Newspaper Page Text
Woman Tells in Detail How She Bribed Assassin With Her Love and Promise of Marriage
MRS. KING'S FULL STORY OF HER PLOT TO KILL HUSBAND
Planter Was First Poisoned. But She!
Gave Him an Antidote That Saved
His Life—Then She Allowed Rival
to Shoot Him With His Own Gun.
MACON, GA.. Dec. 28.—The gallows, which has not claimed a
(Voiuan victim in Georgia since the early seventies, uiav claim another
before the new year has run its course, for the crime which Mrs.
James King confessed in the country jail at Gray is softened hy no
» xtenuating ciicumstanees and contains no shadow of justification.
Mrs. King, a'woman of 35, mother of six children, plotted the
murder of her husband with two motives in her heart, a paltry $2,000
hieh would come to her from his lite insurance and an opportunity
10 gratify her infatuation for the man whom she hired to commit the
dual crime. Ihe story from .Mrs. King's own lips is one of the most
o markable recitals of cold-blooded criminal conspiracy in the annals
of the Georgia courts.
I wice did the wile put into effect her plot to bring about her I
husband’s death. The first attempt failed because slm weakened at j
tim last moment and worked as tenderly to save his life as she had I
planned deliberately to slay him. Her instrument was the same in.
both attempts. Nick Wilburn, a 25-year-old farm hand, was her ac
i omplice in the crome. and her choice for a second husband when ■
ilc first should be under the sod and her mourning garments doffed.
Old Affection Overcame Her
Strychnine, given .lames King by Nick Wilburn in a drink of.
whisky, was used in the first attempt on the planter's life. But when i
King came reeling home, deathly sick from the effects of the poison- i
mis drug, the wife who had directed the attempt Io slay him was I
overcome by her affection and gave him an emetic which saved his I
life.
King’s own shotgun was the second instrument of death chosen j
hy the guilty pair, and it did its work. Nick Wilburn, stealing upon
the planter in the hunting field, snatched the gun from its owner's
hands and shot him down without a word. The slayer arranged the
body to indicate an accident had occurred and stole back to whisper
his story to the waiting widow. No eye had seen the murder in the
field; none beside the two conspirators suspected the plot; but the
ancient adage that murder will out was proved true once more and
Wilburn’s owp pale face and trembling lips were witnesses against
him.
He was arrested, thrown into jail, questioned by cool-headed of
ficers, and there, as craven under accusal ion as he had been in con
spiracy, he confessed his crime and blamed the woman. Her arrest
nd confession followed on the heels of her accomplice's story.
Mrs. King s Amazing Confession
" With God Almighty as my help. r. I will tel! you the truth." said
Mrs. King, in the little jail at Gray. ’I can not meet my God with
.. lie upon ray lips. Ask the people to have mercy upon me. not for
myself but for my children's sake.
"1 planned with Nick Wilburn to murder my husband. \\ e talk- i
rd it over frequently and had been waiting for the time when oj>por-j
’unity should arise. It came at lasi. The deed was done and we bo-j
lieved our secret safe.
"I loved Nick Wilburn and Nick loved me. Our love began last
March, when I began to feel sympathy for Nick who seemed to have
no friends. The sympathy ripened into love, and from that day on
" e met as often as we could. We used Io meet in the woods and have
long talks together. Whenever niv husband left home. Nick would
come and spend hours at a time. Sometimes he remained ail night
Yes, I am 35, and he is ten years younger, but we loved each other
just the same.
Hou) Happy We Would Be!
‘‘lt was the insurance money which made us plan to kill my
husband. The policy was for $2,000 and was payable to me. My hus
band loved me and wanted me to have everything that was his. But
Nick and 1 wanted to be free to love each other ami we wanted the
money. So vve began to talk of how happy vve might be il Jim was
dead. It didn't take long for the wish to lead into action.
"We first thought of poison, for we believed that would be the
easiest way and nobody could ever find out even il there were any
suspicion. Nick bought some strychnine and we plotted that he
should give it to my husband in a drink of whisky.
