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Atlanta BrMWtWfo Wttrwl
VOL. XXVI. NO. 61
DAUGHERTY HURLS
DEFY AT SENATE
IN OUSTER MOVE
Convicted Without Hearing,
He Will Take Fight to Vot
ers, Attorney General De
clares in Letter
j
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21. —Attor
ney General Daugherty, in a letter
today to Senator Pepper, Pennsylva
nia, served notice in effect that he
•’.ill not resign from President Cool
idge’s cabinet.
“My elemination, voluntarily or
otherwise, will be a confession of the
truth of all the baseless charges of
our adversaries,” Daugherty said in
his letter, "and will, justify them in
claiming that we 1/ave thereby ad-
their truth and such admis
sion will accomplish the ultimate end
and purpose most gratifying to such
adversaries.”
Mr. Daugherty sent his letter to
Senator Pepper at the capital this
afternoon. The text of the letter fol
lows:*,
“My dear Senator: Please accept
my thanks for your very kind note
of yesterday. Your complimentary
reference to my administration of the
department of justice is at this time
most highly appreciated. 1 am
amazed at your suggestion trfat my
interests are not to be decided on
the basis of justice or injustice even
though my honor, reputation and all
that 1 hold dear in this world are
at stake.
“Your expressions of personal re
gard are most gratifying and deeply
appreciated, and 1 am sure that
nothing will ever happen to change
our friendly relations.
Convicted Without Hearing
“Coming now to the subject of
your letter, I am interested in your
statement that I am on the wrong
side of an issue in the mind of the
public. I assume you have in mind
the resolution pi Senator Wheeler,
and his speech on the floor of the .
senate. You have .then concluded
that I am on the wrong side of an
issue without hearing, without evi
dence and accepted as final the base
less, scandalous and defamatory
charges of my political adversaries.
You further imply that the public
has also concluded that I am on the I
wrong side of an issue, without evi
dence, on exparte statements and
baseless charges of those same ad
versaries. You must realize, as I
do, that these charges against me,
made on the eve of a presidential
election, are made with other motives
than that of injuring me. My de
struction is but the accomplishment
of one phase of the program which
will be immediately followed by other
and more drastic demands by the
same adversaries. My elimination,
voluntarily or otherwise, will be a
,f confession of the truth of all these
baseless charges of our adversaries,
and will justify them in claiming
that we have thereby admitted their
truth, and such admission will ac
complish the ultimate end and pur
pose most gratifying to such adver
saries.
“I will never Te a party to such
a program. You say that my fate
does not involve a cpiestion of ‘jus
tice or injustice.' Mv dear senator,
my personal interests sink into in
significance when compared with the
magnitude of the issues now in
volved. Is the preservation of the
orderly processes of the law and the
preservation of constitutional rights
of no importance? Shall reputations
be destroyed and public officials
driven from office by clamor, insinua
tion and falsehood? The basest crimi
nal standing before the bar of jus
tice has a right to trial by his peers.
Am I to be denied a right granted
to even the basest criminal?
To Appeal to Public
“If I am on the wrong side of the
issue to which you refer, and it has
already been concluded against ine
by the senate to which forum I have
no access, without evidence of the
truth or falsity of the charges |
against me and if the public has like
wise, as you claim, without evidence
concluded that I am on the wrong
side of such issue, then nothing re
mains for me to do except to plead
my cause before the bar of public
opinion and in order to do so accept
..Annie of the numerous invitations to
■kmake addresses throughout the conn
try and present before that great
tribunal all of the facts bearing upon
these matters. That tribunal, my
dear senator, by which we will all
ultimately be tried is the one before
whose verdict we must all bow with
respectful humility.
"Very -sincerely yours,
“H. M. DAUGHERTY.”
Senator Pepper's letter was not
made public by Mr. Daugherty, but
it was learned Senator Pepper ad
vised Mr. Daugherty to resign.
RESULTS OF OIL PROBE
PUT BEFORE PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.—A1l
phases of the senate oil investigation
as considered within the last few
days by the senate committee were
laid before President Coolidge late
today by the committee Chairman,
Senator Lenroot, - Republican, Wis
consin.
Senator I.enroot on leaving the
White House declared the question
of retirement of Attorney General
Daugherty had been discussed only
incidentally and that the conference
lasting an hour had been concerned
almost wholly with the more recent
leads and evidence adduced by his
committee.
A report that Attorney General
Daugherty h:\s bought and sold Sin
clair od stock is under investigation
by the committee.
