Newspaper Page Text
Iii Atlanta—TWO CENTS.
On Tralns-FIVE CENTS.
».*»*♦ ***"
VOL. VII. NO. 111.
ATLANTA, GA„ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1908.
SPEERS ASK COURT
TO ANNUL MARRIAGE
COMMEMORATING HEROISM OF SOUTHERN SOLDIERS
TIE SPEERS
Chauffeur Husband
Says They Alienated
Bride’s Affections.
Suit Filed Charging
Duress Fraud arid
Threats.
4- WILL FIGHT DAMAGE SUIT, +
4- SAYS SPEERS’ LAWYER 4-
4- <f>
+ Reuben Arnold, representing Mr. 4-
* THOMAS’ LAWYER SAYS
* WILL FIGHT DIVORCE SUIT 4-
Thomas B. Felder, of Ander- 4-
son, Felder, Rountree & Wilson, 4-
attorneys for Russell Thomas, 4-
said: +
■ This Is a free country, and Mr. 4-
Arnold and Messrs. Rosser & +
Brandon, representing Mr. Speer, +
ran (lie any suit they desire. Mr. 4-
Thomas wll, of course, oppose the 4-
suit." f
Mr. Felder said the suit of Mr. 4*
Thomas for 1100,000 for the al- 4-
l«geri alienation of his wife's af- v
fecttons stands on Its own merits, 4-
anil does not signify that Mr. 4-
Thomas Is willing to give up his 4-
wife for that amount or for any 4-
other amount. +
Alleging that her parents, Sir. and
Mrs. W. A. Speer, have alienated the
affections of his wife, Mrs. Sllvey
Speer Thomas, and wrongfully kept her
from him, Russell J. Thomas, whose
elopement and marriage with Miss Sll
vey Speer took place September 28.
has filed suit In the superior court thru
his attorneys, Anderson, Felder, Roun
tree & Wilson, against his wife’s par
ents, asking for $100,000 damages.
The allegations of the petition are to
the effect that Mr. and Mrs. Speer, by
fraud, caused a separation between Mr.
Thomas and tits 'wife and liave since
poisoned Iter mind against hint and
wholly destroyed her affection for him.
The facts of the marriage are still
fresh in the minds of the public. Mr.
Thomas was the Speer chauffeur and
as such wa» often With Mies Speer as
he drove their automobile about the
city. On the day of theelopement MW*
Speer started to school at the Wash
ington Seminary n» usual, but Instead
of going there, she was Joined by Mr.
Thomas and his father, W. B. Thomas,
and all,went to the study of the Cen
tral Congregational church, where tncy
were married by the paetor. Rev. Hen
ry A. Atkinson. The couple then
hoarded the train for the North, but
were stopped at the nstance of the
Vel.lr.’o i.nronta lit {'hTTflOt t<*. N. "i flnU
stopped hi
bride's parents at Charlotte,
brought back to Atlanta, Mr Thomas
however, not stopping with them. but
going on to Newnan, Ga. Mrs. Thomas.
With her parents, left next day for_Lu-
tope, where she has been until her re
turn a few weeks ago.
Russell Thomas’ Petition.
The petition of Rowell Thom** »• in
superior eourt follow*:
t.F.OROIA—Fulton County.
To tha Superior Court of Bud County
The petition of Ruaiail J. Thorona «how»
that William A. Bpeer *nd Mra. Kate Sllvey
Speer hare injured and damaged him in tne
hum of one hundred thouaand dollara (flOOr
Continued on Pago Thirtun.
+ and Mra. W. A. Speer, waa seen 4*
•{••relative to the suit filed by Mr. 4*
•F Thomas for $100,000 for the al- *F
•F leged alienation of hla wife's af- *F
•F fectlons. 4*
•F "That wjll be fought, of course,” 4*
•F he said, "and the allegations In It *F
•F are denied. Our position Is that 4*
•F Mr. Thomas, as husband of Miss d*
•F Speer, when he became such thru *F
•F fraud and duress, as we charge, d*
•F has absolutely no standing ■ In d*
•F court." d*
4*
^dd>Hdddddd"H»Hd-Hd4d-
Charging that the marriage of Rus
sell J. Thomas and Miss Sllvey Speer
was accomplished by fraud at® duress,
a stilt for the annulment of the mar
riage and for total divorce was died In
the office of the clerk of the superior
court Wednesday afternoon by Miss
Speer thru W. A. Speer, her father,
as next friend.
