The Washington times., 1922-09-20
MRS. .T|ERNAN,
COURT, REC|T:ES.
TALE Of DECEIT.
Sticks to Testimony PouIin Is
child's Father Under Cross
Examination
by International New. Service.

SOUTH BEND, Ind., sept. w.
The sordid story OF trickery and
deceit wrung from the trembling
lips Of Mrs. Augusta Tiernan in
her court action to prove that
Harry Poulin Is the father of her
baby born last November was to
be taken UP by her husband. Prof.
John Tiernan, Of Notre Dame Uni,
versity, today.
With Mrs. Tfernan's story of her
Illicit love romance with Poulin
complete, even to the most intimate
relations, Prosecutor Floyd o. Jel-
lison was next to establish, through
the testimony of the husband,
whether the rernans lived together
as husband and wife during Feb.
ruary and March OF 1s21--''the love
/ months" during which Mrs. Tier
nan testified she kept her clan.
destine tryst with Poulin.
II the court permits, the profes-
sor will confirm his wife's state
ment that they did not live in
the married relation during those
months, In an effort to sproye that
the eleven.months-old babe-"ex.
hibit A" In the case-fs not his
child.
Mrs. Tiernan has already explained
how she tricked her husband into be-
lieving that the baby was his own.
Through binding tears she told a
story of carefully planned deceit. She
went to him on April 2, she said,
after she knew that she was to be.
come a mother. and then on April
10 she told him of her condition.
Love Turns to Hate.
! All went well until, as Mrs. Tier.
nan said. she was snubbed by her
lover. Then her love for Poulin
| scorned, determined to make the man
over her sin.
IT was crying around the house all
| the time l was preparing dinner"
Mrs. Tiernan said. speaking Of the
Sunday when Poulin Is alleged to
have snubbed her. Just before we
were going to sit down to the table,
Mr.. Herman asked me what was the
| trouble.
Il couldn't stand the agony any
longer, and I told him.
! That baby Is not yours
He said oh. my God" und fell
face downward on the floor"
The witness was trembling and
sobs choked her voice. Less than
ten feet away sat her husband,
nervously biting his lips and glanc.
ing furtively at his wife.
Up to that time he had trea ed
the baby as his own, had always
thought of 1t as his own?" question.
ed Attorney Samuel Parker, for the
defense.
Yves" stammered the mother
1T almost killed him. He got up
grabbed his coat and hat, and left
the house. He said he was going
to find Poulin."
Mrs. Poulin to Talk.
1t was not believed that the
prosecution would complete its evi
dence today. Prof. Tiernan would
be on the stand for much OF the
day, it was expected. Perhaps Mrs
Poulin, who Is standing by her hus
band In the denial of the charges,
will be witness at today's session.
She has been subpoenaed by Prose.
cutor Jellison.
Last night, in answer to ques.
tions, Mrs. Poulin declared that
the world will soon be allowed 10
hear their side Of the case" She
also reiterated her determination
to stand by her husband Ito the
finish"
For eight years Professor Tiernan
has delivered lectures to his classes
on the subject of court procedure.
never visualizlng. perhaps. a legal
ordeal such as he himself suffered
yesterday.
Professor Tiernan was paIpably
nervous when he followed his wife to
the witness stand. He tried desper.
ately to retain his quiet classroom
dignity, but the distress OF his pretty
young wife. who sat weeping pro-
fusely few feet from him. affected
him deeply.
He corroborated Mrs. Tiernan's
story of the circumstances of their
meeting Poulin and OF the two years
Of mutual friendship. Increased pro.
fessionai duties, he said, his venture
at authorship, senior examinations
and a myriad other duties at the uni.
versity had so occupied his time dur.
ing the early months OF last year thar
normal domestic relationship with
his wife was impossible.
1t was upon this point, their do
mestic relationship during January
and February Of last year, that At
torney Samuel Barker, defending
Poulin, had mercilessly dweIt in his
three hours of whitening cross .exami-
nation Of Mrs. Tiernan.
Pounding away with trip>ha;nmer
blows, the attorney sought to enmesn
the accusing witness in testimony
conflicting with her dramatic con-
fession OF her clandestine amours
with Pou.l. She stood. however, by
the main thread Of her story "a aaiIi
naming the dapper young habec-
dasher as the father OF her Zen.
month-old son.
The fury, pent up during eight
anxious months, broke forth when
Attorney Parker vitriolically insinu.
ated that her second child also was
iilegitimate. ="
Didn't your husband charge that
the second child was not his?" Al.
torney Parker asked with a tinge
of asperity.
mo, ne did not" shrieked the
distracted woman. leaping at the
attorney like a wounded animal at