Such a report was submitted by
a special investigator and was laid
before the committee in executive
session. A cheek ut> of brokers’
books to establish whether it is true
is now in progress.
It can be disclosed now that this
information formed the subject mat
ter of last Sunday's conference be
tween Chairman I.enroot and Sena
tors WJeeler and Walsh. Democrats.
Montaft-J, and Atlee Pomerene. a
special government counsel in the
oil case.
Senator Wheeler. Democrat. Mon
tana. author ot the resolution pro
posing an investigation of Mr.
Daugherty's administration, said to
day he understood information indi
cating that the attorney general had
dealt in Sinclair stocks had been laid
before the president.
"Information came to me through
a special investigator,” Senator
Wheeler said, "indicating that Mr.
Daugherty had dealt in Sinclair oil
stocks anti I understand that those
facts were laid before the presi
dent.”
Published Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Wor Id News
Told In
Brief
MANILA. —National convention of
Democratic party opens.
LONDON. —Unofficial reports say
that agreement in dock ’workers' i
strike has been reached.
PITTSBURG. The condition of
Theodore Roberts, the actor, re
ported improved.
VERA CRUZ’. Revolutionists be
gin evacuation of Jalapa, 55 miles
north of Vera Cruz.
PARIS. —Stormy session of cham
ber of deputies marks voting which
defeats socialist amendment to new ,
finance bill.
PARIS. Poincare's supporters
and opponents agree that it is un
likely now that he will fall before
the next elections.
MIAMI, Fla. —James Cox confirms
report that he has authorized the
use of his name as Democratic can
didate for presidency.
WASHINQTOJU—The Mexican em
bassy declares that conditions in
Mexico are being “restored to norpal i
after decisive defeat of rebels.”
BERLIN —A total credit of 1,166,-
000,000 gold marks has been ad
vanced to German industry, a gov
ernment announcement says.
BERLIN.—Count von Bernstorf?
defends Woodrow Wilson against
wide-spread charges by Germans of
Germany’s betrayal by Mr. Wilson.
BERLIN. The Bavarian diet
unanimously adopts a joint resolu
tion of all parties to dissolve the diet
on April 5, and hold new elections.
LOS ANGELES.—Mrs. Robert Ed
eson, known on the stage as Mary
Newcomb, is granted a divorce from
Robert Edeson, motion picture actor.
PARIS. Gilded wooden heart,
thought to contain preserved heart
of Voltaire, is found in a pedestal de
signed for plaster statue of French
savant.
WASHINGTON.—Attorney Gen-
eral Daugherty turns on his critics j
and threatens to take to the country
his fight to keep his place in the
• cabinet.
NEW YORK. —Plans for citizens*
juries to inspect theatrical perfor
mances are made by social service
committee of New York Federation
of Churches.
FRAN KFO RT, Ky .—General as
sembly adopts a joint resolution
memorializing congress to pass im
mediately a national soldiers’ bonus
measure.
ATLANTIC ClTY—Little hope is
held out by coast guards for fruit
steamer Amelia, carrying 25 men
and $35,000 cargo pf bananas,
aground for last two days.
NEW YORK.—Mabelle Gilman
Corey, divorced wife of William E.
Corey, authorizes announcement of
her engagement to Prince Luis Fer
dinand, Paris advices say.
BALTIMORE. —Congress will pass
a soldiers’ bonus bill within two
weeks, over the vetd of the presi
dent if necessary, Senator Royal H.
Copeland, of New York, says.
PARIS. —Premier Poincare dis-
avows any intention of resigning and
denies that he is inviting defeat on
question of internal policies as long '
as his foreign policy is sustained.
NEWPORT, r7 _ I.~ Authorities,
heeding protests of wealthy summer
residents, decline to grant permit for
any prospective fight between Jack
Dempsey and Wills in this city.
JERUSALEM?^ - Dr. Fuad Sha
tara has been appointed by King
Hussein of the Hedjas as his repre
sentative in Washington, a Jewish
Telegraph agency dispatch says.
NEW YORK. —Hotel Belmont in
N'ew York, is sold for about $6,000,-
000 to holding company operating
for Wm. J. Zeigler, Jr.; new owners
may convert it into office building,
it is declared.
NEW YORK.—Fifty-seven Ameri
icans will receive about $1,000,000
under the first group of awards'by
the mixed claims commission on
claims growing out of the ;
Lusitania's sinking.