‘'Nick met my husband near the house one night, took out a
bottle and offered Jim a drink. A little later he came staggering into
Hie house, deathly sick, and told me Nick hail given him a drink. I
knew then that our plot was under way, but my old love tor my hus
band came rushing back to me in his presence and I tainted avvay.
When I rallied I did not have the heart to stand by and lei my Ims
band die before my eyes. I hastened to give him some medicine as an
'■metic and he soon recovered. All that saved him was my work, and
the fact that Nick had put too little strychnine in the drink
Recovers Nerve and Plots Death
"Then we were just where we were before. When I thought i
things over 1 decided to go on with our plans, and this time we plan-;
ned to shoot Jim if we could find away to hide our guilt and avoid ;
suspicion. The time came on December KJ.
"Jim was ill that day and the doctor told him .not t<> eat fresh ‘
l-ork. So Jim said lie would take his gun and kill some birds for sup
per. He loaded his shotgun, and about 3:30 o'clock he wont to the(
fields. It was the last time he was seen alive except by one man Nick '
Wilburn.
“Nick slipped in just after Jim left and asked whery he was.
I told him Jim had gone hunting, and Nick spoke up quickly:
" ‘Now is our time,’ he said. A\ hieh way did lie go?
“1 told him. and he slipped out quickly and ran Inward the
woods where Jim had gone. I watched him hurry across the fields and
knew that my husband was close to death.
“The Work Is Done,” She Whispers
"Late in the evening Johnny Gordon and Frank \\ ilburn, Nick s ,
brother and my daughter's husband, came in and 1 asked them to go
look for Jim. saying 1 was afraid something had happened to him.
Nick came in just then and they wanted him to go. too. but I told
them to let Nick stay with me.< And as soon as the others had gone
'o search. Nick whispered to me that tin- cork was dum But 1 had j
known it by his white face and his trembling hands liven then I was
HIE ATL ANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY. DECEMBER 28. 1912.
WOMAN’S HEART FAILED—ONCE
Respite th" tad that Mrs. James King possessed ‘the nerve to keep her secret under rigid
questioning: in spite of her declaration that she would have gone to the gallows without break
ing down and betraying her accomplice, her woman’s heart failed her at the first crucial mo
ment of the conspiracy.
When the husband she had plotted to kill came reeling into her presence, fainting from
the effect of poison administered at her instigation, she could not bear to sec him die. ami has
tened Io give him a remedy which saved his life.
And yet. after this weakening under stress, she took up the plot again, steeled her heart
against tin father of her six children, and pointed out to Wilburn the direction her hus
band had taken. Then she sat down and waited calmly for the new" that his body had been
found.
Mystery Photograph of Peachtree Home Window Shade
WHO ARE THESE OSCULATORS?
)/ * .-l • '
//'J HHt w
•' ; 'T v
nk, a - s ''
■ w .
= __GsT
struck by a sudden fear that Nick would be suspected, that lie had not
rlu ip-i-vi* I<> stand up under questioning. I warned him. hut my fears
Were 1 rile.
' Nick told me how he had found my husband in the field, had
slipped up behind him. snatched the gun from his hands and shot him
down. -Jim had begged Nick not to shoot again, and he didn’t, but
the first shot was fatal. Jim died in a moment or two, and then Nick
slipped away without being seen.
■‘There was a great deal of tall; when Jim’s body was found
with the gun beside it. Jim’s brothers sent for detectives, for they
wouldn’t believe Jim had killed himself either by accident or with in
tent, and 1 think they suspected Nick and me. And the detectives
found that negro, Jesse Barber, who told them he had met Wilburn,
ami Wilburn had said he was on his way to kill my husband. I don’t
know whether Nick was fool enough to talk that way or not. Maybe
it was not true, but anyway the detectives began talking to me w hile
Nick was there. I bore the questioning all right, but suddenly one
of the defectives turned and asked Nick what lie was trembling about.
The poor fellow was shaking like a leaf, and so they arrested him
ami made him tell the truth. When the sheriff told me what Nick had
confessed, I knew il was all over and I might as well confess, 100.
