North Georgia citizen. (Dalton, Ga.) 1868-1924, August 13, 1914, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text& Jin Ad in THE CITIZEN is worth Two on the Fence Tb* Citizen Is the HOME Paper of Whitfield ESTABLISHED 1850. SIXTY-TWO YU AES OLD. That Which Pleases Many Must Possess Merit**—The Citizen Pleases Everybody A Stay of Execution Ordered Just Two and One-Half Hours Before Time. EVERYTHING READY WHEN MESSAGE CAME Death Watch Had Been Placed Over W. I. Humphrey Thursday Night— He Held to Statement of Inno cence—Official Order. Exactly two and one-half hours from the time set for the execution of W. I. Umplirev, the aged prisoner convicted 0 f the murder of Joseph Pritchett, Fri day morning, Sheriff T. E. dflenn re ceived a telegram from Governor John U. Slaton, stating that he had respited the old man until Fridays August 28th. Everything was in feadiness for the hanging, which would have taken place jt 11 o'clock Friday morning. Thurs day night, the death watch was placed over the prisoner, Frank Bell remaining with him through the night. The old man was in a garrulous mood. He talked up until 2 o’eloek Friday morning, at which time he dropped into a sleep of exhaustion. He told over and over again his every act of the day Pritchett was killed, insisting all along that he was not the murderer. He stated that he went north from home, and, with a shotgun, killed two rabbits he used in baiting some hooks, return in'; home in the afternoon. He insisted that he didn’t kill Pritchett. Telegram Received. The telegram from Governor Slaton was received at 8.30 o ’clock by Sheriff Glenn, who read it to a small crowd that had gathered on the court house lawn. The reading of it brought a feeling of relief from the suspense felt by everyone. The people, deeply in terested in the case in view of the fact that there had never been a legeal exe cution here, wanted to know just what was going to happen. If the prisoner was to be hanged, they wanted to know it as a relief from the tense feeling held hv all—the ones who felt the pris oner ought to be hanged, and those who wanted his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. Few People Here. In view of the great interest felt, the crowd here Friday was comparatively small. Only- a few people were in from the country, when it was expected that the city would be thronged with visi tors. Governor Slaton Explains Act. Governor Slaton arrived here at 9:37 Friday morning, being on his way to Ringgold. While here he explained his action of respiting the old man to those who asked him about it. He stated the respite was given in order to make a thorough examination of the prisoner, as the question of his sanity had been injected in the pleadings before the prison commission in the effort to get a recommendation for executive clem ency. He intimated that his final de cision in the matter rested with the findings of the board of medical exam iners. How Prisoner Eeceived News. Yhen informed by Jailer Duckworth that the execution had been delayed t mphrey remarked: “What do they want to be fooling "ath me mor?” Be .appeared uninterested, seemingly having made up his mind to die. He refused to discuss the order of the gov- er nor; hut it was noticed that when his 'tinner was taken him at noon, he ate *Bh evident relish, something he had tl(Jt done in some time. The Official Order. Governor Slaton also brought here ''j' in a! executive order for the stay ' execution. The order is as follows: , State of Georgia “*eeutive Department, j Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 6th, 1914. Rh: W. I. Umphrev, sentenced to death in Whitfield county: j. n tlle above stated case, W. I. tophrey was convicted of the offense ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦ 4- THE QUALIFIED VOTEES. 4- 4- In the primary next Wednesday, 4- ■4- only those who agree to support + ALL of the nominees are qualified 4" 4- to vote, and by participating + 4- in the primary, you virtually 4- 4- pledge yourself to support all of 4- 4- those nominated. The rules of the 4- 4- committee are plain on this point. 