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Atlanta Georgian (and news)
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VOL.'V. NO. 295.
ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, JUNE 14. 1907.
PftTf!T6 In Atlanta: TWO CENTS,
i UiVtlj. On Train*: FIVE CENTS.
ON VERGE OF DEATH
NEGRO TELLS STORY
OF HIS MANY CRIMES
NATIONS GATHERING TO TALK OF PEACE
On Gallows He Ad
mits Two Assaults
and One Murder.
after long fight
HE TELLS STORY
Drop Fell at 11:45 and the
Negro Lived 35 Min
utes Aftervvafd,
Standing on the gallows In the coun-
ty Jail Friday morning, with. Sheriff
Kelmi, who was waiting f*o spring the
trap that would send his soul into eter
nity. Will Johnson confessed to having
criminally assaulted Mrs. George Hem.
bree, the crlmo for which he was sen
tenced to be hanged, and confessed to
committing three other crimes in this
county and one In Texas. The drop
fell at .11:45, and Johnson was dead at
12: fO o'clock. •
In addition to making the assault
upon Mrs. Hembree, Johnson admitted
that he shot Amos Moody, a white man
who was mysteriously murdered on the
Adamsvllle road on the night of August
1$, 1908; that ho made the attempted
assault upon the Misses Lawrence in
the suburbs of Atlanta on August 20,
and for which another negro was sen
tenced to forty years in the peniten
tiary; that he shot through the window
of J. W. Bryant on tho night of the 12th
of November, 1906, filling Mr. Bryant’s
face with gunshot, and that he mur
dered a man In Texas some years ago,
whose name he gave as Jackson.
Confesses on Gallows.
Johnson was taken to the gallows by
Sheriff Nelms and Deputies Chastain
Bunin, Oliver and other assistants at
the Jail shortly after 11, o'clock Friday
morning. He seemed calm and com
posed and wore • the same air of ap
parent Indifference until Just before the
trap was sprung when. In a quivering
voice, he asked to be allowed one more
word.
"Say whatever you want to. John
son." said Sheriff Nelms.
"I want you all to take warning fr<
me," said Johnson. **I hope I’ll iw
my God In heaven."
While Deputy Sheriff Buran w
placing the cords around Jofrnso
limbs, Sheriff Nelms asked the con
demned negro if he wished to say any
thing.
"You know you are going to be
killed; Johnson, and you had better tell
the truth, if you want to meet your
Ood.’"
Johnson hesitated a moment and
when asked by the sheriff If he waa
guilty of the crime of assaulting Mrs.
Hembree, he said:
"1 tbok the pocketbook from her but
I am not guilty of the rest."
' "Johnson, since you have been arrest
ed none of these crimes have beet* com
mitted. You don't want to face God
Almighty with a lie on your lips," said
Sheriff Nelms. "Tell the truth about
this thing.” ' v /
'■Guilty of It All.”
"To.. »|r. I am guilty of all that I
am chaffed with.", .aid Johnson. "I
Filed Brush About the
Bodies and Set
It Afire.
am i
. I you kill Amoa Moody T
asked Dr. Nelms.
“Yes, sir; I done that, too.” he an
swered.
“Wasn’t a white man back of thal?
Didn’t some one pay you to. kill
Moody? he was asked.
"No. sir; I killed him and no one else
had anything to do with It”
Johnson was then asked about as
saulting the Misses Lawrence and he
admitted that. When asked about
shooting Mr. Bryant he confessed that
crime also without any hesitation.
Had Hidden Gun.
The negro was asked by Officer Bun-
tyn. who, with Officer D. S. Davis, ar
rested him, where he left the gun which
whs stolen from the. home of a negro
Ionian in Battle Hill a short while be
fore the assault upon Mrs. Hembree
w as committed.
‘ Do you know where that little gate
Is Just across the field from the houseV
Johnson asked the officer, and when
the query •.wag answered affirmatively,
he continued:
"Well, the gun la in that field right
close to whete three pine trees are and
It Is laying under some straw.”
Previous to being taken from the
death cell to the gallows, and while the
death watch was being kept, Johnson
confessed to Deputy Sheriff Oliver that
he kilted a man In Texas several years
ago, but did not go into the details.
When Johnson finished his confession
tu<> negro ministers, W. A. Fountain,
pastor of Allen Temple church, and M.
Mriver, a Baptist preacher, held serv-
BULLET IS SENT
INTO BOY’S HEART
Shafer Shoots Wife’s Moth
er Twice and Attempts
to Burn Bodies.
