The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-01-11
BABY REJECTS
IT'S MOTHER AT
DIVORCE TRIAL
Two-Year Old Son Repudi-
ates Mrs. Emma Sander
Clings to Father.
RACY TESTIMONY
FILLS COURT ROOM
Farmer Says Wife wanted to
prevent Birth of
Children.

Mrs. Emma Sander, whose divorce
trial was begun yesterday in the Cir
cult Court at jackson, was repudiated
by her own 2-year old son, Gilbert
when she attempted to take the child
from the lap of its father, Robert San.
der. When the mother approached the
little one he buried his face on his
fathers bosom and clasped its arms
about its fathers neck.
The testimony was started yester.
, day morning. When court adjourned
last night there were still several wit
nesses to be heard and the case v
continued until Wednesday morning
so that the murder trial of James
Franklin Lunsford can be heard to.
day.
Mrs. Sander, who is represented BY
Harry f. Alexander, charges her hus-
band with mistreatment and cruelty
On several occasions, she asserted, her
husband threatened to kill her and
finally ordered her out of the house
She left last October and had not seen
the three childrne since. 1t was the
first time yesterday that she saw her
baby, and she was rejeced by the child
The other children are Virgil, I years
old, and Meta, 5.
Sander, farmland, yesterday tes-
titled that his wife used obscene Ian
guage toward him and the children.
He is represented by T. D. and Frank
Hines. Sander told the Court that his
wife wanted him to consent to an IL
legal operation on herself, and when
he declined, she left the house. The
operation was intended to prevent her
again becoming a mother.
Both are asking for the custody of
the children. The children have been
kept by the father, who has been liv-
ing with his parents since the separa-
ton from his wife, October %, 1916.
The couple were married July 80, 1905,
in the Cape.
The trial attracted a large number
Of farmers from various parts of the
county. Each side had about 20 wit
nesses. Most of the testimony given
by the witnesses had to do with the
general regulations of Sander and his
wife. The testimony of the principals
was Of an exceedingly racy nature.
Mrs. Sander was on the witness
stand during the morning, and her
testimony was of such nature that it
attracted the curious. Spectators seat
ed in the rear Of the room, moved to
the front and gave undivided atten-
ton to the witness.
The feature of the afternoon ses-
sion was the reputation of its mother
by the child. A sister of Sander en-
tered the courtroom at an opportune
time, carrying the baby. With almost
as much theatricals as goes with a
one-night dramatic show, the child was
presented to its father, who received
it with outstretched arms. The baby
cooed happily as the parent caressed
it, yet less than ten feet away sat the
mother of the child.
If she had noticed its arrival in the
courtroom, she gave no evidence of it.
Suddenly, however, she arose from
her chair, wheeled about and hurried
to the baby. The infant turned its
face from her and chung heroically to
its father, in spite of her coaxing,
which was audible all over the court
room. But it was apparent that the
baby preferred its fathers company.
Mrs. Sander then stepped up to the
bench, poured glass of water and
returned with it as a peace offering
to her infant. But again the little
one Stunned her. Judge Kelly leaned
forward to watch the incident, and
lower jaws sagged among the specta-
tors.