Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-15
SOUTH'S DAUGHTER
ADMITS ADOPTING
TARIUIN BABIES
Mrs. Eva Swain Follows
Mothers Example in
PaIring Off Children as
Her Own

| Another sensation in Atlanta's. ia
nous South "triplet" case came Sat-
urday, when Mrs. Alice South, of 23
Weyman avenue, declared that her
married daughter had also secretly
obtained five children, presented
them to her husband. and kept him
in ignorance of the fact that he was
not their real father.
For a week the whole country has
been marvelling at the story of how
Mrs. South in the past fourteen years
| has presented her husband, f. E. A.
South, with eleven children he be-
lieved were his own, but who In
reality came from an Atlanta matern-
ity hospital.
And now Mrs. South confesses that
she materially aided her daughter.
Mrs. Eva May Swain, of Jacksonville.
| in practicing a similar deception on
her husband, Willis H. Swain, by
presenting him with five children
from the same maternity home.
They were born" in Atlanta, Mrs.
| South says, just as her eleven were.
making total of sixteen babies that
| she anu l6E uduSIloT nave pdlm6Q Ok
on their unsuspecting husbands
Mrs. South told her second remarks
ably story to a Journal man Satur-
day afternoon when she was shown
dispatches from Jacksonville to the
| effect that Mrs. Swain had undoubt-
eddy followed her mothers example
in adopting and palming off children
on her husband, but that she firmly
refused to talk about it.
'Well, it's every bit true" asserted
Mrs. South, land it's another story OF
mother love; my daughter grew tired
of lavishing her affections on house
full of poodle dogs, and l helped her
to secretly obtain her babies and give
birth to them in my home"
First Marriage
Mrs. Swain Is the only daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. South, and now Is thr-
ty-four years old-just fifteen years
younger than her mother
In 1909 she was married to George
Pew. a machinist, of Richmond. Va,
J Mrs South said. Their marriage
was an after failure, and after four
, years they separated. No children
ndu DleSSeQ their nome. .-a-tsfss-.eas.
EVA May promptly obtained di-
vorce, and one year later--in 191i--
) she became the wife of Willis FL.
Swain, of Jacksonville. He was a
electrician for the Construction In
; cheering company and had a good
job. Their married life was happy
from the start, and their little home
at 604 East Third street was one
of the most delightful spots in the
whole world: But two years passed
and no children came, and Eva May
was bitterly disappointed
| Like myself, she had great de-
sire for children. But through 1t all
she loved her husband devotedly-
just as devotedly as l love mine"
And as she said this, Mrs. South
| took large-framed portrait of her
| husband from the dresser and pressed
| it to her heart.
"They were just as happy together
as two doves-Willis and Eva May
continued Mrs. South, but my daugh-
little home. She felt like Willis
needed them. too. She was the only
living person except Mrs. NJ II.
| Mitchell at the maternity home who
| knew how / obtained my eleven ba-
! bies, so she wrote me that she wanted
to have some babies the same way
Mrs. South said she and her
daughter discussed the subject in
all their letters for several months.
1t was finally decided, she said, for
her daughter to come to Atlanta to
have her first child.
Made Arrangements
Before She arrived | made ali
| arrangements with Mrs. Mitchell to
get the baby from her home" con-
tinued Mrs. South.
The Souths were living at 10;
Capitol avenue when Mrs Swain.
first baby was born" to her.
EVA May stayed in our home FOL
nearly two months before the bah.
said Mrs. South. Il went to Mrs
| MitchelPs, picked the baby out, an(
| took it home in a taxicab. 1t was
a precious little girl, and Eva May
and Willis named it Josie b." saio
I'VE wired Willis and he wired
back how happy he was. Mr.. South
came home from work that night
and told Eva May the baby looked
exactly like her. AS a matter OF
blance.
Eva May took the baby back TO
weeks old. Then, two years later
| tanned tWins-Willis ard Antonio |
got them from Mrs. Mitchell, too.
| Willis was named for his daddy and
Antonio was named after Mr. South.
year old.
ION September "a, 1918, Eva MAY
obtained twins again. / selected
them for her, too, and they were
| girls. They are named Evelyn and
Gwendolyn, and are in perfect
| health"
Mrs. South declared Mrs. SWANS
husband has never suspected for an
instant that the babies were not
his very i. She said Mr.. South
W; fooled about his grandchildren
too THAT is, if he suspected any
thing he never mentioned it," she
added with a broad smile.
The last twins came while the
Souths were residing at SO White
hall Terrace. Mrs. Swa m remained
IN Atlanta for almost three months
before she returned to her husband
Continued on Page G. Column a.