4- 4- If you want to vote for just one -4 4- candidate, say, and scratch the 4- 4- names of all others, you have -4 4- taken part in the primary, and 4- 4- you silently pledge yourself to sup- 4- 4- port all the nominees, whether you 4- 4- participated in all the races or not. 4- 4- Rule 2 of the primary explains this 4- 4 clearly and fully, being as follows: 4- 4- “The Primary Election shall he 4- 4- conducted in accordance with the 4- 4- laws of this State and the customs 4-' 4- of the party in so far as those eus- 4- 4- toms do not conflict with existing 4- 4- laws. All white electors who are -4 4- Democrats and qualified to vote in 4- 4- the General Elections who in good 4- 4- faith will pledge themselves to 4- 4- support the Democratic candidates 4- 4- for all offices to be voted on this 4- 4- year are hereby declared qualified 4- 4- to vote in said Primary; and the 4- 4- act of voting in said Primary shall 4- 4- constitute the aforesaid pledge.’’ 4- ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ Grins and Grouches Will Mingle On Candidates’ Classic Brows Next Week. FEW WILL REJOICE; MANY WILL SORROW Answers Charges Made Against Him by Murray County Game Warden. VIGOROUS DENIAL OF THINGS CHARGED POLITICAL POT SHOTS .. Wednesday is Date for State and County Primary—Select Will Be Elevates—Many Heads Will Be Lamped and Hit. JUDGE NAT HABBIS’ POSITION ON W. & A. TAXATION. Some of Judge Harris’ supporters in this county have lately written him asking his position more definitely on the subject of taxing the W. & A. rail road for the benefit of the counties through which it runs. When Judge Harris spoke here he did not allude to this, and in view of the large interest Whitfield has in this subject they want to know his views. Answering a letter inquiring about them he says: “I had intended to state my position fully on the subject of re-leasing the W. & A. railroad and that the taxes should be provided for, to be paid to the counties through which the road runs, because of the additional burden that those counties are compelled to as sume in the way of court expenses and other things growing out of the running of the to ad. ‘ ‘ When I was in the legislature, this question was mentioned, and at that time I expressed myself as being anx ious to do something for the counties through which the road runs in the way of lessening their burden. We were held back by constitutional diffi culties, but these will not exist when the Lease Aet is passed and the new lease is made. “I am sincerely in favor of having provision made in the Lease Act, and in the lease itself, for the counties along the line of the road, in the way of taxation, so as to meet the additional burdens that they carry. I think this can be done, and certainly it would be nothing but right that it should be done. You are authorized to say this for me in the strongest manner possi ble. I have already stated it to au diences in two other of the counties through which the road runs, and cer tainly I never meant to omit it in old Whitfield. ’ ’—Adv. ♦ ♦ ♦ VTNTNG QUITS RACE ♦ ♦ To the voters of Whitfield County: ♦ 4- Owing to the pressure of my 4- 4- private business, I have decided to 4- 4- retire from the race for sheriff of 4- 4- Whitfield county. I thank all my 4- 4- friends for their interest they have 4- 4- manifsted in my race. 4- 4- F. J. VINING. 4- 4- Adv. Dalton, Ga., Aug. 12, 14. 4- ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ By the time The Citizen is issued next week, it’ll be over. Across the maps of • some will be spread an ever- widening grin. Others will be trying to look cheerful and ^will be saying they’re satisfied; but they will be em ploying that “short and ugly.’’ There are many out for office—more, in fact, than there are offices to he filled, and consequently, some will fail to apswer ‘ ‘ Here ’ ’ when the rolleall of the elect is made. Next Wednesday morning, the battle of ballots will get away, and the com manders will be whooping and howling for their supporters to storm the state in a victorious rush. When the shades of evening fall, there will be many sore beans needing attention, for it’s hound to be a case of “ when-you-see-a-head hit-it, ’ ’ with a majority of the patriotic citizens who would give their time and attention in service to the state and county. Says He Knew Nothing of Charges Against L. & N. Officials—Also Refutes Any Alleged Align ment With the Railroads. All of which leads up to the question of who will he elected. Potshots never let’s his interest in a candidate run away with his judg ment, and in forecasting the result in the various races, sentiment is going to be rglegatectyrnrd a cold-blooded, care ful analysis of the various races is going to he made. The successful candidate for gov ernor will