The petition alleges that Russell
Thomas and his father, W. B. Thomas,
conspired to secure the marriage and
were assisted In such conspiracy "by
divers other persons," whose names
are not mentioned.
The petition alleges that various
threats were used by the defendant and
his father, W. B. Thomas; among them
being that they created the Impression
on the young girl's mind that violence
would be done her father If she refused
to marry.
The defendant and his said father,”
continues the bill for total divorce,
"told plaintiff that, unless she married
the defendant, she would be scandal
ized; that there had been gossip about
the two and that the only way to. re
lieve her name from this gossip and to
Continued on Pago Thirteen.
27 Are Killed •
In an Avalanche
BELLUNO, Italy, Dae. 9.— 1 Twenty-
seven were killed In an avalanche at
Ban Lucane. The result ot the ava
lanche left a large opening In the
ground In which an enormoue flood of
water la flowing. Hundred! of famlllea
are without food and homea. Sub-
acrlptlona have been opened for theee
unfortunate vlctlma.
PEACE PACT
BETWEEN TAFT
Believed Conference
Means Agreement on
Tariff Revision.
CONFEDERATE MONUMENT UNVEILED AT CARTER8VILLE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8.
Waa erected by the Bartow Chapter, Daughter! of the Confederacy, and the unveiling ceremoniea were attended by a crowd, Ganaral Clement A.
er of tha National Confederate Veterane' Aeaoclatlon, who wee the oretor at the unveiling, ie eeen at the left of the monument. He
Evane, commander of the National Confederate Veterane' Aeaociation, who wee the oretor at the unveiling,
ecoepted tha shaft on behalf of the veterans. Veterans of P, M. B, Young Camp, United Confederate Vetebans, are seen in the foreground.
STYLISH GIRL FROM TEXAS
HELD AT POLICE STATION
Accused of Taking Ring, She Protests Innocence and
Says She Is Grandniece of
Gordon.
Attired In a stylish eult of blue and
wearing a big merry, widow hat, pro
fusely adorned with plumes, a pretty
young woman, who says she Is Miss
Eula Belle Gordon McNeer. $2 year* of
age, of Houeton. Tex., wae arreeted late
Tuesday afternoon In Whltehall-eL by
Defectives Dorsett and Harper on the
charge of attempting to eteat a ring In
tha Jewelry establishment of W.
Timms, 28 Whltehall-st.
Miss McNeer has been stopping at
the Piedmont Hotel since last Thurs
day, and, following her arreat, her
trunk waa searched in her room by the
defectives. The stylleh young prisoner
assorts that »he la. prominently con-
H „ I H Tha foregoing advertisement ap-
the Jewelry store Tueaday after. j»« ro u Wednesday in a morning paper
ehe stated that she wanted to raolr ^,1 it. character caused considerable
MR. W. L. BYRON RETURNS
Racers Still
Ahead Recod
NEW YORK, Dec. 9.—The record of
th. leaders In the six-day bicycle race
at 3 ,,’clock was 1,249 miles and .two
laps. The previous record for the same
time la 1,289 miles and two laps. V\ai-
thour Is still one lap behind. Mcbar-
land Is setting the pace.
PROBING OUTRAGES
BY NIGHT RIDERS
UNION CITY, Tenn., Dec. 9.—The
grand Jury was reconvened here this
ai.,rnlng In the night rider cases, which
aAVe been under Investigation for lev
ers! days. >
P. C. Ward and Ed Powall, tha former
hotel-keeper at Walnut Log. with whom
Captain Rankin and Colonel Taylor
"ere stopping at the,time of the mur
der, and the latter the man called from
his home and used as a decoy to get
Ward to open the doors of the hotel, are
In Union City today.
nected and says she Is a grandniece of
the late General John B. Gordon.
