The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-03
CARD FROM MIR. II. c. TILLMAN.
Gives Different Version of Delivery OF
Children to Brother.

w
the Tillman children. I have made it
my rule to practice law in the courts
and not in the newspapers, and it IS
my habit to ignore newspaper articles
which reflect On me or my family. But
this story is so full of error and false
hood that l can not allow it to go un-
| corrected. The Til1man family has too
many friends in South Carolina and
our affection for these little children
| is such that it would be unfair to al
| low them to be used as an instrument
with which to put us in false light.
From the beginning the desire of the
Tillmans has been to avoid as far as
possible all publicity or notoriety in
this matter. The young lives of these
children have already been crossed by
too many shadows for them now to be
made the target of Misrepresentation
or slander. When Mr.. DePass, repre-
senting Mrs. Dugas, and l, represent
ing my brother, had our conference in
Columbia about ten days ago, he ex-
pressed the fear that the children
would refuse to go to Trenton and
would create a scene In view of the
sworn statement of Mrs. Dugas that
she had not taught the children to
hate their father or his people /
thought the fears of Mr.. DePass un-
founded and told him so. Shortly af-
terWards I received a letter from De-
Pass & DePass stating that the chill
dren would be sent to Penn's drug
store, in Edgefeld, at 1870 on the
morning of the 26th of December l
then suspected that it was the inten-
ton to give the anticipated scene"
as public a setting as possible and
have it written up in graphic style for
the purpose of creating sentiment
against the decision of the court in al
lowing the children to spend part of
the time with their father in Senator
Tillman's home at Trenton.
For the sake of these innocent little
children, who can not protect them
selves from the designs of other peo-
ple, 7 wrote at once to DePass & De-
Pass protesting against the choice of
such a public place and asking for
the sake of peace and decency that the
children he sent to some other place
i and also that they designate any pri-
vate residence in Edgefeld, or if pre-
ferable, we would send mutual friend
out to Edgewood to get the children in
quiet, decent way.
If had my files at Greenwood |
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 I had had no reply
from DePass & DePass or any one
else. Consequently my brother and l
went yesterday morning to the ap-
pointed place-Penn's drug store, on
the square at Edgefeld. Tie 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
cried for her nurse to accompany her
to Trenton Gas was natural.) At no
no time did either one Of the children
cry for their mother but the younger
one was crying for her nurse, who was
with her all the time. Before we had
driven two hundred yards she had
stopped crying and we drove on to
Trenton.
There were several people in and
around the drug store at the appoint
j ed time, but 1 have no way Of know
ing if they were there to see the trans
fer of the children. Certainly we had
told no one to be there nor had we
made public where or when the child
ren were to be delivered to us
MY brother naturally sent no pres
ents to the home of his former wife.
He has been told by her that he can
not go there even to see his children
when they are sick aud whether or not
he shall have that privilege is now be-
fore the supreme court. His Christ
mas gifts and manner Of giving are
private matters, with which the pub
lie has 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 pres
ence there. 1t has been a long time