Huntington, W. Va., June 14.—Chaa.
Shafer, a well-known farmer at Rock'
wood. Ohio, Just across the river, shot
and Instantly killed his wife, Carrie
Shafer, his little 6,year-old. son, Her-
shell, and then shot and mortally
wounded his mother-in-law. Mrs. Geo.
Thacker.
The tragedy occurred on a public
highway, just back of the village, and
large posse Is In pursuit of the murder'
Shafer had been quarreling with his
wife for several weeks, and yesterday,
It Is alleged, he struck her a blow
his fist. The mother-in-law went be
fore a magistrate and swore out a war
rant for Shafer's arrest. The trial wai
to have occurred yesterday afternoon.
Hid Self in Thicket.
Shafer, realising that Ills wife and
mother-in-law would nppear to testify
against him. hid himself In a thicket at
the side of the public highway and
awaited the passing <>f the carrlnge
which bis uilftc mottle'r-tn-raw and lit'
tie son were riding. As they drove up,
Shafer, with shotgun In hand, walked
out and seised'the reins of‘the horse
and stopped the carriage.
' He first pulled his wife from the
vehicle and tired the contents of one
barrel ..r the gun through her left
way. The mother of Mrs. Shafer sprang
from the carriage and started to run,
but Shafer fired the contents of the
other barrel of the gun Into her back,
and she fell mortally wounded.
The little boy by this time had
climbed from the carriage and had his
arms aboutthe neck of ms dying moth
er. Shafer cooly reloaded his shotgan,
walked up to his dying wife, and, to
maife. sure of his deadly work, pulled
the'lad away and fired another charge
Into her body.
Shot Boy With Pistol.
He seised his little son by the arm.
and, leading him ofT Into the bushes,
took from his, pocket a pistol, and,
placing It against the chest of the little
fellow, fired a bullet through his heart.
Shafer then returned to the highway
and tired another charge Into the body
of his mother-in-law. and Immediately
began preparations to burn the bodies
of his victims. He heaped brush about
the body of the little boy and aet tire
to It.
At this time some people passing
came upon the scene and Shafer made
a hasty retreat to the hills.
Mrs. Thacker was still alive, and It
was from her lips that the awful story
was told. More than 100 shots are In
her body and physicians say recovery
Is Impossible.
The authorities were Immediately no
tified and a posse was quickly formed
to trail the murderer down.
Ices.
“All Take Warning."
As he walked on the trap Johnson
•eked to see one of his attorneys, but
neither of them were present. As Dep
uty Sheriff Chastain placed the black
C *P over hts face, Johnson said:
"I want you all to take warning from
At 11:48 o’clock Sheriff Nelms sprung
lh» trap and Johnson fell seven feet,
Jhe fall breaking his neck. In spite of
me fact that his neck was broken,
Johnson was not pronounced dead by
Dre Hall and Martin until thirty-live
fclnutes later. During all the time
that he was dying Johnson never moved
« muscle and not even a linger trem-
bled. The body waa turned over to
undertaker Howard and the disposition
of It wm be determined later.
Her ‘ ■
Mrs. Hembree, the woman whom
Johnson assaulted, went to the Jail Frt-
morning, accompanied by her hue-
Mayor Schmitz
Is Denied Bail
San Francisco, June 14.—Mayor
Schmtts, yesterday convicted of extor
tion, was denied ball by Judge Dunne,
who ordered him remanded to the cus
tody of the sheriff till tomorrow, when
the disgraced mayor hopes to show
cause for his release.
Five Would Be
Assistant Chief
Applications for assistant chief of
police have been tiled by the following:
Captain J. C. Joiner. Detective T. B.
Danford, Captain J. I- Beavers. Captain
E. D. Jett and James A. Patterson, sec
retary to Chief Jennings.
The entrance list will close Saturday
evening, and the civil service exami
nation to select the aaalatant chief will
be held Monday. It Is expected that
?heA Will be several bthera In tha race
before the list close*.
- ... n , WVLDIIIUUIIICU MJ
»an«i, with Ihe Intention of wltneaainf
» failed
son when be made the assault upon
Errorsssrsusws
Iff., iiw --
SENDS PISTOL BALL
THROUGH HER HEAD;
LEAVES NOTE BEHIND
Orchard Will Finish
His Cross Examina
tion Friday.
Mrs. Jennie B. Wey
Commits Suicide
Friday.
