Evening star., 1922-09-28
1|ERNANS IN FIGHT
! 0NHOMEBREAKERS
Couple Declare They Seek to
Establish Precedent In
|. Paternity Case.
URGE SINGLE STANDARD
Warn Young Couples Against Al
lowing Others to influence
Home Life.
URGE SINGLE STANDARD

ever heard in the Indiana courts.
What motive impelled Prof. John
Tiernan OF Notre Dame University to
parade his wife before the public as
the mother of an illegitimate child.
while still loving her and claiming
her as his own? Why has he at
tempted to fasten the paternity of
BILLY" on a local clothing salesman.
Harry Poulin. while he still shelters
the child and says he always will care
for 1t as one of his own? Why has
ne demanded a small sum of money
from Poulin to pay the expenses of
the maternity of the disputed boy?
Why has he held Billy" the inno-
cent victim of it all. up to the public
as a child born out of wedlock?
Tiernan Gives Reason.
Prof. Tiernan answered these nat
ural questions today.
That justice may be done" he said.
The time has come when man must
stand on the same moral plane with
woman"
That. then. is the psychological in
duence 6ehind prosecution which
has puzzled the nation.
There was no hasty action on the
part of the university professor or
his seemingly devoted wife. Theirs
IS indeed strange case. and out
Of 1t has just come from the lips Of
"the woman some sound reasoning
as to the cause of troubles in the
Prof. and Mrs. Tiernan acted
against the advice Of all their friends.
against the advice of their priest and
against the advice Of the officers of
the law. For eight months the Tier
mans studied the problem and sought
the advice which in the end they
tossed to the winds. deciding. as they
say, to forget the convention, to forget
themselves in order that the larger
problems. the welfare of innocent
children and erring women. might be
taken care Of through future genera
tions.
Eoth realize the sacrifices they have
made in the hearing just ended. Both
know that the public is a merciless
critic. but determined they were to
test their theory in the court Of good
citizenship.
Mrs. Tiernan. more than her hus-
band. is responsible for the airing Of
this alleged violation Of the moral
code, for it was she who literally
forced her husband to submit to her
will and bring about the arrest Of the
man whom she claims not only led
her astray. but scorned her.
Prof. Tiernan is a faithful member
Of the Roman Catholic Church. He
detests divorce and separation. believ-
ing, as he stated today. that "the in
tesrity Of the home: the. sanctity or
marriage and the/ happiness of the
united family will do more to upllft
humanity than any other factors in
life's routine.
Having come to these conclusions.
Prof. and Mrs. Tiernan decided to act
under the paternity laws of Indiana
and therefore prepared an affidavit
which not only placed the man whom
Mrs. Herman claims Is the father OF
her third born child, in Jail, but also
brought about a hearing in court
which has stirred the country from
end to end.
Believes In Publicity.
Publicity, Prof Tiernan believes. IS
the mighty weapon through ~! Ih .tanS wnlSn
ard. Through the medium of pub
licitv. this university teacher and au-
thor Of legal text books believes that
a betrayer Of q woman may De eN-
pelled from a community ana the
minds of people raised to such a PIN
nacle that the issue OF aeoasi"s
union shall not suffer.
Subscribing to this thought further.
Prof. Tiernan said:
~ do not represent myself in this
case, but the unfortunate child. Even
il have to carry this battle to the
noint of community action. shall
see that justice is done. I shall in
yolye the influence of friends with a
view of expelling the invader OF the
homo from the community. He Is not
only a standing challenge. but men
ace to the community. He must be
exposed thoroughly that the wronged
woman may be comforted and the
child acknowledged"
It is from Mrs. Tiernan. however.
that one learns Of the trials that
have beset her, and in these trials
she says there is lesson Tor all
Sometimes she explained today.
"although young husbands love their
wives devotedly, they are apt to give
to their work a more apparent deEo-
ton than they concetle to their help
meets. Or perhaps they have inter-
ests that require attention to the eN-
clusion of the young wife. Naturally
a young wife feels pique when this is
the case. and unless she is more than
ordinarily strong Of will she will
seek amusements elsewhere that she
should have with her husband"
Further, as she explained her traS-
edy. Mrs. Tiernan called attention to
those young wives who feel that they
are undergoing a period OF sem1-lm-
prisonment in home where they
meet only the same people day after
day, where they go through the same
ing beds and polishing furniture. and
feel that they are entitled to little
relaxation. But their husbands. not
being socially inclined or because
they have their clubs and their man
friends downtown. as we'll as the
ever present change in their occupa-
tions. fail to realize the danger in
which their wives are placed when
they meet young men of good ap-
pearance who seem to take a more
than ordinary interest in them.
Women" said Mrs. Tiernan, will
naturally seek the company Of men
who interest them more than their
husbands do. and who can give them
not or will not give.
Couple to Forget Past.