Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, October 25, 1912, HOME, Image 1

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    THE WEATHER
Forecast: Fair tonight and Satur
day. Temperatures: Ba. m., 44; 10 a.
rn., 52; 12 noon. 60; 2 p. m,, 62.
VOL XI. NO. 71.
LI. BECKER
[EVICTED,
HAMES
urn
Lays Verdict of Guilty to His
Not Testifying in Own Be
half—To Appeal Case.
JURORS NEVER IN DOUBT
ABOUT OFFICER’S GUILT
Orly Degree Considered, Eight
Being for Death Penalty
on First Baljt.
NEW YORK. Oct. 25. —Lieutenant
Charles Becker will be sentenced to
next Wednesday for the murder
!lr man Rosenthal.
Th.is is the only sentence possible
l r the verdict of murder in the first
found at 11:57 o’clock last night
r the Jury in the trial of the police of
ficial. Whether Becker will be exe
rt. ■d is another question. Every' re
s..uree possible will be exerted to save
Him, and Becker today professed confi
dence that the verdict will be reversed,
~n the grounds that his trial was un
fair.
The verdict was a terrific shock to
Becker. He had become confident of
acquittal through the length of the
Jury's deliberations. He restrained his
motions only by the utmost effort whet;
the verdict was returned, but today he
w is stoically calm in his Tombs cell,
nis only' worry apparently' being for his
wife, whose health Is delicate. Becker
feared that the ordeal through which
she had passed might be fatal to herself
and the child soon to be born.
Becker made the following statement
this morning:
"I am innocent; the truth will pre
vail In the end. I was disappointed, as
I did not believe that any twelve men
would accept the story told by my ac
cusers While I hoped to be acquit
ted, I did not believe that the final re
sult would be worse than disagreement,
"I had absolutely nothing to do with
the killing of Herman Rosenthal.. I
never suggested it in anv wav.
Could Have Cleared
Himself on Stand.
I wanted to be a witness in my own
behalf. I believe I could have explain
ed away' all the suspicious circum
stances which tended to implicate me,
but I was forced to abide by the deci
sion of my counsel and remain mute.
“Though the murder of Rosenthal was
a terrible thing, I believe if the ver
dict of this jury Is carried into its
legal effect that the judicial murder of
Charles Becker will be an everlasting
blot upon the judicial system of the
Empire state.
1 do not believe I had the fair and
Impartial trial which is guaranteed to
men under our laws. When this
case is reviewed, the injustice of the
court proceeding which resulted in my
conviction will be apparent. lam con
fident that I will be granted a new
trial, and if I am and am tried at a
time when public clamor does not de
mand a victim, I believe that I will be
acquitted.
“I do not personally care much for
this verdict, but I feel the blow that it
w-ii; inflict upon the woman who bears
my name and who has borne more than
her share of the burden since my ar
rest on this charge, *
i "My case will be appealed without
delay, and, in my opinion, there can be
no other result than a reversal of this
tmjnst verdict.”
The Jurors actually deliberated seven
hours and forty-five minutes. As a re
sult of advice from Justice Goff that
J' should refrain from discussing
’heir action, the majority refused today
tell the secrets of the jury room, but
1 ’’as learned that at no time in their
‘liberations had there been a question
to Becker’s guilt. The matter that
I>f d their hearts and intelligence was
■ degree—whether they should find a
het that would mean death or a ver
that would mean life imprisonment,
e jury took three decisive ballots
all during their deliberations. The
showed that eight were for convlc-
1 for murder in the first degree, and
other four were for murder in the
nd degree. The jurors stood ranged
1,1 either side in the respective num
during the course of several polls,
o time did they consider acquittal
' n manslaughter.
he majority at all times held out
"nviction in the first degree, with
opposition for second degree al
but weakening rapidlv.
’ bal poll after poll had been taken.
Continued on Page Two.
The Atlanta Georgian
Read For Profit—GEORGIAN WANT ADS—Use For Results.
Barricade Burned, Thousands of Men, Women,Children See Negroes Hanged
SOLDIERS GUARD GALLOWS-SHERIFF SPRINGSTRAP
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Crowd, Determined to Witness
, Execution, Burns the Fence
Around Gallows.
CUMMING, GA., Oct. 25.—Amid the
cheers of thousands of spectators, gath
ered about a hollow square, 200 yards
from the gallows, Oscar Daniels and
Ernest Knox, negroes, paid the death
penalty here today for assaulting and
causing the death of a young white
woman near Cumming, in Forsyth
county, September 8, less than seven
weeks ago. They were convicted three
weeks ago yesterday.