I’m glad I \ e done it. It is a great load off my mind. ”
Loved Her Best of All
Mrs. King was arrested at the village of Red Oak yesterday aft
ernoon. alter Wilburn’s confession had been made in the Macon jail.
Mrs. King was visiting her sister and the house was tilled with women
and children when the officers entered.
The woman made a bold effort to deny her guilt when the of
ficers entered and served the warrant.
"My God. she screamed: "you charge me with killing my hus
band. my poor dead Jim. Why, I loved him better than all the world.
My God, what will become of my poor little children?’’
Then, in hysterics, she fell to the floor, crushing the black gar
ments she had donned in false mourning for the husband she had
helped murder. The children ran to her. sobbing in fear of some
thing they did not Understand, ami tried to comfort her.
"I never want to go through such a scene again, said Defective I
Kea. "I was crying like a baby when I served the warrant, though;
1 knew- this woman had committed a horrible crime.’’
When she recovered her strength Mrs. King asked that she might
be taken to the Join’s county jail at Gray instead of being carried to
Macon, ami the officers yielded to her request. She hardly spoke on
the journey, but when she was locked inside the sheriff’s room the
officers told her of her lover's confession. As they recited the details
of his story the woman know there was no hope for her. After a lit
tle while she suddenly rose from her chair, threw out her hands and
spoke:
“I did it. Il s all true, she said. "But if I had been arrested
first I would have gone to the gallows without a tremble, without a
word, rather than drag him with me. I thought he would be brave
enough to stand by me as I would have stood by him."
Wilburn's story, told oin the Macon jail yesterday, was practical
ly the same as that of his accomplice, though not all of the details of
the conspiracy were recited. Hi' said nothing of his relations with
Mrs. King, but told the officers she had promised him S6OO of the in
surance money if he would slay her husband. Today he went further
and said they had planned Io take the $2,000 and enjoy a long honey
moon trip. They were to have been married as soon as a ‘'decent
period ” should have elapsed after King's death.
"I m mightv sorry now." said Wilburn. "Jim King was always
a good friend t<> no My family hadn't done him right, anyway. M\
brother hrauk ran iiwitj with his daughter lour months ago against I
• lim s will.’
I
*
Guess Identity of Pair That
Posed Unwittingly and Get
a Licking Perhaps.
Puzzle: Supply the mine.- of prin
( ipul figures in this photograph.
Ssh! Not right out loud! Whisper!
Maybe you’re wrong at that. Pro
files are deceptive.
The girl lives in Peachtree. not a
mile from the Terrace. <>r at J a-i that’>
where she posed unknov. ingly- for (he
picture. She may have been a visitor.
Devilish young man who lives out
that way had :i new cam' ra. Got it fm
Christmas. <’ame down the street at
night. Saw shadow on tj shade
Stopp’d. Watehed. Took time ex
posure. Had plenty of time. Must
have been regular Netlu isoh kiss, three
io th• hour
Anyway, this i- what d<\«iop,d wh- n
In- put his plate in ilm b.tb. H . now -
ed it al the club next • :;«>. d-■•lined tc
#ive th. number of the house, nd of
fered to b< t the drink' nobody could
name the os< uiato s -and provo it.
Then were a dozen giie bm no
proofs.
Maybe you have an him. Alayb ?on
know these profiles. Th* fir I aiiswei
received will entitle the sender to a
licking from the man named, right <n
wrong.
No solutions received over tile tele
phone.
CHAMBER TO ASK CITY
AND COUNTY TO All)
IN CONVENTION FUND
An appeal to the cits council and to
the Eulton counts court of commis
sioners for help toward obtaining a
Siu.Olli) fund for tile establishment of a
! OIIVI tition bureau w ill !«■ made by the
11'lia'mb . of Commerce. Th'-deesion to
ii ii.e tile step was reached .’ a meeting
| of the special Commit!* e on a conven
tion bureau, held teste .dai afle.iiorm,
Wilmer Moure. president of the
t'liamb' of ' oinnic,'-e. will I. ml in tin
pn si-ntation of the y-titloii to ;....
liiiunee committees of tin ei.iiiiei|- u ml
of I 1 euunti commission. Hoquests <>l
aid from tile public bodi* - will be to
rejativi b email amounts, a large p: t
of file fund necessary to support the
bureau already having been obtained.
