The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-01-01
TILLMAN CHILDREN WITH FATHER
DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS


nate their father or his people,
thought the fears of Mr. DePass un
founded and told him so. Shortly af
forwards l received letter from De
Pass & DePass stating that the chill
dren would be sent to PENIS drue
store in Edgefield at 10:30 on the
morning of December &c. / then sus.
pected that 1t was the intention to give
the anticipated "scene" as public 8
setting as possible and have it writ
ten up in graphic style for the pur-
pose Of creating sentiment against
the decision of the court in allowing
the children to spend a part of the
time with their father in Senator Till
mans home at Trenton
For the sake of these innocent little
children, who can not protect them
selves from the designs of other peo-
pie, wrote at once to DePass & De-
Pass protesting against the choice of
such public place and asking for
the sake of peace and decency that
the children be sent to some other
| place and also that they designate any
private residence in Edgefield or if
| preferable we would send a mutual
friend out to Edgewood to get the
children in quiet, decent way.
If | had my files at Greenwood I
would like to publish this letter. be-
cause it would. show our attitude in
the matter better than anything that
can now be said
To this letter | have had no reply
from DePass & DePass or any one
else. Consequently my brother and |
went yesterday morning to the ap-
pointed place-Penn's drug store on
the square at Edgefield The children
were brought there and we received
them from the negro nurse who ac-
companied them. Neither child made
any resistance and the older child did
not cry at all. The younger one erie /
Tor her nurse to accompany her to
trenton (as was natura). At no time
did either one of the children cry for
their mother, but the younger one was
crying for the nurse who was with
her at the time. Before we had driven
zoo yards she had stopped crying and
we drove on to Trenton.
There were several people in and
around the drug store at the appoint
ed tim", but [ have no way of knowing
II they were there to see the transfer
OF the children. Ccrt%inly we had told
no one to be there, nor had we made
piSlic where or when the children
were to be delivered to us.
My brother naturally sent no pres-
cnts to the house of his former wife
He had been told by her that he can
not go there even to see his children
when they are sick and whether or
not he shall have the privilege is now
before the supreme court His Christ
mas gifts and manner of giving are
private matters with which the public
mas no concern, but it will not be
amiss to add that the children are now
at his home in Trenton, and that he
and his family are enjoying their
presence. 1t has been long time
since | have seen three happier chill
dren than these little girls and nv
own little child 1T would be hard for
stranger to believe that 1t has been
three years since they were together
at their grandfather's.
The public knows ere this that we
nave been as patient rs possible In
this matter end out of feeling for tbesc
little innocent girls we have allowed
TO go unanswered many of the false
hoods which have been published in
this case. But fair-minded peopIe
must be disgusted with this latest at
tempt to stage SO sacred thing as a
childs love for it's parents to create
maudlin sympathy when 1t can not
accomplish anything save the further
exploiting of these little children.
Ihe supreme court has decided this
case and has exercised much wisdom
| It's decision. 1t Is the intention of
my brother to live up to the letter and
spirit OF that decree, but can NOT
allow any one to put him in an abso-
lutely false light without entering a
vigorous denial, and it might as well
be understood once and for all that
none of us intend to allow these little
girls to be lied on or made the pawns
in an unfair attempt to make the peo-
pie believe that they would naturally
nate their paternal relations. We re-