The double trap was sprung by Sher
iff W. W. Reid at 11:19 o’clock, and
twenty minutes later the two bodies
were cut down and placed in a single
pine box to be burled by the county as
criminal paupers this afternoon. They
will not be accorded a funeral by mem
bers of their own race, as there are
practically no negroes left in Forsyth
county and the few remaining are
afraid to venture out on such a mis
sion.
Neither negro had a word to say
while on the scaffold. They went stol
idly to their death, apparently unmov
ed by the fate that awaited them. Be
fore they were placed on the gallows,
however, both made brief statements.
Daniels insisted he was not guilty, but
Knox confessed.
Sheriff Springs
The Trap.
Sheriff .Reid, himself, sprung the trap,
but Deputies Lummes and Jones assist
ed him In blindfolding and tying the
negroes and adjusting the death caps.
Rev. F. P. Wills, pastor of the Cumming
Baptist church, offered a prayer as the
negrefcs mounted the scaffold. Dr. C.
T. Brice and Dr. J. A. Otwell pronounc
ed them dead after the hanging.
Only these attendants, county offi
cers, newspaper representatives, mem
bers of the dead girl’s family and sol
diers were permitted within the 200-
yard area. Two companies of Atlanta
militiamen formed a dead-line and kept
the thousands of morbidly curious—
men, women and children —out of reach
of the scaffold. But they were satis
fied to stand on the surrounding hill
sides and view the spectacle from a
distance. Estimates of the crowd vary,
but it is not exaggerating to state that
no less than 5,000 persons assembled
here for the event—the first legal exe
cution In Forsyth county in more than
half a century.
The soldiers left Cumming early this
afternoon on their return to Atlanta.
Cumming was under martial law today
for the third time within six weeks—
first, about the time of the crime; later,
at the trial, and now for the executions
The presence of soldiers in this little
mountain town has become rather com
monplace.
Gallows Fence
Is Burped.
Efforts of county officials to have the
hangings conducted privately, as re
quired by law, were futile. Because of
the smallness of the jail, which would
not permit the erection of a gallows
within the structure, a wooden scaffold
was constructed in a field a half mile
from the court house. This was sur
rounded by a fence fifteen feet high,
forming an inclosure about 30 feet
square.
About midnight a mob went to the
site of the scaffold, tore down the high
fence and made a monster bonfire of
the lumber and timbers. This morning
only a heap of charred embers was left’
of what had been the fence. The scaf
fold was not molested.
Ordinary H. V. Jones early this morn
ing ordered the fence rebuilt, but when
he undertook to secure lumber with
which to rebuild it, not a dealer in town
could be found who would sell the ma
terial. Consequently it became neces
sary to conduct the double hanging in
the open, in full view of the assembled
multitude.
The two companies of militia that ac
companied the two prisoners from At
lanta arrived here at 2 o'clock this
morning, with the condemned negroes
In custody. They were taken imme
diately to the courthouse, where they
were confined until removed to the gal
lows. A picket line was thrown about
the courthouse, the fence around the
square being the dead line A strong
guard was maintained inside the build
ing. with Major I. T Catron personally
in command. ’Only military and court
officials, physicians anil a ininiste:
were passed through the lines.
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Soldiers leaving Atlanta fr Cumming with condemned negroes. Two companies of militia men guarded the prisoners from
the time they were taken from the Fulton county jail Until their bodies had been cut down from the gallows, following their
execution. Ihe military was sent to Cumming at the request of civil authorities of Forsyth county.
FEMIOTO
FACE HIS FAMILY
Cordele Man Backs Down After
Boarding Train for Home.
Going Back West.
CORDELE, GA., Oct. 25.—"1 can not
face tlie embarrassment of meeting my
wife and children and friends under such
circumstances," was the excuse Augustus
J. Fenn, former wealthy Cordele lumber
man. gave for not returning to his old
home, after boarding a train for this city
al New Orleans yesterday. J. J. Williams
ami Joseph Epsy, sons-ln-law of Fenn; J.
T. Hill and J. G. Jones, Cordele law
yers, and Sheriff John Ward, of Crisp
county, who went to New Orleans when
it was discovered Fenn was there, re
turned this morning without him. At
-the last moment Fenn backed down.