FATHER’S DEATH
PREYED ON MIND
"Think What a Rest This
Will Be,’’ She Write
# in Last Note.
ORCHARD’S CONDUCT
PLEASED HAWLEY
Prosecution, However, Is
Puzzled Over What To
Do With Steve
Adams.
ordy war at to whether anybody
SEC’Y. TAFT FAINTS
Governm’t Overthrow
and Establishment
Republic Planned.
St. Petersburg, June 4.—A startling
plot to assassinate the esar, overthrow
the government and establish a radical
democratic republic was revealed to
day by Premier Stnlypln, following the
assassination of Kotlaroff, deputy com
missioner of the port of St. Peters
burg. The assassin was arrested.
The premier entered the lower house
of the douma and demanded that the
fifty-five membera belonging to the
social democratic party b* ejected and
that alxteen be arrested for conspiracy.
He said that unless his demands were
Immediately obeyed he would order the
douma dissolved.
Anticipating another revolution, large
numbers of soldiers have been quar
tered In St. Petersburg and other largo
cities. Riots are expected when It le
reported that the aoldlera have dis
banded the house of parliament, as Is
feared will be done. Immediately after
St. Paul, Mint).. June 14
fulntt-d while conducting an Insitcctlou «»f
at Fort Shelling thin
afternoon and waa carried from the field to
the poat hospital. * ^
It la feared that he has ptomainajM&f-
aonlng; aa be complains of severe-pains
• EEt-s-
ftevi-rtarr TufYlirTili stomach.
; Je Ml, qoipbAttlng
teCbflbal obJeCWna,
A. rpvtUV and Richard non are convinced
Bt Paul/ 1
Later tb#. secret ary
the home of J. S. Hill, fn Bt
The remainder 'of hi* eontemplat
trip will probably have to be aban
doned.
TELEGRAPHERS’ UNION
PREPARING FOR STRIKE
New York, June 14.—The National
flvlc Federation has been unable to In
duce the officials of the Western Union
Telegraph Company to meet the teleg
raphers, It Is said, and t^te latter fear
that a strike In certain. »jt will Involve
20,000 operators/-throughput the coun-
try. 1
It la charged by*lhe telegraphers that
the companies havA. format a combina
tion and would court a stfike at this
time.
When the executlva committee of the
operators saw that the companies
would not arbitrate difficulties, the fol.
lowing notice was sent to 132 telegraph
organisations throughout the country:
“The situation may bring trouble
with one or two companies. Get ready
to meet a general assesament. Put
locals In touch with labor men and oth
ers who would be useful morally and
financially."
SAYS HE HEARD OF PLOT
TO SLAY FAIRBANKS
AND SENATOR FORAKER
Selma, Ala., June 14,—What Is re
ported to be a plot to (lay Vice Presl-
STK/nT«r£SSr^ «•»» ™rbank. °« her membe " ° f
Bent to Peterhof and Premier Stolypln | the senatorial party who will attend
hurried to parliament. j the funeral of Senator Morgan here
He demanded tha floor and aald that j tomorrow, has been revealed to the
, ^„^Vh n ^c^er a . <1 w d ho C .n^sS hVde.' i local authorltle. by a traveling man
mandeVare M. M. Alexlnsky, Txertell I who arrived In Selma thla morning. He
Dxhaparidte and Oael.
The eoldlera at once cleared the press
and visitors’ galleries and the house
went Into secret session to debate the
premier's startling demands.
That a crises haa been reached has
not been denied by anyone. It Is not
believed that the douma will acquiesce
In the demnnds of the premier, which
means that the troope will disband the
body. It Is feared that It will be the
efgnal for an uprising.
By the time another douma can meet
the government will have promulgated
a new election law, disfranchising the
Jews, Poland and the Caucasus, stipu
lating that educated men of certain
rank and property only may be mem
bers of the douma.
RACE RESULTS.
GRAVE8END.
First Race—Magazine. 18 to 5, won:
Zlephen, 4 to 1, second: Thermfdor, 1 to
third. Time. 1:02 3-8.
Second Race -Herman, 8 to 1, won;
Don Creole, 4 to 6, second; Arabo, 5 to
third. Time,-1:48 1-8.
the execution, but her courage
her at the last moment anti she waited
m the Jailer's office while her husband
yraC«bo* r :danger and 'Wii.be mad. at one. .
•tece were so badly beaten up by John- lease, —
MONTREAL.