be the one whose claims are justified by the returns. Randolph An derson and his friends say Anderson will be elected; Dr. L. G. Hardman and his supporters say it’s Hardman; Judge Nat Harris and* those supporting him insist Harris will be the nominee. Making an honest confession, Potshots will say he doesn’t know. The race for governor may he unusually close and then again it may be a landslide for one of the three aspirants—it’s hard to. say, for the woolhat hoys are not doing any extensive talking. Up here in God’s country, all three of the gentlemen in the race have many warm friends and admirers; but the rank-and- file refuses to make known just what stand it will take, and those who re fuse to state how they intend voting are sufficient to give the county to one of the candidates by an overwhelming majority. rounlnr, and sentenced to hang in itfield county on August 7th, 1914. kc supreme court affirmed the judg- e ®t of the lower court, la 6 Cra l Wizens of Whitfield county 3 ?ki * Ktit ‘ <me G the prison commission, 9| i k r 10r a n opportunity to present a T'plication for commutation of sen- l *nce ti tie l e state sen ator and one of representatives from Whitfield jjil" ' 3°in in this request. The judge ^ solicitor general interpose no ob- THEY AT.T, HAVE RECORDS. Dr. Hardman is the only candidate for governor who is saying much about his legislative record. They all have records, however, and the voters should look into them. By their works shall ve know them.—Adv. For long-term senator, Hoke Smith undoubtedly has the best chances— even his enemies acknowledge this. Ex- Governor Brown may defeat him; but should he do so, it would be a much bigger surprise than his defeat of Hoke Smith for governor * way back in the long ago. Should Mr. Brown de feat Senator Smith in his race for re- election, Potshots will make a fair con fession in acknowledgement of his ut ter failure of aprognostieator. The prison commission unanimously recommends that a respite of two weeks be granted to this defendant in order that a fuller showing may be made in his behalf. Therefore, it is ORDERED: That a respite is here by granted in the case of W. I. Um- phrey from Friday, August 7th, 1914, until Friday, August 28th, 1914, on which date, iff the absence of legal direction to the contrary, the proper authority shall proceed to execute said sentence. (Seal) JOHN M. SLATON, By the Governor: Governor. A. H. ULM, Secy. Executive Dep’t. For short-term senator, the race is undoubtedly between Slaton and Hard- ,wick, with Slaton’s chances better. ' In fact, it looks certain that Governor Slaton will receive a bigger vote than any of the four other gentlemen; but •whether his vote will be ample to make him the nominee on the first ballot in the convention, remains to be seen. Potshots believes it will be; hut this is merely an opinion. The forecast handed you hgrfi,is only one man’s opinion; but here it goes' for the order in which .the candidate will cdnfe out: Slaton, Hardwick,' Hutchens, Felder, Cooper. As to the state house officers, Pot shots believes the following will get the plums, in spite of the fact that it is not altogether the ticket he intends voting. Comptroller general, William A. Wright; attorney general, Warren Grice; state treasurer, William J. Speer; state school superintendent, M. L. Brittain; prison commissioner, E. L. Rainey; commissioner of agriculture, J. D. Price; judge court of appeals, N. R. Broyles; railroad commissioner, P. B. Trammell. Continued on Page Three.) Charles L. Davis, state commissioner of game and fish, has requested The Citizen to publish the following copy of a letter from him-to Deputy Game Warden Kenner, Spring Place, Ga.: “July 30, 1914. “Mr. Walter T. Kenner, , “Spring Place, Ga. “Sir: Replying to yours of the 29th. In regard to your first statement that Mr. M. F. Boiselair informed you when»you wer,e in Atlanta on November 13th that I intended to ‘oust’ you from office and appoint Mr. W, D. Willbanks as game warden for Murray county on the recommendation of a certain rail road man, I beg to quote you the exact correspondence on ifchis subject. Your letter of November 19th regarding it is as follows: ‘I have been informed that you intend to remove me from office upon recommendation of. John L Edmondson. I suppose Mr. Edmond son’s activities in the matter are on ac count of me prosecuting the L. & N. railroad officials for violating the law. Five cases are now pending in Murray county superior court. Mr. M. F. Bois clair is my informant in this matter, I would be glad to have you write me as to your attitude in the matter and if it is your desire to appoint a new warden for Murray county, I will im mediately resign.’ ‘ ‘ To this part of your letter I replied on November 20th as follows: ‘In re gard to your statement that you have been informed that it is my intention to remove you from office upon the fee ommendation of Mr. John Edmondson, I will state that it is without founda tion. I have made no such statement in this matter and it is not my inten tion to make removals without cause. I do not know where Mr. Boiselair got his information, as given to you, as I have had no conversation with him re lating to this matter. I will say, how ever, in regard to this that it is my intention generally to retain as county wardens only such men as I feel are actively engaged in enforcing the game protection laws and who will give the work their time and attention.’ ‘ ‘ In connection with this statement on my part, I repeat that I had no con versation regarding your removal with Mr. Boiselair. Any statements which may have been made to that effect were not true. I further call your at tention to your statement regarding Mr. Boiselair. He is not, nor has he ever been a United States deputy game warden. Advice Not Necessary. “You state further that since Jan : uary 14, 1914, I have been writing you about every month to resign. The files of this office show that subsequent to December 23d, the next correspondence I had with you on this subject was on April 18th and also that your resigna tion was requested for no other reasons than those given in my letter of Decem ber 23d. -My letter of December 23d was written because of my remem bering your statement in your letter of November 29th that if I desired to appoint a new warden in Murray coun ty you would immediately resign. My next letter to yon on the subject was on July 15th. Consequently your state ment that I have requested yon to re sign each month is not true. Also you will see from the above that your sug gestion that I keep copies of all letters forwarded from this office is unneces sary. This is being done without your advice. “Your intimation that I have .re peatedly requested the wardens ap pointed by Mr. Mercer to resign and have harassed them to such an extent that they have all, except yourself, given up their places, ■ is untrue. On the other hand, there are still in the service of this department eighty (80) county game wardens serving under commission issued by Mr. Mercer and to whom I have made no suggestion whatever regarding their resignation for the simple reason that they are men who are giving good and satisfactory (Continued on Page Three.) BIG BATHE IS Candidates for State and County Office Will Mix Things Next Wednesday. FIFTY-SEVEN NAMES ON OFFICIAL BALLOT Tickets Have Been Printed, and All Preparations Being Completed— One of Biggest Elections in Georgia’s History. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦ TICKETS READY 4- Tickets for the primary next 4- 4- Wednesday have been printed, and, 4- with tally sheets, etc., are in the 4- hands of Chairman S. B. Felker, of 4- the county executive committee. 4- All members of the committee liv ing outside of the Dalton district 4- are requested to either call in per 4- son at the office of Judge Felker 4- 4- and receive them, or else send an 4- 4- order by some responsible party. ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ All preparations have been made for the battle of ballots, scheduled for next Wednesday, when voters over Georgia will nominate a governor, two senators, secretary of state, comptroller gen eral, attorney general, treasurer, school superintendent, pension commissioner prison commissioner, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of commerce and labor, two justices of the supreme court, three judges of the court of ap peals and a railroad commissioner, and the full quota of congressmen. In this ounty, voters will nominate a repre sentative, superior court clerk, sheriff, treasurer, tax collector, tax receiver, surveyor and coroner, and the voters of the Cherokee circuit will nominate a solicitor general. The election is by far the most im portant ever held in Georgia, in view of the fact that two United States senators are to be named. The ticket contains the names of fif ty-seven