"I have business matters in Mexico to
attend to and I will Just go back to El
Paso. I may return home some day, but
not soon,” was his parting with his
friends. His sons-ln-law still urged hln:
to return, assuring him that a reconcilia
tion was possible with his wife and chil
dren, but he still refused and left the
train.
As yet Mrs. Nancy E. Fenn, wife of the
man supposed to have been drowned in
the Apalachicola river two and a half
years ago, and who brought suits to re
cover $15,000 on insurance policies carried
on the life of Fenn, has made no state
ment whatever as to whether she desires
him to return.
WEATHER MAN PUTS
BLAME FOR COLDS
ON SMOKE NUISANCE
Atlanta smoke, which Dr. McFarland
says is worse than that of Pittsburg, is
responsible for many of the colds from
which Atlantans are suffering today,
according to Weather Man VonHerr
mann.
“Just look out of that window,” he
waved his hand toward the fourteenth
story window of his offices, indicating
the great pall of murkiness which hung
over the city. “All that can not help
but inflame mucous membrane and It is
a wonder that Atlantans do not suffer
from colds to an undue degree.
“In any other section of Georgia one
can see for several miles. You can’t
even see a mile through this smoke. I
don’t think it has any effect on the ele
ments, though I do believe that we
would have much more sunlight here if
hard coal were used. London has
passed a law requiring hard coal to be
used by all.”
The weather man thinks that the
mercury will not go below 38 again for
some time. It will probably be cloudy
Saturday and Sunday, though no rain
is expected.
DOUGLAS FARMER,
GORED BY A BULL AT
STATE FAIR, MAY DIE
MACON, GA., Oct. 25.—0. H. Sel
man. a young farmer from Douglasville,
Douglas county, was seriously injure!
at the state fair grounds today, and is
expected to die, as the result of an at
tack on him by an enraged bull.
The animal gored the man’s righi
leg, ripping the flesh open to the bone
from the knee to the thigh, and then
trampled on him. Selman was pre
paring feed for the animal when he was
attacked. He Is at the city hospital.
ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1912.
WOODWARD BRANDS
CREMATORY ILLEGAL
James G. Woodward, mayoralty
nominee, declared today that the con
tract made by the mayor and council
for a $276,000 garbage disposal plant
was illegal and that the bond given by
the crematory company to guarantee a
compliance with the city specifications
.was not worth a cent,- beewaee it was
based on an illegal contract.
The point in the contract Mr. Wood
ward attacks is that the city gives its
moral obligation for all of the cost price
but $50,000, while the city chapter spe
cifically states that the council of one
year can not spend the income of an
other year.
Chief of Construction Clayton, who
was standing in the group talking to
Mr. Woodward, said that a similar
contract had recently been broken by
a sewer contractor in Savannah. The
law preventing a council from spending
a city’s future income Is a general state
law and applies to all cities.
It is not that Mr. Woodward's point
is new that makes it important, but
the fact that he, as the next mayor,
makes it.
In his announcement statement for
the mayoralty, Mr. Woodward attacked
the present administration for pledging
so much of the city’s future income.
Several hundred thousand dollars have
already been pledged, the mayor and
council having passed the Ivy street
improvement project and the council
having approved the plan of purchas
ing a fire alarm system by the same
means within the last few days.
Contract Could
Not Hold Good.
“If the humblest citizen should take
this matter to the courts, the contract
would not hold,” said Mr. Woodward.
"But the members of council who voted
for it could be held personally liable,
where they own any property. Alder
man A. J. Johnson is the only one on
record against the plan.”
Following Martin Amorous’ inter
view in The Georgian denouncing the
building of the new crematory as a
waste of funds and declaring that it
would create such a nuisance that the
people would demand its abandonment,
Mr. Woodward went to the city hall and |
HUB TALLEY AGAIN
GETS STAYING WRIT
AND ESCAPES JAIL
“Hub" Talley has again slipped
through the hands of the authorities
and is enjoying the delights of free
dom.
The elusive young man. who first
thwarted the authorities by being sent
to the state Insane asylum on a writ
of lunacy, put “another one over” today,
when, through his counsel. Attorney
John Y. Smith, he obtained from su
perior Court Judge Bel] a supersedeas.
This proceeding stays the execution
of the stockade sentences, and gives
Talley permission to appeal the recent
habeas corpus proceedings to the court
of appeals.
EACH FREED 3 TIMES;
REWED AFTER 20 YEARS
KALAMAZOO, MICH, Oct. 25.—Mrs.
Melissa Keef. at Grand Rapids, today was
to wed Eugene Morse, a former husband,
from whom she separated ten years ago.
