The Washington times., 1922-09-27
MRS. T|ERNAN
IS FLAYED BY
POUL|N LAWYER
Limms Her as "UnconscionabIe
Courtesan," In Denying
Clients Paternity of Baby.
by Universal Service.

by Universal Service.
SOUTH BEND, Ind, Sept. 81
Shot through with the same intense
dramatics that for eight days have
featured il, the Tiernan.Poulin pa
ternity trial came 10 close last
night.
The State sprang it's surprise wit
ness in calling Patrick Charles Do.
ran, student of NOtrc Dame Uni
Versity.
Doran shattered the blanket alibi
which the Poulins had woven about
the man accused of being the father
OF Mrs. Augusta Tiernan's ten
month-old baby. Then followed the
defense argument, conducted by At
torney Samuel SChwarz.
Becomes Demonstration.
Limning. a lurid picture of Mrs.
Tiernan as an "unconsclonablG
courtesan who had publicly stripped
herself of the last Vestige of virtue
ana forfeited the right 10 lay claim
TO the sacred halo OF motherhood,
Attorney SchWarZ precipitated a
Hurry of eXCltment. Mrs. TIernan
lcaped from her chair, shrleking,
stop. stop; don you dare say that
don't you dare
She had openly admitted her inf
dellty to her husband, Prof John p.
Tiernan, of the Natrc Dame faculty,
and confessed to the graVest charges
OF misconduct, but through it all she
had never once yielded her right to
mother her t"!o older children beyond
the shadow of the blight of Illegitl-
macy.
Here is the unique spectacle, :"
said Mr.. SChwarZ, pointing at Tier.
nan and his wife, "of man AMI
woman, legally welded, standing
together before the court and before
the world, united in their determina
tion to cast the blight of bastardy
upon their little child.
THE purpose Of this statute wa
to shield children born out of wed.
lock from the stigma of going
through life without a father, n
home. or a name. This child was
father. and name. and that Jaw
is being perverted to make it apply
here"
The defense masscd it's argument
about the contention that the pre-.
sumption of legitimacy always pro
tects a child born into a home
where husband and wife have been
living together in the marriage re-
lationship.
Can this court, with the Ger.
tainty that is necessary, say that
Harry Poulin is the father of this
child, when it has been brought
out that Mr.. and Mrs. Tiernan were
living together during the important
months of February and March of
last year," the attorney continued.
Assails Mrs. Tiernan.
Charging that Mrs. Tiernan he.
fouled her owrr name, to satisfy her
vengeance upon Poulin," the at
torney cited proof of Tiernan's
pride in the youngSter until his wife
confessed her misconduct.
She says she loved Poulin," the
attorney continued. Love that
beautiful word with all it's sacred
sentiments-has been profaned be-
cause it has fallen from the lips of
such a woman"
Mrs. Tiernan was in tears. Her
husband. with his arm about her
shoulder. was CaressinG her and
wagging his head as il in taCiturn
denial of the CALLING accusations
against the woman he had wooed
back into his life as penitent and
devoted mOlnCf OF MS CHlIuIen'
Prosecutor Floyd JellisOn, in
arguing the case for the State.
emphasized the point that there
could not possibly he any ulterior
motive in Mrs. Tiernan's barring her
own shame to the world as she had
done.
There are gross discrepancies
between the stories to- by tn"
States witness and with oSes for
the defense" Mr.. Jellison Contin.
ued. Either Poulin or this little
woman lied. Either this woman is
not only a perjurer, but a monster
Of the blackest kind. or Harry
Puulin Is rank liar who every
second he was on the stand per
jurcd his own soul.
Hints that perjury prosecutions
may follow if Judge Chester Du-
comb fails to bind Poulin over to
the circuit court were prevalent
today as result of the impeaCh-
ment of Poulin's testimony by two
rebuttal witnesses.
Judge DuComb intimated that he
would have his decision ready sat
urday morning. Prof Tiernan an
nounced that his wife did not plan
to exercise her prerogative of ap-
pealing.
mo good could come of It," he