aspirants for the twenty-eight offices to be filled, the official ballot in this county being as follows: Official Ballot for Whitfield County White Democratic State Primary, August 19, 1914. (VO|ter should erase names of all can didates for whom he does not desire to vote.) For Governor. (Vote for one) J. Randolph Anderson L. G. Hardman N. E. Harris. For United States Senator (Long Term) (Term beginning March 4, 1915.) (Vote for one) Joseph M. Brown Hoke Smith. For United States Senate (Short Term) (Unexpired term of Hon. A. O. Bacon.) (Vote for one) John R. Cooper. Thomas S. Felder • Thomas W. Hardwick G. R. Hutchens John M. Slaton. For Secretary of State. Philip Cook. For ComptroUer General. (Vote for one) G. M. Roberts * Wm. A. Wright. For Attorney General. (Vote for one) Warren Grice Clifford Walker. For State Treasurer. (Vote for one) Lem M. Park W. J. Speer. For State Superintendent of Schools. (Vote for one) H. S. Bowden M. L. Brittain. For Pension Commissioner. John W. Lindsey. For Prison Commissioner. (Vote for one) W. J. Flanders E. L. Rainey G. B. Tippins. For Commissioner of Agriculture. (Vote for one) J. J. Brown J. D. Price. For Commissioner of Commerce and Labor. H. M. Stanley. For Associate Justice of the fjrfpreme Court for Full Terms. (Vote for two) Beverly D. Evans Hiram Warner Hill. Governor Slaton Spoke Here Friday Morning—Anderson Spoke Saturday Night. BOTH MADE FRIENDS ON VISIT TO DALTON Governor Slaton Avoided Politics, De voting Time to Exposition of Tax Law—Anderson Made Strong Ap peals for Support Here. Governor John M. Slaton, candidate for the ' short-term senatorship, ad dressed the voters of this county Fri day morning, and on Saturday night. Hon. Randolph Anderson, candidate for the governorship, spoke in the interest of his candidacy. It is probable -that this will mark the close of the speaking of the aspirants for state and national office in this city. Friday morning, Governor Slaton stopped off here en route to Ringgold, where he was scheduled to speak dur ing the noon reeess of superior court. He was met at the train by about fifty ■representative citizens, and, after a general all ’round handshaking, he was prevailed upon to go to the court house and briefly address the people. Although his speech was impromptu, and it had been stated in The Citizen prior to his arrival that he would not make a speech here, 'people on the streets followed him to the court house, and when he spoke he had a crowd equally as large as any at the previous political meetings that had been well advertised. The speaker was introduced by Rev. O. D. Fleming, pastor of the First Bap tist church, who heartily indorsed his pandidaey for the United-States senate. Governor Slaton, in the main, steered clear of politics, merely stating in the beginning, that he was aligned with no one in his race, and expressing the hope that he would receive the support of those present. After this brief reference to his race, he made a clear-cut exposition of the tax equalization law, which he charac terized as the poor njan’s law. After telling of the cramped condition of the state’s finances, he told of many reme- For Judge Court of Appeals, Full Term. Richard B. Russell. For Judge Court of Appeals (Unexpired Term of B. H. Hill). (Vote for one) Nash R. Broyles I Alex Stephens , William H. Terrell. For Judge Court of Appeals (Unexpired Term of J. R. Fottle). Peyton L. Wade. For Railroad Commissioner. (Vote for one) S. G. McLendon Paul B. Trammell. For Representative in the 64th Con gress from the 7th District of Georgia. Gordon Lee. For Solicitor General Cherokee Circuit (Unexpired Term of Hon. T. C. Milner). (Vote for one) J. M. Lang J. M. Neel, Jr. For Representative. (Vote for one) Newt A. Bradford Malcolm C. Tarver. For Clerk Superior Court. (Vote for one) J. D. Field W. M. Sapp. For Sheriff. (Vote for one) Ike Anderson. Charley Connally Joe H. Gilbert For County Treasurer. (Vote for one) J. M. Cagle Clifford S. Carey J. T. Coker Joe Loner Charles C. Maples. For Tax Collector. (Vote for one) John W. Brooker J. T. Nichols. For Tax Receiver. (Vote for one) W. A. Broadrick Miehael W. Head J. Morris Palmer. For County Surveyor. Feck Worthy. For Coroner. J. A. Ault. dies which had been applied and which had helped, and, after all these had been exhausted, the tax bill was put through. He explained thoroughly the work ings of the tax act, and after his clear explication, many of those