First Race—Kitty Smith, 12 to 1,
Beaut, 2 to 1, second;
declare, that a Greek, or an Italian,
Informed hltn In Montgomery last night
that four men would come to. Seims
bound by an oath to alay Fairbanks
and Senator Foraker. One or two other
solons were said to be mentioned, but
the" traveler’s Informant knew only of
the two specific name..
According to the story of the Italian,
two men are coming to Selma from
New Orleane, while two more will ar
rive on the earn, train bearing the
cohgresslonal party. Where they atari,
the traveler aald he could not And out.
He le a prominent Alabamian, who
Is Just retarnlng from the Jamestown
Exposition. The local police snd citi
zens of Selma are aroused ever the
warning. Every resource will
drawn upon to prevent the coming of
anarchlets. The police at Montgomery
will probably be notified to watch all
Incoming trains, while guards will be
placed at the L. & N. and the Southern
railway Junction*.
By J. S. DUNNIQAN.
Boise. Idaho, June 14.—With Horry
Orchard’s completed and cross-exam
Ined confession before the Jury, the
prosecutors of William D. Haywood are
now proceeding to Introduce evidence
to corroborate the Informer and estab
lish, If legally possible, the gigantic
conspiracy that the state's chief wit
ness had detailed at length.
Corroboration of Incidents Is first to
come. The mitk-polsoning at San
Francisco haa been practically disposed
of with the exception of the grocer at
whose store Orchard mnde his head
quarters when he was seeking an op
portunity to kill F. W. Bradley,
The defense fa jaot qoipbatttng this
of the
ftect
fendante
The stAte had Evidence from the poet
office nt San I-'rnncleco that a registered
letter frpm Denver was delivered to "J.
Dempsey" ahmll Ihe middle of Altganl.
1804, the time Orchard said he
waiting In San Francisco for Bradley
to return front Alaska, at which time he
received a ramlttam-e of linn from Pet-
tlbone at Denver.
The defense do-n-.t propose to deny
that Orchard was In San Francisco, but
It will be contended that this fact does
not connect Haywood with Orchard nor
serve aa a.connnding link in lb t>-
splracy charged.
Proeecutor* Hawley and lb,rah are
Immensely pleased with the manner Id
which Orchard testified and they now
assert that they are surer than over of
making out a case against Haywood
and the Western Federation.
Former Governor Peabody le to test!
fy today after the San Francisco testl
many Is all In. Senator Borah says the
state expects to have Its case all In
within a week If there Is no delay over
Steve Adame' testimony, which Is now
matter of great perplexity to the
prosecution.
Shortly before 1 o’clock Friday after,
noon Airs. Jennie B. Wey. 40 years old,
who keeps a rooming house at 129
Spring street, committed suicide by
shooting herself In the right temple
with a 32-callber revolver. The bullet
passed entirely through the-brain and
death was Instantaneous.
Mrs. Lynoh, who rents rooms from
Mrs. Wey, heard tho report of the pistol
and hurried to the room. She found
Mrs. Wey lying on the bed with the
pistol clasped tightly In her right hand.
Mrs. Lynch notified tho police depart
ment and then collapsed from the
shock. She was so badly unnerved that
she had to be taken to her room.
A card written by Mrs. Wey and ad
dressed to her daughter. Miss Minnie,
was found on the tnble in Mrs. Wey’a
room. It rend as follows:
"Minnie darling: Keep up your
nerve nnd think what a rest this will
be fur your mamma."
Previous Attempts.
Miss Wey was up town at the time
of the tragedy but reached her home
a short while after. She stated that
her mother had attempted suicide three
or four times previously with gas and
luudnmun. She could assign no reason
for the act except that Mrs. Wey had
seemed despondent for a long period
and had been In very bad health.
Miss Wey was so distressed over tha
death of her mother that the officers
would not let her go Into the room
where she was lying until Ihe coroner
C*D>e While waiting for^ Coroner
Thompson (o arrive, .Mtss. nerv-
Qa rtbrtn through-tha
Bridge Collapses;
Two Drowned
KpeHal to The Georgian.
Bristol, Tenn.,,Juno 14;—Henry Mc
Intyre and Frank Miller, youthful sons
of farmers living near Abingdon, Va.,
were drowned In the Holston river last
evening. »
A suspension bridge gave why.
Other boys on the structure at the
time It collapsed swam ashore. »
«Wy paced back and _____ __
house and finally became hysterical to
such an extent that she was given a
hypwflhwntc Injwtfon trr keep hei # 'qUKn.
Her Father's DestH.
Mrs. Wey’a father died about twp
weeks ago in Demont, Iowa, and she
returned from the funeral a few days
ago.
