South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-09-19
CURIOUS HUNDREDS
HEAR MRS. TIERNAN
ON WITNESS STAND
Story of Unholy Love and In
innate Details of Illicit
Romance Barred.

When Judge DuCOmD entered the
court room. the gallery Of the coun
ell chamber was filled with those
who had been there before noon and
outside. beating upon the doors for
admission was a crowd that filed
every hall Of the city buiidinS
Women were in a large preponder-
ance i'm these crowds
Then into the court room stepped
Pros JeIlison, who was followed
closely by Mrs. Herman and Prof.
Herman. a nurse, Mrs. Finklebinder
carrying the little child whose
name was challenged and who is
known 10 its mother As Billy"
4 slight delay and then Attys.
Samuel Parker and samuel
Schwartz. accompanied by Poulin
entered and stepped 20 the long
table in front Of the bench.
As Airs. Herman and Pouln took
their places at the counsel table,
she looked steadfastly in his direc-
tion but he avoided any return OF
that glance For him she aid noc
exist.
one other tense moment came
when Nitus Jones after half
hour delay. entered the room, With
Mrs Poulin. She vas hurrtedly
ushered TO a seat iE the rear OF the
court room where she promptly
covered her face with her handker-
chief and RETAINED from any eX-
hlbitiOn Of emotion.
Frequently during tho rIial she
smiled as she whispered 10 Mss
Leah Hankey called as a witness
ia the case.
Lawyers who might have expected
a bitter legal clash, a test Of techni-
calities and new theories OF law IN
the most unusual case were disap-
pointed.
Crowd Not Disappointed.
The crowd which evidently want
cd every detail and every Incident
rehearsed foc their beEefit were no.
disappointed. the examination at
one time reaching the point where
Judge DuCOmb suggested that he
was interested only in essential facts
and not in the corroboraung de-
tails which were being brought oct
boy the questions
From the opening statement Of
Pros Jellisou TO the last question
asked by Atty Parker for the day,
there was every indication from
both sides OF a desire TO tell every
thing ana to lift the veil from every
detail in tho case.
The story told by Mrs. German
was that Of a woman who had
ceased TO love her husband, who had
been living I'm the same house but
Is a stranger to him for months
yielding 10 the inpetUous pleadnGs
OF a man who had flattercd ard
petted her
She described the first clandestirc
meeting with Poulin. told how she
had planned an explanation for her
husband and then gone with Poulin
10 the little store Of which nc was
manager.
Tells of First Decd.
She described the stealth with
which they approached the little
room. the caution with which all
lights were dimmed the unrestrair-
ed passion with which she had been
deuged.
Pros. Jellison insisted upon tie
most minute description OF this
meeting. the courtli1ess with winch
POulin had taken her coat and hat.
his whispered vows OF love in tic
l darkness. She described, too, other
triIs which she asserts she made
10 the home of Poulin in the alb
( sence Of his wife. there according %
/ her confession, tc indulge in a gull
~ love.
Two Incidents were brought OF,
1 by Pros. Jell;son, trivial in char
acter. hut tragical whom use1 TO l.
| illuminate the emotions which now
aC,u9te this woman.
! She told OF going 20 meet Pouln,
/ explaining 70 her husband that she
wished to 20 10 a picture SHOW.
I When in reply to q question. she
said that she had no money, her
husband. pulled a dollar bill and
! gave II 10 her. Pouifn. size sad
took the bill TO have II changed in
/ order that no suspicion might be
I formed I'm her husbands mind and
then retained the bill ana change
The other was the promise Of
! roses 10 be sent when the babe
/ came into the world She told OF
! his repeated promises 10 never dc
sert her. The roses lid not come. "
| che said. The crowd laughed but
/ The witness sobbed.
Most Intimate Details.
All through the afternoon the
woman who has centercd the eyes
/ OF the nation upon herself by her
/ unusual charge and course OF con-
| duo. told the most intimate details
| OF her life. on cross examination,
che pictured her home as without
/ the usual affection and repeated
/ that she had been living az merely
@ hoUsekeeper 20 Prof. Herman for
/ months before her alleged intimacy
with Poul.n
From the questions OF Atty. Par
ker = was indicated that the case
/ - 20 be fought on the truth or fai-
slty Of her story. rather man any
reliance upon legal prescriptions
! and that the defense viii endeavor
( 10 refute al her charges.
As she gave her evidence. her
voice at times dropped 20 whisper
/ and at times she was unable 20 an
I swer because Of her soos. Before
she went 20 the stand she broke
down completely. affected by the
long delay and the ordeal of being
the target for the hundreds OF curl
/ Gus eyes.
/ Down at the counsel table with
Pros. Jeliison sat Prof. Herman. the
! husband. who heard the Story Of
his own betrayal told TO the curious
ears OF a listening city. He heard
! the tricks by which he had beer
! fooled. heard the confession that
his wife had listened 10 pleading
lover who was jealous Of him, OF