WASHINGTON—OnIy the slight
est hope is held for recovery of Sena
tor Frank L. Greene, of Vermont,
accidentally shot in pistol fight be
tween prohibition officers and sus
pected liquor sellers.
NEW YORK.—Roy D. Moore and
Louis H. Brush, owners of the Ma
rion Star, which they bought from
President Harding, file suit here
against Frank A. Vanderlip, seeking
$600,000 for alleged slander and libel.
WASHINGTON.—Attorney Gen
eral Daugherty continues to resist
pressure that he resign and there is
private suggestion .that the pending
resolution in senate will be called
up asking Mr. Coolidge to demand
his retirement.
MEXICO CITY. J. Hamilton
Lewis, former United States senator
from lillinois, legal advisor to Ameri
can bankers who are behihd a pro
posed loan of $25,000,000 to Mexico
confers with Albert Pani, secretary
of the treasury.
TOKIO. Japanese newspapers,
commenting on reports that the Amer
ican navy plans to build gunboats
for Tangtsze river service, direct the
government's attention to the antici
pated expansion of American naval
power in Chinese waters.
W ASHINGTON. Orders are is
sued by the navy department direct
ing that the four battleships, Arkan
sas. Wyoming, Florida, and Utah,
held at (.. ulebra. Canal Zone, because
of weakened boilers, proceed to
Guantanamo for repairs.
Higgenbotham Plea Delayed
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Feb. 20.
Oral arguments before the supreme
court in the appeal of T. W. Hig
ginbotham from conviction of second
degree murder of Martin Tabert
have been postponed from February I
27 to an unfixed date at the request I
of the state. The postponement was
requesetd by the attorney general, I
owing to the inability of State’s At- ;
torney -I. R. Kelly and his special as-
I sistant, Stafford Caldwell, of Jaek
j sonville, who prosecuted Higgin-
I botham. to be here on February 27.
WILL - TREAT CATARRH” DEAF
NESS AND HEAD NOISES FREE
Davenport, lowa. —Dr. W. O. Coffee, suite 1
j 2H6 St. James Hotel bldg., announces he :
i found a treatment which completely cured :
! him of catarrh of the nose, deafness and
head noises. Thousands have used it sue- i
cessfully. He believes it will relieve any ;
ease. He offers a 10-day supply Free to :
every reader of tins pnpec who writes him. i
Send your name and address
(Advertisement.) 1
TELEPHONE GIRLS
SUMMON EIBEMEN
Ji DIE IT POSTS
Rescuers Arrive Too Late
to Save ■ Brave Andalusia
Night Operator and Her
Sister
ANDALUSIA. Ala., Feb. 21.
1 .Ina operator at the
Andalusia Telephone company for
three years, and her sister, Maude
Donaldson, 23, or Selma, Ala., met
death from suffocation as they
groped through dense films of smoke
in the telephone office to turn on
an alarm of fire here early today.
The two-story brick building owned
by J. D. Henderson, of Tuscaloosa,
and Mrs. W. M. Cox, was destroyed
by fire.
The fire, causing the snuffing out
: of the .lives of the heroic young
girls and netting a fire and water
damage to P. Lewis jewelry store,
twelve office rooms upstairs and J.
L. Knox & Co., to an amount
approximately’ $75,000, started in the
office of C. L. Rabb, in the front
office on the southwest corner up
stairs, of undetermined origin, ac
cording to Chief Clyde Brawner of
the Andalusia fire department.
Although it was 4:20 this morning
when the alarm was turned in, Chief
of Police Flowers, who answered
the police alarm turned in by Miss
Edna Donaldson, who, it was found
after the smoke had cleared, had
staggered to the switchboard after
being i used from her cot and made
two efforts in the blackness to con
nect the phone of Ci.ief Brawner,
plugging the connections on either
side of his, it was evident that the
fire started several hours sooner to
have filled the rear offices o fthe
I telephone company and others with
heavy films of smoke.
As the firemen rushed into the
builc'lijg, the signal went out that
the telephone operators were in the
building.
Eugene Brawner, Bill Stuckey,
Mack Barron and Chief Brawner
braved smoke to a suffocating de
gree) entering by the rear south
window, the room where the opera
tors were. Groping in the smoke,
forgetful of risk, Gene Brawner en
tered the room where the switch
board was with the use of a gas
mask, to find that both the girls had
roused themselves and could not be
located. Back to the window, he
threw the mask aside, and, with Bill
Stuckey, entered another window
and crawling on the floor, they
found the t»»> young women, partly
dressed, lying near each other on
the floor. The bodies, were still warm,
but lifeless.
