1t was up to them to
show the fitness Of the father over the
PROSTATE moral corpse of the wife,"
The father. no stated, has a right
to see that they are reared In this
atmosphere.
Mr.. Grier asked the court IL they
couldn't Give Il. r. Tillman, Jr., the
custody Of the children all the time,
to give IL to him part of the time and
To permit him To see them at any
time under the proper circumstances;
that the custody OF the children be
divided between the wife and the hus-
band. one 10 have them part of the
Il