Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-16
MRS. PEGGY LAN|ER
IS GIVEN AL|MONY
Of $40 MONTE lilly
Listens Calmly to Entire
Testimony - Court Room
Packed as Story of Mar
rage Is ReCoUnted

MACON, Ga, Jan. 15.-Calmly
and with dry eyes save for a minute
of tears when physicians recounted
) the physical infirmities Of her young
husband, Mrs. Peggy Lewis Lanier
sat in the court room and listened
to her attorneys build up and others
tear down her case for alimony,
; which eliminated in a verdict
against Sydney Lanier, for $40 per
month, temporary alimOny, and $3.50
attorneys fees, directed by Judge
H. A Mathews, in Bib superior
court.
Enveloped in a huge black coat
with handsome squirrel trimming,
and wearing a becoming close-fitting
toque with a band of green ribbon
around it, Mrs. Lanier, accompanied
by Miss Mary Jane Allen, her bosom
friend, and Oliver C. Hancock, OF
Macon, and James c. Dodgen, of Al
lanta, her attorneys, entered the
courtroom promptly at 1919 O'CLOCK
Saturday morning, taking her place
lat the long green table where men
have sat while their lives hung in
the balance and women waited while
ilries severed them from the love-
ties of years.
A few minutes later, Sydney La
nier, the young husband, with his
father, DR.. j. d. Lanier, and Sgd
ney Hatcher, his counsel, entered,
young Lanier taking a chair directly
across from his wife without a sign
Of apparent recognition. The court
room was packed, scores standing
in the aisles when Sheriff Jim Hicks
raped for order. Judge H. A. Mat
thews took his seat. and the trial
started.
Attorneys for both parties first
read the pleadings in the case and
when Attorneys Hatcher
reached the point where he alleged
that Mrs. Peggy Lewis Lanier had
urged Sydney to marry her, the
, wife tugged strenuously at the
sleeve. of her counsel, evidently
wanting him to at once deny the
ALLEGATION. In his pleadings Attorney
Hatcher charged that the enormous
publicity in connection with the af-
, fair had been at the suggestion of
) Mrs. Lanier ana that no word of
. marriage had been spoken between
Sydney Lanier and Peggy Lewis,
until after Sydney had taken a
. drink in the presence of his WIFE
lobe and insisted that the wedding
had come as a joke and without
serious intent on the part OF ell
fher the husband or the wife.
Made Violent Love
She said Sydney Lanier called her
over the phone at o'clock, telling
her he had a matter of importance
70 discuss with her. She said that
she had been in Atlanta for about
month previous to the call and that
sydney had called on her on numer-
Gus occasions, making, two trips OF
several DAYS duration to Atlanta to
see her.
When asked as to whether she had
q source Of independent income she
testified that she had been supported
partly by her mother anG partly by
her cousin, W. E. Minter, of Hunt
-hnI -
/ made her home for the past several
wears. Her mother, she testified, has
been employed as a stenographer in
an office in North Carolina, but is
not now at work,
Discussing her hectic love affair
with Sydney Lanier, she said that
on occasions too numerous to re-
count he had made violent love to
her and time after time urged her
to agree to marry him, telling her
that his father owned ninety houses
in Macon and would certainly give
them one to live in.
Sydney also told her, she said,
he had s., 1000 sailed away and was
willing to work steadily to support
her. Acting on these representa-
lions, she finally agreed to marry
him on the night of November 5,
and yielding to his ardent desire
for an immediate wedding. She said
that it was agreed between them
that the marriage should not be
COnsummated until Sydney had
time to come to Macon and tell
his father of his marriage, but that
then he was to return for her after
she had completed her trOusseau.
She denied vehementIy that she had
seen, smelled or tasted any whisky
on the night of the wedding, and
that Sydney was not in the least
| drunk.
She told of the trip for the license
and to the minister's fer the hur
ried wedding and then Of the re
turn to the home OF Miss Allen,
characterizing as a lie the state
ment that after the return she and
| Sydney discussed divorce and an
nulment.
! When asked by Attorney Hancock
if she considered Sydney Lanier able
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