The two men rushed through the
window with one of the bodies and
Stuckey was overcome and could
not re-enler. The other recovery
was made by Mack Barron and Gene
Brawner, with the aid of Clyde
Brawenr and others who were at
the window.
According to Captain Broughton,
! who also searched tlhe rooms for the
operators through the smoke,? Miss
Fostine Gunter, the other regular
operator with Miss Edna Donaldson,
had gone to Florida on a visit, and
that Miss Rogers had been serving
as a substitute. On last night, how
ever, she was told not to come, as
Miss Donaldson had her sister from
Selma with her, who was also an ex
perienced operator.
New Compound Makes
Gall Bladder Visible
To X-Ray Photograph
ST. LOUIS. Feb. 20.—A new dis
covery of compound which makes
it possible for physicians positively’
to diagnose ga.i bladder disease, was
j announced yesterday’ by Dr. E. E.
Graham, professor of surgery of the
Washington university, before mem
bers of the American Congress on
Internal Medicine, holding clincial
sessions . here. The' new "bromide
compound” as explained by Dr. Gra
ham. is injected in the patient’s
arm, and has the effect, after a few
hours, of making the gall bladder
visible to the internist under the
X-ray, which cruld not be shown
prior to this discovery, thus aiding
a great advance in the treatment
of these diseases.
Underwood Runs Ahead
Os McAdoo in Twiggs
Primary Election
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ga., Feb. 22.
In the first presidential primary of
the state. Oscar Underwood carried
Twiggs county Wednesday by 95
majority over W. G. McAdoo, sub
ject to approval of the state execu
tive committee because in advance
of primary.
B. S. Fitzpatrick was elected
county’ school superintendent: S. J.
Faulk, ordinary: .1. 11. Vaughn, tax
collector: E. J. Griffin, sheriff: H.
V. Jackson, tax receiver: E. B. Sauls,
coroner; S. C. Jones. W. W. Howell,
M. S. Faulk; J. S. Defore and G. U.
Cannon, county’ commissioners: W.
C. Stokes, clerk superior court.
The Weather
FORECAST FOR SATURDAY
Virginia; Increasing cloudiness and
warmer.
North Carolina: Increasing cloud-
I iness and warmer.
j South Carolina: Increasing cloud'-
I ness and somewhat warmer.
| * Georgia: Increasing cloudiness and
I somewhat warmer; probably rain in
> west portion.
j Florida: Increasing cloudiness and
• slightly warmer.
Extreme Northwest Florida. Ala-
I bama: Unsettled, probably rain.
Misissippi: Rain and warmer.
I Tennessee. Kentucky: Unsettled
■ probably rain.
Louisiana: Increasing cloudiness,
I warmer.
Arkansas: Partly cloudy, warmer
I in east and south portions.
! Oklahoma: Cloudy.
East Texas: Unsettled, probably
i rain.
' West Texas: Partly cloudy.
BEAUTIFUL COLLEGE GIRL MARKED
FOR F. M’DOWELL’S NEXT VICTIM,
HE REVEALS IN CELL INTERVIEW
DEK/ILO OFFICIALS
TAKE STEPS TO TRY
TOOTH IN DECATUR
Funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Mc-
Dowell Planned for 10
O’Clock Friday at Acworth,
Former Home
Sheriff J. A. McCurdy, of DeKalb
county, Thursday wired the authori
ties at St. Petersburg. Fla., to 4iold
Frank McDowell for DeKalb county
authorities in the event McDowell is
not tried or should be acquitted of
the charge that he slew his father
and mother, Mr. and Mrs. John M.
McDowell, at their St. Petersburg
home early Wednesday morning.
DeKalb county wants to try McDow
ell on the charge that he burnefT his
two sisters to death in Decatur last
February, the sheriff said.
It was announced Thursday that
Mr. and Mrs. John M. McDowell will
be buried in the Acworth cemetery
Friday, following funeral services to
be conducted in Acworth at 11
o’clock Friday morning. The Rev.
J. M. Haymore, pastor of the First.
Baptist church, of Decatur , to
which the .McDowell family belonged,
will conduct the services.
The remains were to reach Ac
worth on the Dixie Flyer Friday
morning, according to a telegram
from Glover B. McDowell, of Jack
sonville, a brother of Mr. McDowell,
who went to St. Petersburg.
