Evening star., 1952-08-15
Virginian Faces
FurtherG Gri||inq
In Steri|ity Suit
Court Must Decide
Question Of Consent
After Stork Surprise
By jack Jones'
Stor Stoff CorYespondenf

Stor Staff Correspondent
FRONT ROYAL, Va, Aug. 49,
James E. Williams, star witness il
his sterility suit against a From
Royal, physician, was to take tn,
stand again today in an effort tt
prove the doctor made his wife
unable to bear children.
The 26-year-old electrician /;
seeking $25,000 from DR.. Lyle T
Hansbrough, operator of the so.
bed Front Royal Community Hos
pital.- The doctor performed an
operation in June. 1850. designed
to make Mrs. Williams sterile, fol-
lowing the birth of her third child
But nature confounded the suit.
Two weeks ago, Mrs. Williams gave
birth to her fourth child.
+ Il darn near swallowed my
teeth" Mr.. Williams attorney, AL
fred M. Hickman of Washington
Va. said during a brief recess in
the trial yesterday. ut was a
beautiful case until that baby
came along"
Surprise to Husband, Too.
Mr.. Williams told the jury of
seven men and two women that
the birth was quite a surprise to
him, also. He testified he didn't
know until three days before the
baby was born that it was on the
way.
The suit Is being tried anyway
In an attempt to get an answer
to the legal question: Is a hus-
bands consent necessary for a
sterility operation?
After much legal wrangling,
Circuit Court Special Judge Ham
ilton Haas of Warren County
ruled yesterday that only ques-
tions bearing on the sterility is
sue could be asked.
Mr.. Williams testified he first
learned of the operation when he
called to inquire about his wife's
release from the hospital. He
said he was told his wife had had
an operation and could not go
home.
He said he called his private
doctor and was told to call DR..
Hansbrough.
Had Two Bottles of Beer.
81 stopped at the Dinner Bell
and had two bottles of beer" Mr..
Williams said. Then I called on
DR.. Hansbrough. I told him
didn't give my permission for any
operation"
He said the doctor told him:
The operations done now, and
1t can't be undone. You're drunk.
I don't want you in the hospital
like this"
The following day, Mr.. Will
liams said, he returned to the
hospital, where his mother in law,
Mrs. Minnie v. Scrivener, pleaded
with him to sign release giving
his permission for that operation,
so the doctor wouldn't perform
another operation.
DR.. Hansbrough, Mr.. Williams
said, told him that if he didn't
sign the release. he would per-
form another operation on Mrs.
Williams to make her fertile
again.
"She was my wife, and I didn't
think she could stand all that
cutting" Mr.. Williams testified.
"I didn't want to see her treated
inhuman-like-cut again."
Refused to Sign, He Says.
Even so, he said he refused to
sign the release. Then, on June
II, he said he went back to the
hospital and took his wife home.
Under cross-examination he
declared:
II took her from the hospital so
DR.. Hansbrough couldn't perform
another surgery on her."
Mr.. Williams said he experienced
a great deal of pain and mental
suffering as a result of the Incl
dent.
Nov that your wife is no longer
sterile, you feel no pain?" Attor-
ney j. Sloan Kirkendall asked.
"The pain is still here, Mr..
Kirkendall," Mr.. Williams replied.
I'm still suffering"
In his opening statement to the
jury, Mr.. Hickman said he would
present a birds-and- lesson
on the biological processes that
bring pregnancy.
He said he would show the "ar-
rogance of the defendant and his
wanton and reckless disregard of
the rights of the plaintiff"
Greater Than knowledge"
There is something greater
than our own knowledge" he said,
in referring to the birth of the
Williams fourth child. I'VE dol
concede for the purposes of this
case that we cannot prove what
we originally alleged-a perma-
nent sterility."
The defense brought out that
Mr.. Williams once had been con-
victed of non-support and that
his wife once had appealed to the
County Welfare Board for aid in
keeping her children.
Queried about the occasion"
of the non-support charge, Mr..
Williams countered:
Il have never given her the
occasion. She has taken the oc-
casion couple of times"
Mr.. Williams told the jury he
hopes to have more children in the
future.
Maybe IS. or maybe 20 in time"
he said.