present, who had been opposed to the measure, agreed with the governor that it was a good law and, if given a chanee, would result in lowering the tax rate and equalize the taxes so everyone would pay in proportion to his wealth. Governor Slaton was warmly con gratulated on his address, and received many assurances of support in his race for the senate. From Dalton he went to Ringgold, where he was cordially received by hundreds of people who heard his ad dress on the tax law. Randolph Anderson Spoke. Hon. Randolph Anderson, candidate for the governorship, spoke at the court house here Saturday night. Threaten ing weather conditions kept down the crowd; but his address was one of the most sensible ever heard here. He was introduced by Mr. Arthur Milner. In beginning his speech, Mr. Ander son referred to the fact that his home was in Savannah, and, referring to the fact that South Georgia hasn’t had a governor since Governor Troup’s in cumbency, he asked that his section of the state be given a chance. His ten years of service in the state legislature leading up to his unanimous election as president of the state sen ate, he referred to as showing that had not the members of the senate who had been closely associated with him, felt he was qualified to fill the office of governor, he would not have been given the unanimous indorsement of that body for the position of presiding of ficer. He spoke of his opponents as not having been as closely associated with present state questions as himself and, in discussing his opponents, he stated that the race was clearly between Tiim and Judge Nat Harris. Judge Harris, he stated, had no platform or fixed pro gram on which he was running, dealing more on a basis of sentiment. He then referred to the cramped condition of the state treasury, stating that he first called attention to this in 1910, show ing that the state was facing a financial deficit, which had at last come and which had finally been met by using the school fund, resulting in none of the money raised for schools being paid to teachers this year. ‘ ‘ Georgia must go forward or back ward, he said, “and are you going to put a man of 69 years in to look after this, or are you going to select a younger manf’’ he asked. “Just put it on purely a business basis; would you rather have a young man, in close after yonr personal business at a time it was facing such a crisis? Wouldn’t you rather have a young man, in close touch with your affairs, than use sen timent and elect a man 69 years of age?’’ In talking of this condition of the treasury, Mr. Anderson promised in the event of his election, a business-like and economical administration. He expressed the urgent need of remedying the method of paying school teachers, stressing this feature. He also stressed the need of seeing that the lease of the state ■ road was put through to the best advantage, the an nual rental to he detrmined by the earning capacity of the road, by get ting a percentage of the gross earnings; a provision whereby the lessee will double-track the road, and also the pro vision whereby the lessee will pay taxes to the cities and counties through which the road runs. He character izes as gross discrimination the faet that the lessee didn’t pay taxes in the counties that were put to the expense of runping the courts wherein the road’s litigation was heard. He added that neither of his^>pponents was say ing a thing about this. He warmly advocated his plan to cut down the a mount of politics and legis lation by having all state house officials elected every four years, instead of every two years, and by-ennial ses sions of the state legislature, also in sisting that county officials should have four years in office, thereby cutting down the amount of politics and en abling a man to get acquainted with his dnties before being forced to get out and hustle to hold his seat. ,,.Jie stated that if elected, he would uphold the laws and constitution and would discharge his duties “faithful-, ly, fearlessly and fully.” “No one—no newspaper or man— has challenged my qualifications to ac ceptably fill the office, or my personal integrity or honor,” he said. After he had elosed his speeeh, a number pressed forward to pledge friendship and support, his speech mak ing an excellent impression on all who heard him.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

North Georgia citizen. (Dalton, Ga.) 1868-1924, August 13, 1914, Image 1