Mayor G. W. McMillan, of Ac
worth, is a brother-in-law of Mrs.
McDowell, having married, her sis
ter. v
Sheriff McCurdy, in telephoning to
St. Petrsburg, acted on reports
that the Florida authorities might
commit young McDowell to an asy
lum without trial on the murder
charge, and on developments that in
dicated to the authorities that Mc-
Dowell might not be as insane as he
pretends to be. The chief develop
ment to arouse suspicion of the au
thorities was the discovery that
Franlj McDowell wrote a $5,000 in
surance policy on his father’s life
on January 28 of this year, the poli
cy containing a double indemnity
clause in case of accidental death or
murder. The policy was payable to
Mr. McDowell’s estate, but Frank is
the only survivor in the family, it
was pointed out.
Although the Insurance develop
ment impressed the DeKalb county
officials, it did not impress relatives
of the McDowell family, who are con
vinced that Frank McDowell is in
sane. P. C. Carnes, a brother-in-law
of Mr. McDowell residing at 645
Ponce de Leon avenue, in
stated Thursday that Frank McDow.
ell recently started his career in the
insurance business, and it was natur
al for his father to take out a policy
.vith him to help him get started.
“Mr. McDowell was a strong be
liever in insurance, but I don’t be
lieve Frank had any realization of
its value,” Mr. Carnes said.
Objected to Work
With the discovery of a possible
motive in the St. Petersburg double
slaying, DeKalb authorities resumed
their investigation of the Decatur
tragedy in search of a reason for
the slaying of the two McDowell
girls. Their only revelation thus
far is the statement of neighbors
that the girls chided Frank McDow
ell frequently because he would not
do any work around the house, caus
ing him to display fits of violent
temper. It was said that he created
a “scene” on the street at one time
when his mother asked him to
carry a coal scuttle home.
“Frank McDowell was a great
favorite of his mother, and had a
lot of false pride as far as work
was concerned.” neighbors told the
authorities.
Robert C. W. Ramspeck, solicitor
of the Decatur city court, who con
ducted the investigation into the
death of the McDowell girls, during
the iflness of the late Solicitor A.
M. Brand, of the DeKalb superior
court, had reopened the investiga
tion of the tragedy Thursday, with
a view to working up a case against
Frank McDowell if he is returned to
the custody of the state of Georgia.
Solicitor Ramspeck and Sheriff Mc-
Curdy both stated Thursday that
they gathered sufficient evidence in
their previous investigation to make
them suspect Frank McDowell of
slaying his sisters, but met such
strong opposition from members of
the family, especially Mrs. Mc-
Dowell, that they were unable to
secure positive proof and decided not
to make a case. This decision was
affected to some extent bv the ex
citement prevailing in DeKalb coun
ty at the time, it was said.
Mr. McDowell is survived by his
mother. Mrs. S. A. McDowell, who
spends most of her time with rela
tives in Atlanta: two brothers, Cliff
McDowell, of Knoxville, Tenn., and
Glover B. McDowell, of Jacksonville,
and four sisters, Mrs. P. C. Barnes,
of 645 Ponce de Leon avenue. Atlan
ta; Mrs. J. E. Carnes and Mrs. E. M.
Bailey, of Acworth, and Mrs. J. H.
Gentry, of Nashville.
Mrs. McDowell was before her
marriage Miss Rosa Putnam, of AO
worth, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Putnam. She married Mr.
McDowell when he was engaged in
the newspaper business in Acworth.
She is survived by her mother, who
was a visitor in the McDowell home
at St. Petersburg when Mr. and Mrs.
McDowell were slain, and by other
relatives at Acworth.
Mrs. A. T. Wise, principal of
Commercial High school, stated
Thursday that the school records do
not show that Frank McDowell was
ever a pupil there, as had been re
ported.
Mrs. S. A. McDowell, aged mother
of Mr. McDowell, is confined to her
bed at the home of her daughter.
Mrs. P. C. Carnes, as the result of
the shock of the tragedy and a
previous illness. Mrs. Carnes is also
i confined to her bed with a nervous
I breakdown.
Decatur Boy and Mother Whom He Slew
Frank McDowell, the nineteen-year-old boy, formerly a. resident of Decatur, who has confessed
to St. Petersburg. Fla., police that he murdered his parents while they slept Tuesday night, and that
he burned to death his two sisters in Decatua- a year ago, is shown here, along with a recent pic
ture of his mother, who was devoted to him and who shielded him from questioning in connec
tion with the Decatur fire. The pictures of the boy and his mother were taken within the past
few months.
