The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-05-01
SPITE CHILDREN
IN DIVORCE WAR
Baby Is Pitted Against
Baby in Fight for
Millions
By MARGERY REX.
.-,.t,, children

"Spite children.
Something new. Men have long
bul, spite fences the ancient in
spu,lors that arise quickly between
adjoining lots when neighbors come
% blows and harsh words.
Bu. spite children" seems to de-
,.rlbo ,he strange situation preclpi-
,,ted ln The Stillman case whereby
,uo innocent babies are at legal
var each with the other, through
the battle which estrangos their par
onts 80,
one called illegitimate by his own
father though born In wedlock.
Tho other said to have been born
out of wcdlock and illegitlmate.
GUY is Used as weapon against
his lovely mother by the head Of the
National city bank, who would dis
Inherit the little fellow and cut him
on from he Stillman millions.
4 Now II James A. Stillman was able
% carry Out his divorce plans. in
which suit he accuses his wife, Anne
Tr1uhar; Slilman, OF infidelity and
her child ~ having no right to the
marry Mrs Florence Leeds"
suCh marriage would make the
now IIegltimate Jay Leeds a legiti-
mate child. heir 10 millions. and
Guy Stllman, illegitimate, left pen
niless
Thus one baby Is pitted against
another Tor good name and money.
Inf1r.afcd az the wife. whom he
accuses. bat who Is said to have tried
10 hold his errant love. James a,
Suumau finally broke with her and
named a guide Of the North Woods
as correspondents.
Sucn accusation wiuld be caicu-
lated 10 make a woman suffer but
more cruel than such allegations
was the stigma OF illegitimacy cast
upon her innocent baby.
But can Stillman use jay as a
spite fence against Guy?
See what the law says:
In the absence OF restrictions In
the statute, legitimation places an
iogitimate child, as far as inherita-
bic blood IN concerned, on the same
footing as offspring born in lawful
vedlock. The status OF the child
will obtain everywhere and no act or
statement Of the father or mother
can thereafter change it,"
And:
The general current OF modern
authority favors the doctrine that
where an Legitimate child has been
legitimated, such legitimacy follows
the child wherever II may go and
entities 1t TO all the rights flowing
from such statute. including the
right TO Inherit"
How Law Defines Legitimacy.
Legitimacy Is defined as:
"A child Ia presumed to be iegiti-
mate until the contrary is shown.
In case OF conflicting presumptions,
that in favor OF legitimacy will pre-
vail. Every child born in wedlock
is by law presumed to be legitimate,
even though 1t may be shown also
that the wife during tho time was
guilty Of infidelity."
Therefore, assuming that James
a Stillman were able to prove the
charges OF infidelity he makes
against his wife, and which, 1t
should be remembered, she sweep
lngly denies, still that would not
necessarily denote that Guy Stillman
H not legitimate.
Continuing with quotations from
lNc Jaw.
The fact that an assumed legiti-
macy has remained uncontroverted
Tor great length OF time strength
ems The presumption regarding it."
why has Stiilman suddenly decid-
ca mat Guy is not his son? The
chlld is rs months old. Does not
the fact that Stillman did not from
the FIRST contend that the boy was
not his soon seem to Strengthen
the presumption regarding it"--that
Is, ne boys right to his name?
Where the circumstances are
such as to give rise to a presumption
OF legitimacy those who assume the
Iac' Of illegltimacv have cast on
'hem the burden OF establishing it,"