The detectives .have been Informed
that Miss McNeer Is the same young
woman who la said to have stolen a
ring from the Timms establishment
three or four days ago. When aht en
tered the Jewelry store Tuesday aftei
noon :.
at some rings, nnd. after examining
several and trying them on her finger,
starts to leave the etore. It was then
discovered that she had one of the
rings on her Anger and ehe wae
promptly stopped.
She "Had Forgotten."
"OH, 1 beg your pardon," exclaimed
the young woman. "I had forgotten
about having the ring on my finger.”
When the ring wae returned, she was
allowed to proceed, but was followed
by one of the clerks. In the meantime,
the detective department had been no
tified nnd Detectives Doreett and
Harper took the trail. They found Miss
McNeer In Whitehall, near Hunter-et.,
and took har Into custody.
' Among a big batch of lattere found
In her trunk wae a newspaper clipping
bearing the picture of a young woman ;
uiid the name "Miss Eula Belle Gor-, j
don McNeil." This clipping was a story
to the effect that this young woman
had been selected as sponsor for u.
Richmond camp of Confederate veter- •
ana to the reunion, at Dallas, Tex. Tin
letters, which are directed to the young :
woman In different places, are ad-1
dressed, "Miss Eula Belle Gordon Me-
Neer."
**l Am of Good Family."
had no Intention of stealing the j
ring," said the young woman In the
“TOO MUCH STEPMOTHER,”
SAYS SAVANNAH GIRL
Advertisement That Bills Wouldn’t Be Paid a Surprise
To Miss Eleanor Caldwell, Shop
ping Here.
NOTICE—To the merchants of Atlan
ta: Neither J. W. or Mra. Caldwell, of
Savannah, Ga., will be responsible for
any debts contracted by any one at the
Majeatlc Hotel or elsdwhere.
comment.
Investigation at the Majestic Hotel
and among local merchants developed
the fact that the person referred to In
the advertisement must be Mies Elean
or Caldwell, a stylleh and handsome
young woman, daughter of Mr. and
Mra J. W. Caldwell, of Savannah, and
who Is at present stopping at tha Ma
jestic. Miss Caldwell, who la a pleaaant
young woman, has been In Atlanta
about three weeks, and, ascot-ding to
her statements, left her home and
came here because she and Mra, Cald
well, har atep-mothcr, coujd not agree.
The tact that Miss .Caldwell has
made numerous purchases from down
town stores since her arrival In Atlanta
Is supposed to be responsible for the
public notice given to the merchants
that neither Mr. Caldwell nor Mra.
Caldwell will be responsible far any
Uebta she may contract. Inquiry among
merchants Wednesday brought forth
the statements that Miss Caldwell was
granted credit on her presentation of
Conlinutd on Pago Stem.
WASHINGTON, Dee. 9,-Joseph CL
Cannon, speaker of the house of rep-'
resentatlves, today made his peace with
William Howard Taft, the president
elect, In a conference which lasted an
hour and a half, at the residence of
Miss Mabel Boardtnan, where Mr. Taft
le a guest during his stay In Washing-
ton.
The peace pact wll be aealed by a
conference which Mr. Taft will have
tomorrow afternoon with the entire
membership of the house committee on
ways and means at the residence of
? r K*o ntat i ve Longworth, at
wlilch Speaker Cannon will be present.
Tariff revision was the main subject
discussed, altho other matters In which
Mr. Taft is especially Interested were
brought up. %
At the conclusion of the talk the
president-elect said he would issue no
statement about the conference until
tomorrow afternoon following his
meeting the ways and means commit
tee. lie postponed the statement be
cause In this way, he could avoid tha
necessity of issuing two statements.