It is deemed necessary that a gua.-
nntie of slll.llllll a yeat for two ye,*..-
should be in hand if a bureau be ■ Stub
lislied to offectivele sei forth tin claim
of Atlanta a- a .its loi national con
ventions
ATTEMPTED ASSAULT CHARGED
Ml il'lZl'tllll. GA lice ■>. lohn J.
liters. who resides in tie eastern pait
of Colquitt county, is in jail on a warrant
charging attempted a-aull on the v. ite
of a prominent merchant of Berlin, in
this county.
$3,000,000 BUILDING YEAR.
*'* 11.1 M It! >. GA. li. .-. Th y. ,
1912 lias **■ eti a good one t'*»: t'olumbus
f.oi| a i.imlpoin ot’ building op--..- -
tiutis. ns mo; i .;■; sh.uiifi.otni it, iiu;,*l
, 'tg ope- .1 t ions V, . I'*- • ltll«- II g utl o
| finished during Hl' , i-nr.
IFMMFI HELD IS
H SIMA
Arrested on Charge of Killing
Eight Neighbors One Night
Last June.
I ■
i
VILLIStI'A. H)W A. I>\ . . 28.—Lew
VanAistlne. a farmer, is In XI todaj on
a warrant Charging him with the tnur
iler of the six members of the family
of Joseph B. Alotoe and two guests in
| the Moor.- hottie last June. The fam
ily was killed witli an ax.
VanAistlne is a farmer. He is said
to have had a quarrel witti Moore about
a yeai ago. It is known that detectives
l:av< bem trailing the man for several
month . There was little excitement
ovei the arrest of VanAistlne, as senti
ment he-e strongiv favor.- the prisom-r.
Mrs. VanAlslme -ays she is ready io
swear that her husband was at home
on the night e the niuiib and could
| not have be. n guilix of the crime.
STEVE JOHNSTON, JR.,
TO BE BURIED WITH
MASONIC SERVICES
Th* 1 lUiiiiH «>i Stevt- I’. I ■ mu'l on,
Jr.. A * » -lit A • ;ir : y morning
.il tin n-f "I hi> |-ui•< nt- in iin
A\ ;.L- ; • u lineiit' rt.rro -of \V<-t
| i’enriiTi iiini North ■ \»‘h n will l”‘
I 1 ’ hi toinoriovi :ii'h-nioon .it o'clock
j'.ioni .lie !•’? -1 Mei’iodisi » Lurch, inter
ment ioilo\ irg in = mm lory.
, Mi. John .el a - .! M i m uml an
jj.ik. ;<nd \xiti h Dm it d with Mii-mnie
I hmmr- . i’i j>;,llbeii r< . h aHI T. I.
i ? m t). A. M. I>. Wiisoil. Ji.. J. a Weol
i<-y. I i ••• \\ . Vanderpool, Wiliiam I'.
.■ I .tor J . ‘liitiield < *lapp, John Iligi’-
t‘i a1) I IL- 1 toll Rog"' -. < Ipoi gi;*
; lodge. No. . • . Al;i«»ns, led i»y W. M.
, S’atou.. v. LI • iduut Masoiiie <<• \i<
! :«t the .
Mi . Joan-ten. > <.’;idnat< t.f il ( «- Boys ;
I High school, wa - 25 y<-ais old. md was
v. ell known in tin- ln;sln< wm hl as ;
im-mhei oi ti. iii.'-u.Hi- liii.. oi Lyn ( 'h
A Johnston, il*- i- -urvived l>\ hi* par
■ .l*. Mr. and Mi*. S » .< R. Johnston;
his wii< . i<». il\ Mi Kti i< Stump, o f ',
\ lluosiii; :i sist<*!. Aits. H. <Speer"',
,:.od .i iii'ii','. r. ‘Johnsion. oi \\ nc•»,
I T< n;. h
830,090,000 PARISIAN
SWINDLER FLEEING
TO VERA CRUZ,MEX.