Mrs. Wey was last seen at about 10
o'clock Friday morning, but as she has
been In bad health for some time and
was accustomed to lying down fre
quently during the day, she was not
missed by the other people In the house.
From her position on the bed It was
apparent that she had fired the fatal
shot while lying on her hack, and that
she mnde no movement after pulling
ill*- trigger.
The pillow on which her head was
lying was blackened and burned by th#
powder from the discharge of the pis
tol The bullet passed entirely through
her head.
The Inquest will be held by Coroner
Thompson at Patterson’s undertaking
establishment at 4 o’clock 'Friday aft
ernoon. i
00000000000000000000000000
Conditions are favorable for a Q
G continuance of fair weutlw r at O
O least through Saturday. O
Forecast: O
O "Fair Friday night and Sat- O
O unlay, no material change In tern- O
O perature."
7 o’clock a. m..
O 8 p'clock a. m..
0,9 o’clock a. m..
0 10 o’clock a. m:. •
0 11 o’clock a. m..
0 12 o’clock noon..
0 l o'clock p. m..
0 2 o’clock p. m..
0 »
00000000000^00000000000000
..66 degrees.
. .6S degrees.
• .70 degrees.
. .79 degrees.
. . 75 degrees.
. .77 degrees.
,,79 degrees.
..80 degrees.
EMPEROR WILLIAM TO OPPOSE
DISARMAMENT AGREEMENT
AT NEXT HAGUE CONFERENCE
Growth and Progress of the New South
JOSEPH B. LIVELY
With th. advent of real summer In the Southern "tales there I. an
air of general Industrial activity which proralaes to continue unabated
through the season. The establishment of new Industries keeps up
By HAYNE DAVI8.
The [Issue. June !4.-Tbe feature of The
Ilsxue conference toiUy wss the adhesion
of the South snd Central American repub
lics to the concluslen of The tissue confer
ence which qunllfled them for ailmlsalon to
the conference which-has lie, diet formal
session here tomorrow.
The detonations from the United States
have received additional Instructions from
Washington npon their arrlrnl here, Imt
what their nature le It Is UapoesIMe to die)
out. The South American deleghtluus are
very much Interested In the aetlon of .the
conference towns! the Uroso doctrine pro
hlldtlns the forcible eolleetlnu of debts'be
tween notions. B wss pnndl'’" 11 ?
that this matter will lie presented by the
United Stales asd thm It will receive the
Dog, out, hearty support of a majority of the Ameri-
coaooooQOooaoooooocroooaaoct
o
O GERMANY WILL OPPOSE
O MANY BIQ STIPULATIONS. O
a
O Berlin, June 14.—An nutnorlzed O
O statement today concern!net the O
O policies of Germany at The Hague O
oppose disarmament or Mm!
O tatlon of armnment. likewise any O
O attempt to nbollsh floating mines. O
O Other projects advocated by O
O Germany are the Placing of the O
O greatest possible limitation un O
O contraband articles, compelling O
0 nations to observe certain. Inter- O
O vs! between declaration of war O
0 and opening of hostilities. ‘ O
00000000000000000000000000
dlcate that the 8outh le blessed with a steadily Increasing prosperity.
This Is evidenced by the accompanying Hat of new Industries estab
lished In Southern atatee during the week ending today, compiled from
report* made to The Tradesman. The Hit ehows only the more Important
of |heee new industrlee, there being doubtless many others not enumer
ated. In many of those which are Hated the capitalization Is quite large.
The Tradesman's list for the week In Alabama, Arkansas. Georgia and
Is us follows: , tlfl
GEORGIA.
Atlanta—230.800 foundry; .1108,000 lock company; 340.000 mining
company.
Augusta—225,000 pottery.
Elherton—Power plant.
Mansfield—^Water and electrical company; 25,000 cotton gin.
ALABAMA.
St. Stephens —$50,000 cement works.
Birmingham—$80,000 land company; mining company.
Mobile—Grain and coal elevators.
lOneonto—$100,000 uo«l company.
Hartford—$7.(inn narehmiae company.
Montgomery—$200,000 fertilizer factory.
, ARKAN8AS.
Little Rock—$25,000 lumber company; $10,000 lumber company; $15.-
000 amusement company. - ■
Hot Springs—$30,000 development company.
Pine Bluff—$25,000 shingle mill.
Murfreesboro—$10,000 land company.
Jon
do—tit,000 tie company.
Mammoth Spring—$80,000 shoe factory.
Moorefleld—'Telephone system.