Nearly twenty years ago the couple were
first married, and after living together
nine years they separated Since then
each has married and been divorcad
twice.
made an investigation of the contract.
He did not say what he intended to
do when he entered office, but he has
always been opposed to spending the
city’s future Income, while the present
arlminlstration has started many im
provements by that means. When th*
crematory contract was made, however,
there was little apprehension among the
Councilmen that any antagonistic out
sider would be elected mayor.
Woodward Agrees
With Amorous.
Mr. Woodward agrees In the main
with Mr. Amorous’ view of the crema
tory plan. He said that the old crema
tory was too valuable to be torn down,
and that the new one was too much In
the nature of an experiment to cost so
much money.
Mr. Amorous said that the real nui
sance of the new crematory would be
the passage of so ‘many garbage wag
ons and trucks through the center of
the city to the new crematory. He
said that smaller, cheaper crematories,
on the order of the old one which cost
only $30,000, hut burns half as much
garbage as the new one Is supposed to
burn, should be built in different sec
tions of the city. This, ho said, would
save the city money by shortening the
hauls.
Retrenchment
Policy Likely.
Mr. Woodward’s statements point to
a policy of retrenchment next year. If
he attempts to nullify the crematory
contract, council will be faced with one
of the most serious problems It has
ever known. This contract is held by
the Destructor Company of New York.
Work is to begin on the new plant
shortly. But all the officials agree that
when it comes to living up to the
strict letter of the law. the policy de
manded in the vice crusade and the
locker club war, the moral obligation
contracts are without the bounds.
Mr. Woodward has planned with
Chief of Construction Clayton a general
inspection of all city construction work.
He will make this investigation before
he goes into office.
“I am informing myself upon all mu
nicipal matters,” said Mr. Woodward.
DANIEL BROS. SITE
WILL BE SOLD AT
PUBLIC OUTCRY
No. 45 Peachtree street, occupied by
Daniel Bros., Is to be sold at a commis
sioner’s sale before the court house
door at 12 o'clock noon the first Tues
day In November, by Forrest & George
Adair.
This and two other parcels are in the
estate of the late John W. Mercer, of
Greenville. The other pieces are 54 feet
on Marietta street, Just beyond Thur
mond, extending back to the W. & A.
railroad right-of-way. and known as
336-338-340 Marietta street, and 82 feet
on Bell street, immediately south of
Edgewood avenue.
FOURTH OLD VET DIES
IN ONE WEEK AT HOME
W. D. Broadnax, aged 66 years, was
the fourth veteran to die at the Soldiers
home in the past five davs when h<
passed away yesterday. Two died Tues
day night, while one died last Sunday.
Mr. Broadnax was a member of Com
pany H, Eleventh Georgia cavalry, dur-
I ing the war. The funeral arrangements
I will be announced later.
MDOSERSBLOCK
Pl VOTE PLAN
Democrats Decide to Use Only
White Slips When Progres
sives Select Colored.
Shortly after noon today. Chairman
William J. Harris, of the state Demo
cratic executive committee, announced
that the proposed “pink” ticket for the
use of Wilson and Marshall voters In
the presidential election would be with
drawn and the customary white ballot
only recommended to voters.
Mr. Harris said that the “pink” tick
jet was proposed originally merely as a
safeguard to the Democratic party in
Georgia and to enable the Democratic
committee to locate "bolters" in the fu
ture.
He said he had learned, however, that
the Bull Moose party had decided, since
the Democratic “pink” ticket idea leak
ed out, to undertake the frustration of
the Democratic plan by issuing a “pink”
ticket also. This, the chairman points
out, would defeat utterly his primary
object, which was to confine the voting
of the “pinks" to Democrats.
Mr. Harris said, in further explana
tion of his reversed attitude, that a
number of lawyers of stalling had in
formed him that to require all Demo
crats to vote exclusively a "pink" ticket
might be—and In some circumstances
surety would be—construed to be intim
idation and duress, and thereby endan
ger the entire Wilson and Marshall bal
lot in the state.
This, the chairman said, the commit
tee would be very much disinclined to
hazard. He thinks ft much better to
•withdraw the "pink” tickets entirely
than to run any risk in the election.
The "pinks,” therefore, will be with
drawn, and the Wilson and .Marshall
ballots will be entirely regular.
ATLANTAN, UNABLE
TO SUPPORT WIFE.
