Evening star., 1944-03-09
Present Mrs. Lanoan
To Testify on Custody
OF 1O-Year-0Id Joan

Mrs. Florence Langan was to be
called to the stand in District Court
today to testify in behalf of her
stepdaughter, l0-year- -old Joan Lam
gan, who has spent the last two
weeks romping in the corridors be-
hind the courtroom of Justice T.
Alan Goldsborough while John Lam
gan, her father, and Joan Manners,
his former wife, have been wrangling
over her custody.
The child will be called on to
testify by Charles Walker, attorney
for her father, but it is possible
her story will be heard by Justice
Goldsborough in chambers Almost
since the current custody hearing
began Justice Goldsborough's court
room has been filled with curious
spectators.
Four witnesses yesterday told of
the child's care since she was taken
by her father from Miss Manners
custody following a Maryland court
order awarding the girl to the
mother, and of Joan's progress since
she came to live in Chevy Chase.
James Trimble Testifies.
James Trimble, assistant custodian
of the Capitol and son of South
Trimble. clerk of the House, told of
Joan's staying with him and his wife
for day shortly after Mr.. Langan
took the girl from the custody of
the mother He quoted Joan as say
ing that my mother says she can
make me love her in 10 days but
she could stay year and I still
wouldn't love her"
Mr.. Trimble also related that the
child had told him her mother
threatened to Elk me back in Cali
fornia," and that she would have
a nurse for me night and day" The
Capitol official said after he heard
of Mr.. Langan taking the child on
February 25, he called Mrs. Florence
Langan "as friend and said would
serve any way I could"
Mrs. John O'Rourke, wife of the
editor of the Washington Daily
News, said the girl was brought up
to her apartment the day Mr..
Langan took her from Miss Manners
and that she was brought back on
February % and has remained with
her ever since.
Mrs. ORourke said the child eX-
pressed herself "vehemently" against
her mother and said she didn't like
her. The witness said the little
girl was talking in that vein one
day when Mr.. Langan came into
the room and rebuked her for saying
unkind things about her mother.
But she says bad things about
u.s." little Joan was quoted as saying
Father Cautions Child.
That doesn't matter" Mr.. Lam
gan said, according to Mrs.
O'Rourke. ''It doesn't become a
little girl to say things like that
about her mother"
On the day of the blood test
which established that Mr. Langan
may be the father of the child, Mrs.
O'Rourke said the girl told her, Il
have to prove daddy was there when
I was born"
VAAAlC "AOliCooSS COli-
stantly referred to Mrs. Florence
Langan as the mother of the child,
Miss Manners, sitting with her at
torneys, burst into tears. Walter
Green, one of her lawyers, protested
the references to the present Mrs
Langan.
Two other witnesses, Mrs. Hannah
Rose, principal of the Chevy Chase
elementary school, and DR.. Margaret
Nicholson, child psychologist, pre-
viously testified that little Joan wasl
a normal, well adjusted child after
two years of living with Mr.. Langan
and his present wife.
There has been a vast change
since she came to u.s." Mrs. Rose
said. She now has a healthy out
look owing to the good influence of
her home"
DR.. Nicholson described Joan's
Chevy Chase home as "a happy
home" and said the little girl was
unusually fond" of her baby STEP
brother