'••’’l' • .'.T'y'' j- ■ •? g
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K iN-s- ft 1
MANY PERSONS ROAMING CITY
AS DANGEROUS AS M’DOWELL,
ATLANTA ALIENIST ASSERTS
People Need to Be Educated
to Fact That Mental Dis
ease Is Not Disgrace, but
Should Be Treated as
Other Ills
Frank McDowell, when he fired
the mattress on which his two sis
ters were sleeping and burned them
to death, and, exactly a year later,
took the lives of both his parents
while they slept, was actuated by
much the same form of religious
fantacism that caused the people of
religion-loving Salem to burn
“witches” at the stake In the rela
tively dark ages of the Eighteenth
century, in the opinion of Dr. New
digate M. Owensby, distinguished At
lanta alienist.
Dr. Owensby, whose opinion was
predicated solely on newspaper ac
counts of young McDowell's confes
sion to the horrible double murders,
declared Thursday that the maniacal
religious ideas expressed in the
weird heart-shaped letter left by the
youthful slayer formed ample basis
for the belief that he was a. sufferer
from paraphrenia, a paranoidal form
of dementia praecox, the commonest
and most dangerous known form of
insanity.
And, Dr. Owensby further declar
ed, there are more than 250 other
persons in Atlanta who hav,e come
under his observation and who are
suffering from precisely the tsame
mental malady; who are potential
murders if their peculiar hallucina
tions a're ever opposed, but who are
allowed to roam at large either be
cause of defective state laws in
sanity or because their families, er
roneously believing that a mental
disorder is a disgrace, are loath to
give the matter attention.
Such crimes. Dr. Owensby said,
point emphatically to the need for
a*thorough revision of the antiquat
ed insanity laws on the statute
books of Georgia, requiring a jury
trial by laymen and the incarcera
tion of a supposedly insane person
in jail pending commitment to an
asylum, instead of requiring a quiet
examination by competent alienists,
and commitment on their decision,
as is provided in the more modern
laws of some other states, notably
Maryland.
They also point, he said, to the
need of a campaign of education to
acquaint the people of the country
with what insanity really is; to
make them understand that it is a
disease, the same as pneumonia,
typhoid fever, or innumerable other
ailments, and should be treated as
such; is not necessarily the result
of inherited traits and carries no
family taint, and rs not necessarily
the result of physical disease or de
fect, inherited or acquired.
“The McDowell case—and my
opinion is based solely on what J
have read in the newspapers—
j forms a clear-cut, textbook case of
! paraphrenia. The letter that he
■ wrote is typical of the disease and
its symptoms.
“Such crimes,” said Dr. Owensby.
“can only be averted when the pub
lic overcomes its fallacious idea that
insanity is a disgrace, and learns
to think of mental disorders as dis
eases the same as anything else, and
should be treated as such; and when
the state adopts a modern system
of laws governing such cases.
“It is precisely the same malady
j that caused Czolgosz tn assassinate
I McKinley; that caused Rooth tn mur-
Lincoln, and that caused th-?
Atlanta, Ga., Saturday, February 23, 1924
people of Salem to burn their witches
at the stake.
“It is the most dangerous form of
insanity because it is the most in
sidious, the hardest to discover, and
because people who are suffering
from it do not always realize their
condition.
“More than 250 cases have come
under my observation in Atlanta —in
the hospitals, tire charity wards and
various other places—in which peo
’ pie were suffering from this malady.
The'y are potential murderers, but
they don't know it, and their fami
lies, if they know it, are horrified tc
believe it and deliberately put the
matter out of their minds.
“That is. a mistake. A sufferer
from insanity should be treated the
same as any other diseased person.
Most of them can be cured —as Mc-
Dowell probably could have been
cured—if the treatment begins early
enough.
“It all shows the need of an ade
quate psycho-pathic hospital in At
lanta —I wish some public-spirited
citizen would give one—and the need
of revised state laws, so that a per
son thought to be insane could.be
quietly examined and, if insane, be
committed to an asylum, without
the necessity of a court trial and its
attendant publicity. '
Asylum Treatment Good
“The public misconception of
these cases is also largely due to a
popular but fallacious idea that the
patients of ajl insane asylums are
mistreated. That is wrong. Every
state asylum in the union is under
competent direction and supervision
and the asylum at Milledgeville is
one of the best and really a credit
to the state.