I haven t a word to give out,” said
the ■P«aker. ‘If; gave out something
it might be misconstrued, and then
somebody might get mixed up on what
the president-elect would say, and the
thing would go to sixes and sevens. I
will say nothing about It”
Taft Is Coming
For Visit Here
Early in January
LOOKING FOR SANTA CLAUS
matron’s ward Wednesday morning.
’’I' merely forgot that I had placed It
on my Anger. I am of a good family
and have never done anything,: of this
kind.” f
Mias McNeer said she lives >wfth her .
mother and stepfather In Houston. To
Chief of Detective* Jett Tuesday night
she raid her mother was In Mobile and
waa expected to arrive In Atlanta Wed
nesday. She eaye «he la on her way t" :
Morristown, Tenn., to vlalt friends. The 1
detectives are making a thorough In-1
veatlgatlon of the caae.
4- WHAT CONGRESS +
f DID WEDNESDAY +
* WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.—In the +
t senate the credential* of Senator J
*F Hemenway, Senator Dillingham •*•
v and John Sharp Williams were re- ■*•
t >rived. +
J A large number of bllla, tnclud- +
t ing a number of much Importance, +
T "»re introduced. *
+ Senator Dolllver Introduced an -r
J Important .measure to regulate +
j eecurity of rates of transportation +
T companies. +
V Senator Foraker Introduced a 4-
J 1411 to protect the coal and other +
j* mineral deposits on public lands, +
J The date for the eulogies on 4-
J Senator Proctor was changed to +
m January 9. .4*
•S-i-H-K-l I 1 S"I"14-t 1 I 1 'H"i"I' 1 I ’H-I-l’
An Atlentan'e return ie always a pleasant incident, but when one returns
after an abtanca of fifteen years and bring* the honor of achievement with
him, it should make ut especially proud.
Walter L, Byron waa born and reared in Atlanta, educated in her
schools and soma fifteen years ago went to Cincinnati, where he arose in
the newspaper profession to tha office of advertising manager of The Cin
cinnati Post, one of the largest and most profitable papers in the United
Statea, a paper with one hundred and fifty thouaand circulation. After
serving this paper for over eight yeart, Mr. Byron has been induced to return
to hie native city to assume the pssitfon of advertising manager of The
Georgian.
That The Georgian gives him a hearty welcome and it able to offer suf
ficient inducement to bring this gentleman to it* organization we owe to our
frienda—the readero and advertisers of our paper, and we render grateful ap
preciation. s
Wo have known Mr. Byron a number of yeare and have watched him
covetously, and we bespeak for him the consideration and confidence that
our estimate of his sterling manhood and ability might command.
'Mrs. Byron and their children aeeompeny Mr. Byron.
Seeks to Kill* Both
When Divorce Suit
Is Filed.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 9.—Allan
K. -Nalls shot and fatally wounded his
wife, Mr*. Mary Nalls. Wednesday
morning at 9:IS o'clock, and, turning
the pistol on himself, fired a bullet
thru hi* cheat. Just above the heart. In.
flirting a wound from which he died
at ngon.
The tragedy waa enacted at the home
of A. H. Anderson. South Twenty-flfth-
at. The wife of Nalls was formerly
Miss Mary Anderson and ehe had re
sided with her |>arenta since she re
cently separated from her husband.
She took their 4-year-old daughter with
her.
Nalls was formerly a etreet car con
ductor. Mra. Nalls had filed a suit for
divorce from Nalls, stipulating In a
clause to the effect that she c ould mar
ry again. Nalls had stated to a friend.
It la said, that an employee of n store
had come between hla wife and himself.
, WASHINGTON, Dec. 9—Pre.ideot-
elect Taft today received a committee
from the Georgia delegation attending
the watferwaya congreas here. He ac
cepted the Invitation extended him by
the committee to attend a banquet to
b© given him In Atlanta some time
during the first three weeks of 1903.
NEW BILL OP LADING
AFTER JANUARY 1
The n.v uniform hill of lading will not
be uaod by th. Sonth.rn Hallway until Jan
—’••"VIII IMIlWgj: Until .1111 I
ary 1. An .ITort la now bring mail, by in
teroiU repr—entlng tbe watrr nnd rail rou.i-
to bring about certain modifications in th
terms of tbe new bill of lading.
