The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-07
GOVERNOR SUED
BY STENOGRAPHER

| jackson, MISS, F"b. GA 100000
damage suit, based upon alleged Sc.
duct'on, filed by Miss Frances c.. Birk.
head against Lee NJ. Russell, gov.
ernor of Mississippi, in the United
States district court here today, ac-
cording to prominent officials, "pre-
sages one of the bitterest and most
sensational episodes in all the series
of legal and political wars for which
the state has been noted"
Miss Birkhead, who now resides in
New Orleans, was a stenographer in
Mr.. Russell's office here while he was
serving as lieutenant governor. She
charges that she was betrayed by the
present chief executive with avowals
Of Glove and promises of marriage,
after he could get divorce from his
wife," Her petition names prominent
Mississipians as being acquainted with
her relations with Governor Russell.
In her bill Of particulars, which was
filed by Attorney Thomas Foster of
Vicksburg, Miss Birkhead asks for
$4,000 on each of two counts. The
first, alleged seduction, recounts that
she was persuanded to "yield to his
will and that as a result the plain
tiff's reputation and character were
ruined and she was caused to lose her
employment and her health was ruin
ed, to her great damage, in the sum
Of $5O,OOO."
In the second count Miss Birkhead
alleges she underwent an operation
"at the instigationof Governor Rus
sell, which totally ruined and wrecked
her health, causing her to suffer un-
told anguish and pain. that she is now
an invalid and must remain so the
rest Of her life" For this she asks
$4,000 more.
For nearly four years there are said
to have been in circulation in official
channels in Mississippi stories con-
cerning the relations Of the two which
friends of the governor are said to
have attributed to his political enc
mics. Recently these rumors and gos-
sip centered about the probability of
a damage suit ."that would shake Mis-
sissippi from Tennessee to the gulf"
Governor Russell, when questioned
about the suit today, refused to dis
cuss it further than to declare it to
1bs.ssthss snost. .daninahle sblackmail. eon-
spiracy in he history of Mississippi
He is said to have declared, however,
after the filing of the suit, that he
had frequently heard of scheme
to bring a suit Of this character
against me-" He attributes it all to a
malicious attempt of enemies to
blacken my character"
In a sworn statement Miss Birk-
head gives a full narration of the in
c:dents occurring since June, 1918,
when she went to work in the draft
department of the adjutant generals
Office here until the present time. She
alleges the incident for which she is
bringing suit occurred in Mr.. Rus
sell's private Office in the state house
in July, 1918, while she was employed
as his stenographer.
She said she met the defendant
while he was lieutenant governor Of
the state and having been promised a
position in his Office, she accepted.
His attitude, he said, soon became
more than friendly, and soon "declara-
tions of love were forthcoming" He
was going to marry her, she added,
"as soon as he could get a divorce
from his wife, who was childless, and
with whom he was not happy" Un-
der these promises she said she "yield-
ed to his will and there were clandes-
tine meetings between us for several
months in many of which subterfuges
and private entrances were resorted
to to allsg suspicion and prevent the
spread of gossip"