“McDowell's parents probably
knew in their subconscious minds
that the boy was insane—he must
have discussed his fanatical views
with them—but they put the matter
from their minds as abhorrent. That
probably was natural, but wrong.
“These crimes must be prevented
and they cannot be prevented until
people learn to know what causes
them and that the cause is not a
disgrace but a disease.”
It will be remembered that Dr.
Owensby was frequetly' mentioned in
connection with the recent murder
trial of Phillip E. Fox. He examined
Fox but was not placed on the wit
ness stand to testify in support of
the defendant’s plea of insanity. He j
has never rendered a public opinion
in this case, although a number of
other alienists were placed on the;
stand and swore Fox was insane. It i
was reported at the time of the trial ,
that Dr. Owensby was not placed
on the stand because his report was
unsatisfactory to the defense, but
he has never issued a statement on
the subject.
He is one of the best known alien
ists jn the south and is the head of
the department of mental diseases
at the Grady hospital. During the
war he was in charge of the train
ing of medical officers of the arn y
on manta] subjects.
Memphis Cotton Factor
» Indicted on Fraud Count
MEMPHIS, Feb. 20.—W. S. Skip
with, member of the cotton firm of
W. s. Skipwith & Co., was indicted
by the Shelby county’ grand
jury on a charge of fraudulent
breach of trust. The indictment
charged that Skipwith converted to
his use stock certificates valued
at $5,500 which, it was a"cged, were
turned over to him to be used only
.= coP.it-'ml j n rotton snDs and
; .c.n-?. 'i.as of Skipwith x Co
SKULL IDENTIFIED
AS THAT OF MISSING
ORLANDO, Fla.. Feb. 22.—Police
have identified the skeleton found
yesterday near Lake Ivanhoe as be
ing that of Miss Marion Johnson,
i of Orlando, and formerly of Jack
: sonville, Tampa, Miami and other
southern cities.
The skull was identified by com
' parison with a detailed description
; of Miss Johnson, whp disappeared
! from here in October, 1922, after a
| party' at a roadhouse located near
the place where the skeleton was
discovered.
Search is beftig made In the un
derworlds in every large city in the
■ south with the hope of apprehend
jjng the murderer. Captain of De
l fectives McMahon, here, is working
' on the supposition that Miss John-
I son was killed by a man who had
been living in a one-room shack on
j the place which he had built, and
i who is said • to have been friendly'
' with Miss Johnson.
Room-Mate Helps Officers
A Red Cross worker and room
mate of Miss Johnson co-operated
with the police Thursday after
reading the stofy of the discovery of
the skeleton Wednesday. Her name
was wtihheld by the police, but the
description she gave officials is as
follows;
“Marion Johnson was a small
featured girl, but was 5 feet 6 inch
es in height, weighed 125 pounds,
and had brown hair and gray eyes.
She had had one of her wisdom
teeth extracted several years ago
and had a few peculiar marks on
the inside of the teeth in her lower
jaw.”
The skull of the skeleton which
was unearthed corresponds to the
description to the most minute de
tail. The wisdom tooth is missing
and the marks on the teeth ace
clearly descerniblt. The skull is
that of a small-featured girl.
Escort Disappeared
According to the story told the
police by the former room-mate,
Miss Johnson left home one night
iif October, 1922, accompanied by
this unnamed man to go to a show.
They were later seen at a road
house on the Winter Park road.
Miss Johnson left the roadhouse,
still accompanied by her escort, aft
er spending several hours there and
after an argument had taken place,
according to the stories told follow
ing the girl’s disappearance. Both
Miss Johnson and the man had been
drinking, witnesses said.
Shortly after the disappearance
of Miss Johnson, the man who had
been occupying the little shack on
the land disappeared, but because
he was not known here, no attention
was paid to his movements. At
tempt is being made by Orlando
and Jacksonville police to locate an
uncle and aunt and other relatives
of Miss Johnson who are supposed
to be residing in Jacksonville.
Several angles of the case nave
not been cleared up. Captain Mc-
Mahon is endeavoring to discover
pie left the roadhouse,* whether the
girl was stripped of her clothing
after she was murdered, whether
she was buried or merely thrown
under some brush, in what manner
the murder was staged, and what
became of the remainder jrf the
bones.