COMMITS SUICIDE
BIRMINGHAM, ALA., Oct 25—D T
White, until recently residing at 42
White street, Atlanta, shot himself
through the brain in the Southern hotel
here last night. He was found dead
this morning.
He left a letter-addressed to hfs wife
in which he asked for pardon for the
rash act, saying that he was unable to
support her as he desired. Coroner
Brasher investigated the case and pro
nounced It suicide. This Is the second
Atlantan to suicide here within a
month.
Mrs, White is now living with her
mother, Mrs. Stevens, on Ashby street.
The family left the White street ad
dress a month ago.
FOUR WOULD BE KISSED
BY OSCULATION ENEMY
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., Oct 25.
Dr. P. B. Hall, who caused a bit of
commotion by saying that even appen
dicitis can be transmitted through a
kiss and that the only safe way to kiss
a woman was on her photograph, ar
rived at his office today to find the
photo of four beautiful girls, none that
he had ever seen before, each bearing
the inscription, "I want to be kissed.”
HOME
IPITION
2 CENTS EVERYWHERE P^ R N E °
CAMP FE
NOWFACES
POLICE
TRIAL
Slayer of Fellow Officer Beld
ing Found Not Guilty by Jury
After Being Out 16 Hours.
MUST ANSWER CHARGE
THAT HE WAS DRUNK
Suspension Order Is Effective
Until Board Hearing—Freed
Man Tells Sensations.
Bicycle Patrolman J. Wesley Camp,
who slew his fellow officer. Samuel H.
Belding, in the rooms they had occupied
for years, was found “not guilty” in
Judge Roan’s court this morning by a
jury which had been out for sixteen
hours.
The verdict came as a stalling sur
prise to many, and after the jury had
asked the judge to recharge them on
the elementary grounds of the burden of
proof.
Ballot after ballot was taken before
the twelve “good men and true” de
cided to give Camp, who had been at
tacked as a victim of delirium tremens
and charged with frenzied murder, his
liberty.
Suspension Order
Issued by Chief.
Unless relatives of J. W. Camp pre
vail upon him to resign from the police
force, he will face another trial on No
vember 14. This time Camp will go
before the police commission to answer
charges of drunkenness preferred
against him by Police Chief Beavers.
Chief Beavers called Camp and his
attorneys into consultation today and
announced that he expected to lodge
charges with the commission. The chief
issued an order of suspension against
Camp, which will be effective until the
police board hears the case. Carlos
Mason, chairman of the commission,
said today that he had been led to be
lieve by members of Camp's family that
the office:' would resign from the force.
The charges grew out of expert tes
timony submitted by Dr. T. D. Longino
at Camp’s trial, to the effect that he
had treated the officer for delirium
tremens a week or so before the shoot
ing of Belding.
After a harrowing night, in which
several men stood out for a conviction
of some kind, the jury came into the
court room at 9 o’clock this morning
Judge Roan was on the bench, and
Camp as cool and unconcerned as ever,
awaited the word that would decide hia
fate.
But the jury wanted a recharge. Aft
er having listened to many hours of
evidence and an exhaustive charge from
the judge, they wanted the court to tell
them upon whom the burden of proof
rested.
Judge Roan, of course, answered that
It rested upon the state and that Camp
was presumed to be innocent until
proven guilty.
At the same time the court added a
few words about a "reasonable doubt.”
the usual advice given by a judge in
such cases.
The jury returned to deliberate, while
the sparsely crowded court room waited
eagerly. Camp betrayed no emotion.
Court Room Silent
As Verdict Is Read.
Twenty minutes later, the twelve
men tiled in once more, and, amid a
strained silence, the foreman announced
the verdict:
"We find the defendant not guilty.”
A few friends of Camp, including his
lawyers, rushed to congratulate him,
>»ut tire officer himself took It all w ith
remarkable stolidity.
“I had no idea,” said Camp to a
Georgian reporter, “that I would be con
victed. I was confident all the time that
a full recital of the facts would result
It: my acquittal. But no one except the
man who has been in a similar position
can realize the terrible strain of the
ordeal I have gone through. To wait
in a prison cell for the trial, to sit in
the court room while able lawyers de
mand your life, and then the suspense
while the jury deliberates—it is awful.
Thank heaven, it is over.”
Another Trial
Faces Officer.
The probability of another ordeal
looms up before Camp—trial before the
police commission on the charge of
drunkenness. A number of witnesses
charged that he was intoxicated at the
time of the shooting. With his law ver,
the freed policeman will see Chief