The Washington times., 1921-03-26

CStI dHkCS- UNClI paIcntS.
Guy Stillman and Jay Leeds.
One called illegitimate by his own
rather. though born IN wedlock.
The other said to have been born
out OF wedlock and illegitimate.
WEAPON AGAINST MOTHER.
Guy Is used as a weapon against
his lovely mother by the head of the
National City Bank. who would disin-
on from the Stillman millions.
Now IL James A. Stillman was able
to carry out his divorce plans. in
which suit he accuses his wife, Anne
Urquhart Stillman. of infdelity and
her child of having no right to the
family name, he would be free to
marry Mrs. Florence Leeds"
Such q marriage would make the
now illegitimate Jay Leeds a legiti-
child. heir to millions. and Guy Still
man, illegitimate, left penniless.
Thus one baby is pitted against an
other for good name and money.
Infuriated at the wife, whom he ac-
cuses, but who 10 said to have tried to
hold his Grant love, James A. Still
man finally broke with her and
named a guide OF the North Woods as
correspondent.
Such accusation would be calculat-
ed to make q woman suffer, but more
cruel than such allegations was the
stigma of illegitimacy cast upon her
Innocent baby.
sTNLMAN STRUCK FIRST BLOW.
According to a reliable source Of
information. II Is alleged that Still
man became enraged at his wife's
plan to regain his love by taking
him away from distractions in this
city. She planned with his business
associates that he be sent abroad to
help with war relief work. This
plan OF Mrs. Stillman followed her
discovery of the reported affair with
MRS. Leeds" The banker became
back with a suit for divorce before
Mrs. Stillman fled the suit agreed
upon.
And deepest cut Of all, he struck
at the love she bore for her child.
Guy. the youngest. the baby Of the
family.
But can stillmsn use Jay As a
| spite fence against Guy.
See what the law says:
In the absence of restrictions In
the statute, legitimation places an
| able blood 10 concerned. on the same
footing as offspring born in lawful
wedlock. This status OF the child
| will obt ain everywhere and no act
or statement OF the father OF mother
can thereafter change it."
And:
THE general. current of modern
authority favors the doctrine that
where an illegitimate child has been
legitimated, such Legitimacy follows
the child wherever. II may go and
~ a. H.
from such statute. including the
right to inherit"
HOW LAW DEFINES LEGITIMACY.
Thus would little Jay Leeds, II
once made legitimate. in the event
OF the possible marriage of mis-
mother to the hnancier. have the
right to inherit some of the Wall
Street fortune.
Legitimacy is defined as:
"A child is presumed to be legiti-
mate until the contrary Is shown.
In case Of conflicting prescriptions,
that in favor of legitimacy will pre-
vail. Every child born in wedlock
Is by law presumed to be Legitimate.
even though IL may be shown also
that the wife during the time was
guilty of infidelity."
Therefore, assuming that James A.
Stillman was able to prove the
charges of inidelity he makes
against his wife. still thatswould no.
necessarily denote that Guy Stillman
Is not legitimate.
Continuing with quotations from
the law:
The fact that an assumed Iegiti-
macy has remained uncontroverted
for a great length of time strength
ems the presumption regarding it."
Why has Stillman suddenly de-
cided that Guy Is not his child? The
child Is twenty-eight months old.
Does not the fact that Stillman did
not from the first contend that the
boy was not his son seem to
"strensthen the presumption regard
ing it"-that is, the boys right to
his name?
where the circumstances are
such as to give rise to a presumption
OF legitimacy, those who assume the
fact of illegitimacy have cast on
them the burden of establishing it,
HOW CAN HE GET PROoFf
How can Stillman prove. his charges
against Guy, co-defendant in the di-
vorce suit against his mother7 Scien-
lists deny that he can, even by blood
tests. The law says:
"In order to render testimony ad-
missable to overthrow the presump-
ton of legitimacy 1t must have
tendency in a responsible mind to
establish some circumstance which
is regarded as sufficient for this pur-
pose. Mere reputation Of a wife for
unchastity, especially where such
reputation was before marriage or
IN -