Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-15
Deserted, | Had to Fight Star
walton for My Children"
Cries Mrs. 0arden.
GIVE W0RKED-W0RKED
FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS"
IF | Were UnfaithfuI, Why
Didn't He Shoot Me?"
She Demands.

Enraged al the persistent allegations
Of infdelity made by her husband. FL
mer T. Darden. who is in Jail for the
murder of c. NJ. Goddard at the Union
depot Thursday night, Mrs Darden
today branded her husband as para
site She said that if she were not 4
disreputable woman it was through no
fault Of his, who left her with no means
to provide for the little children. She
insisted however, she has done moth
ing she need be ashamed of.
At her home in Kirkwood TO-DAY she
held the three months-oId infant to her
breast while in short sentences i'm a
high pitched voice she gave her first
interview
Making a motion with her arm 10 the
four children playing on the floor and
the CRATE that should have been throw
ing out warmth in the cool forenoon,
she said:
~ Have to Provide"
Il have to provide. All Of this is
mine"
when he PAGES the floor of his cell
and raves. does he say anything about
this? Does he say anything about food
and clothing for these helpless chill
dren-helpless if it were not for meg
Does he say anything of the h he
made me live for eighteen years?
mo. He is only thinking Of himself,
as he always has done. When he made
his money I never got it, My children
never got it. He deserted us without
any cause and left me to provide.
had TO stare starvation in the face.
had to pay in full
Il have paid and ! have paid honest
ly. But if l had ben disreputable as
he says. / am not to blame. It is one
way women can live when honest eff
forts are Of no avail, Women have TO
suffer always and always they are
blamed.
Calls Goddard Friend.
"Oh, yes, | knew M. Goddard He
was a friend tried and true. He was
a friend to my husband and to myself.
when l was deserted he acted the
part of a man friend-that was all. He
advised me what to do and offered to
help me. That was all.
when l saw him on the street |
spoke to him. Is a man to be shot down
because he stops and speaks to a wom-
an friend?
IF my husband thought I was ~
faithful why didn't he shoot me. Why
didn't he follow me to some Of those
places 1 was never at and shoot US
both.
Frankly, if ii had not been for these
little children I might have been any
thing he tried to make me but they
have to live on when l am gone.
Just House Drudge"
And an expression Of hopeless wear
mess crept into the voice that had been
ieeming with anger.
Il am just a common. ordinary wom-
an. the everyday house drudge. /
don't know anything about law ana
lawyers and don't know what is ex-
pccted Of me in the case.
. Il suppose they'll weave and weave
a web until they prove something that
never was. They will IL it viii save
him-but ! have done nothing. abeo-
lutely nothing, that any wife and
mother need be ashamed or
Done nothing but work. work. worfs,
for eighteen years"
Darden sat moodily in his cell at the
county jail today awaiting a hearing
Monday
u love my wife" said Darden %
Chief of Detectives Lanford; love her
more passionateIy and devotedly than
any one on earth. / have loved It
seems. all my life, and I love her TO-
day as much as ever"
He seems to have broken down some
under the high nervous tension. and
some Of the exulting over the dea-h
OF the man he shot and said II he
didn't kill him then he would when ne
saw him again has given place TO coz
siGr.atiou for his wife and the helpless
Continued on PAGE Two.