Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-22
MRS. POUL|N BACKS
HUSBAND IN HOOS|ER
PATERNITY SCANDAL
Wife of Accused Man Contra
verts Story Told by Mrs.
Herman.

South Bend, Ind. Sept. 21-Mrs
Harry Poulin. first witness to be called
by the defense in the hearing of the
paternity case in which Mrs. Augusta
Tiernan charges that Harry Poulin.
and not her husband. is the father of
her third child, took the stand late
Thursday afternoon and disputed al
most in its entirety the testimony pre-
viously given by Mrs. Tiernan con-
cerning the alleged relations between
Poulin and Mrs. Tiernan.
Mrs. Poulin was summoned to the
stand directly after the state had rest
ed its case. The large gallery, whose
penchant for demonstrativeness had
aroused the ire of Judge Ducomb on
several occasions, greeted the defend
ants wife, who has throughout main
tanned apparent belief in his innocence,
with Kisses and cat calls. This out
burst caused the jurist once more to
threaten to clear the chamber and con-
duct the hearing behind closed doors.
After the defense witness, under di-
rect questioning by Attorney Schwartz.
had testified she had been at church
with her husband on these nights dur
ing the Lenten season when Mrs Tier
nan had declared she had her relations
with Poulin. she also told of a meeting
with Mrs. Tiernan at the poulin home
in February, 1921. when she said her
husbands accuser had told her there
had been no break in the matrimonial
happiness between her and the pro-
fessor.
Wives Testimony Varies
This was on February 20, 1921, she
said. and the testimony was in every
af RIO hr
Mrs Tieuaan.
After the defense had completed its
brief questioning of Mrs. Poulin, Pros
ecutor Jellison took up his cross-exam-
ination, severely grilling the witness in
an effort to break down her story.
This led to a clash of attorneys, after
which Jellison stated he was attempt
ing to lay q foundation for impeach
ment proceedings against her testi-
mony. Judge Ducomb overruled the
defense objections and it was at this
point that court was adjourned until
Friday morning, when the prosecutor
will resume his examination.
The session Thursday was more
fraught with excitement than any of
those preceding. At one time when
Professor Tiernan was being cross-ex
amined by Attorney Parker, it ap
peared as if the court would have TO
be adjourned to preserve order. The
tumult resulted from an insinuation
by Parker that the professor was the
father of an illegitimate child bora TO
a woman in Illinois.
''It's n liea it's a lie shouted pro-
fessor Tiernan, jumping from the wit
ness chair in Indignation. Its a lie
and YOU know it's a lie" he reiterated,
as he motioned to his wife, who had
leaped nj the attorney in defense of
her husband. to sit down.
Trial Filled With Drama
Another dramatic incident occurred
when Mrs. Fireman was called back TO
the stand for a few minutes in the
afternoon to undergo further cross-ex-
animation by the defense counsel. The
latter attempted to draw from her an
admission that she had confided to
Mrs. Poulin that Professor Tiernan
and she had not lived apart until some
time after Mrs. Tiernan's alleged mis-
conduct with Poulin.
When the defense attorney asked
her if it was true that she had made
this admission, she fairly shouted at
him:
mo. it's not"
Then she broke down sohbing. She
occupied the stand only for few min
utes.
The defense completed its cross-ex-
animation of Professor Herman at
noon. He repeated the story he had
told on direct examination. reiterating
the claim that Poulin confessed his
guilt and offered to make financial
settlement for the expenses of accouch-
ment-an offer which, he testified, was
never carried out.