TIIE PAPER THAT SHOOTS
BEAR ArTER OTHERS IXEE
Tbe Atlanta Oeorgtin b» a wey of
~ ..... upon tbe nerve of some of our
brother reentry editor.. Say, fellowe.
don t fall oat with tbs man who ibooti
the heir after *ou throw the gun down
and run.—Masefield, Ot., Leader.
This prhotegraph we. taken et the itecetur
Methodist Orphans' Home.
Christmas is only a little way off now.
Santa Claus is a Brest way off to lots of little tots, and.
thousands of homes don’t know him at all.
There are homes where papa has forgotten to send word to
Santa Claus for years, and where the stocking is found empty on
Christmas morning.
This is not Santa Claus’ fault, for he loves all children
alike, but he only goes to homes where there are father and
mother to love the little boys and girls and to send word to Santa
Claus ahead of time.
The Georgian knows Santa Claus, and it all the little boys
and girls who can spare their last year’s doll or some shoes,
or some money, will send it to us, we will give it to Santa Claus
for tlte poor little hoys uhd girls who haven't any papas and
mammas and who won’t have anything in their stockings for
Christinas.
Don’t write ns any letters asking Santa Clans to come to
your house, because mamma and papa will tell him to come—but
write us and send ten cents—or more if you can—for some poor
little girl or boy.
CHRISTMAS RATES
SOON GO IN EFFECT
Tick*!* for ike holiday Msion at rtdartd
rates will ba plorod on Ml* by *11 th* rail*
road* December 18. Tbe date* of Mle ere
December 18. If). 23. 24. 85. 80. 31. and
Jenoery 1. with final limit of January 8.
The rate* wilt be on nrartirallr the mem
basis s» laat year, when’ tbe rhsrze for tha
* “ * was 4 rents a mils with 35 cent*
iiU
ASK FOR PARDON
FOR LONG, OF WALTON
An application tor a pardon for J. Tom
tang, convicted of murder and sent to tha
penitentiary for lifs from Walton county three
years ago, waa argued feature the prison
eommiaainn Wednesday by Attorney* Iial fl.
Kowel! and Joa Father, of Monroe. Long was
convicted of murdering a man named Toole.
Ilia prerioua record is aatd to bare bean good.
Doesn't this man look happy?
He Is more than pleated with
the results he got from a Geor
gian Want Ad.
TOO LATE FOR CLASSIFICATION*
SITUATIONS WANTED—MALE.
with arnue reliable firm or corporation: mu*r
Unvi* work at once. Address S. Wnr-i, it
fnrnegle place.
L08T AND FOUND.
IJkDY who advert!s.‘<l a lout gold hr
with diamond In renter ran get mm
nt the bo
House.
Willi U1BI1IUUU IU imiri
applying nnd describing a
flee of the Grand Opera 1
LOST—One gray mare U- turn nr n«>
tiry N. P. Pratt Laboratory, Auburn -in.I
Courtland-ayen.. nnd receive reward.
FOR SALE—MISCELLANEOUS.
Five hundred '
page 14.
i today os
• ....
ji.
—iii
THE WEATHER.
Forecast: Fair, with slowly ris
ing temperature tonlRlit. Thurs
day fair. Temperatures Wednes
day (taken at A. K. Hawkes Com
pany's store): M a, m., 36 degrees;
19 a. m.. 43; 12 m„ 61; 2 p. in,, 63.
The
AND NEWS
SPOT COTTON.
Atlantn, quiet; 3 13-16. Liverpool, easier
4,86. New Orleans, dull; 81316. New
York, quiet; 9.25. Savannah, dull; 8 9 18
Augusta, quiet: 8 |5-lC©9e. Galveston
dull; 8?i. Norfolk, ■tendv; 9%. Mobil.’
easy; 8%. Houston, dull; 8%.