$12.50 GOODYEAR RAINCOAT FREE
Goodyear Mfg. Co., 6022-R Goodyear
Bldg., Kansas City, Mo., is making an
offer to send a handsome raincoat free
tn one person in ea<h locality who will
show and recommend it to friends. If
veil want one, write d'l-r.
(AdveitiEeuient J ,
6 CENT® A COPY,
SI A YEAR.
EGOmiIBLW ! '
FOB DOUBLE CRIMES
OF miILLIINT BOY
\
Unmindful of Terrible Signif
icance of His Acts—Mind
Warped Seemingly Only on
Religious Subjects
Girl Has Not Seen
McDowell in Sixteen
Years, Says Mother
SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 21.
Miss Mary Birdsey, young college
girl, who, according to Frank
McDowell’s confession was the
next person he intended to kill,
has not seen McDowell for 16
years, according to a statement
made by Miss Birdsey’s mother
hereof oday.
Mri. Birdsey said her da&ghter ’
is not in Savannah at present,
but declined to say which college '
she is now attending, explaining
she did not care to have her
daughter’s name connected with
the case in any way whatsoever.
Mrs. Birdsey ,said they knew
the McDowell family when they
lived in Forsyth, and that her
daughter and Frank McDowell
went to kindergarten together, '
but since that time had long
since lost track of one another.
She expressed considerable sur
prise that the youth should even
remember her daughter’s name.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 21.
Agnosticism, atheism and advanced
radicalism caused Frank McDowell,
confessed murderer of his. father,
mother and two sisters, to commit
the crime of removing them from
his path and to make plans for the
removal of another —a beautiful
young college girl, whom he be
lieves stands in his path and defeats
his prograss towards becoming a
world power.
According to the story told by
young McDowell in his cell today to
the St. Petersburg Independent, he
knows he is abnormal, but firmly be
lieves that the day of the superman
is near at hand and that if it were
not for his birth, he would be the
first real superman.
McDowell was questioned so close
ly and apparently tried so hard to
enlighten his questioner regarding
the strange twists of his brain, that
he began to show signs of breaking
down, and, grabbing the cell bars,
h e jerked himself back ard forth
and said he wished they would place
him in the electric chair, that his
life was ruined, that he had been
a failure when he should have ac
complished so much.
Deputy Sherfiff Horton Belcher ;
said today that he would ask for a
commission of three doctors to inves
tigate the sanity of McDowell and
have him declared insane. If de
clared insane, McDowell would be
sent to the state asylum at Chatta
hoochee.
Sitting on the side of a bench in
the inner steel cage of the Pinellas
county jail in Clearwater today st
noon, Frank talked freely about
himself and his crimes.
To introduce the lad, who says he
is nineteen, it must be stated that
h els remarkably bright, well edu
cated, well bred and beautifully
mannered.
President of Perfect World
Frank said that he was possessed
of a great ambition to make the
world perfect, and to be the presi
dent of this perfect world. However,
he realized that he must first make
himself perfect, and to do this must
remote all obstacles to perfection.
At the age of ten, or eleven, ha
believed he had committed the un
pardonable sin of blaspheming
against the Holy Ghost, though now
he declares his non-belief in any
religion other than a supreme pow
er, a God, and he says he cannot
see how anyone with intelligent*
can believe in the Trinity. He add
ed, however, that it is a terrible
feeling to think there is NO great
power on which one may lean when
trouble comes. He said that a be
lief in a hereafter seemed to him
childish and foolish, though he
wished it was possible for him to
believe it, that there must surely
be great comfort in such a belief.
Crime Against Holy Ghost
The crim* committed against the
Holy Ghost occurred when about
ten, said McDowell. He was living
in Forsyth, Ga., at that time, and a
girl, Miss Mary Birdsey, one month
younger than himself, came to the
house. He was trying to get a
clean shirt on, ana finding it minus
some buttons, he swore at the Holy
Ghost. He said the young girl was
not a sweetheart, but he admired
her. He admired all girls, but is not
especially fond bf any. He said, he
•had hoped to see the Birdsey K-''-
again, as he had seen her picture
in her school annual and she is very
pretty.
He said she attended school in
Massachusetts at Dana Hall.
Referring to his blasphemy against
the Holy Ghost, he said he did not
think of it at the time, but later he
went to church and heard the minis
ter tell of the unpardonable crime
and realized he had committed it.
This preyed on his mind, and when
in a sut/conscious state he was pos-
(Con Guued on Page f Auhtnm 2)