I PARIS I 28 Tin '■ • . li<
i aimoii" • <1 today that tht \ ' had re
fio.*4 inf'.i in.'Lion lha'. Ilci'x Ro-
• the Ihgilivo l’’reneh hanker and
piomon .. ’\iio i- accus'd of making
.•Lhi.oiHijHMi Ih/ough his ' j - i tis on
iiif I’m K-pugn*-. which is >clie«hiled
tu !•« u h Vt-’n I‘niz. Mexico, l ;iiuary 5.
Ro hette, who rose from <t barber in a
small Hreiit.-'i village to h< one of the
ichesi and most inll limit ia I men in
Paris, was arrested and tried on i
swindling cl urge in 190 N. Hi escape*!
through a tuchidcality, ami was placed
mi trial a -ecoml lime lu>i' Jul\. Ro
chvite was found guilty and sentenced
to two year>. Before lu could be taken
io prison, he dfsappeired, forfeiting
‘ t ;4o.ooo hail. Since then th* police have
searched all Europe for him.
COLUMBUS REFUSES TO
EXTEND BEER DISTRICT
UOLEAIBLS. GA. !»•«-. 2’< Al an
. ijmnneil meeting of cit\ council la id
ist n ■. • . ■ •'
Dishing tin- city with its supplies for
tli* coming yuir, including printing,
medicines, niateiials of all kinds, bond.-
i*» • ilc ofliccrs for the n< year an<l
many other items. Lit -nse for near-
I” • -aloon.s were also for 1913..
\ warm lignt was wage ! h* council
for a hort while o\< tin question of
enlarging tl.< near-beer district «>f thu
( ity, whidh * n<h i b\ council practically
adopting th'- same limits as were in
vogue during the past year.
LEAN MEN TO GET
CHANCE FROM MAJOR
ST L'H’IS, Dec. 28. -Governor-elcri
IJliott \\ Major, who. tipping the scales
at a little limit than ICO pounds, ta?
had a predilveiion for fat men. has
changed Lformer taste ami has ap
pointed at least two lean men to his inilf
tary stuff. These two men are Lon San
• lers. former Folk leader, ami Joseph 'T.
Davis. While both Davis and Sanders
are *«f I: rj.er physique than Governor Ma
jor. tin ) an not (Dine into 'he heavy
weight class, as »lu nmsi .> the other men
named h> Major.
LEARNS TITANIC CAPTAIN
WAS LONG-LOST BROTHER
BR( AV.NSX 11,LIT XI JKR. Dec. 28 -
Ml \ ,\l. Ti')i'h has just discovered
that ‘n r brother, m whom she had not.
h -ard mr narlx a half '-mi'lire, wus Cap
tain i: J. Si m»i. of Hit Titanic, who wei.
down with Ids ship last spring.
Mis 'ribbio.- aw ihe pictures of the
Tiiuni' s captain afo r ihe disaster ami
• ’■gun an investigation through the
'.•amsbiji (otnpurv io find Captain
.' niith■> t.milh It was in this manner
that she learned Smith was her brothei
RUSSIA PLACES A RIGID
BAN ON MILITARY NEWS
ST. PETERSBURG, Dec S.—An Im
perial deer*-• forbids the circulation of
military or navy news of any kind
whatsoever. Tin- • • ■ • nutint in
fold for a It gi\t ■ In inuio
detail a list of m..n< rs which must not
Ih tow lied upon, im lml irg 'uliJF’i*•_*
jof ■ i oi \ oi< • i lor i’a ■ rm\ Mt im |
|aiiu K-lating to fm'oug - or calls to
■MM
miNisi?
I Trade Greatly Increased Dur
ing Present Year. Principally
With Mainland.
WASI 11 X< ;T< >N. Dee. 28.—A year of
i unrivaled ity is reported in the
annual statement of Governor W. F.
I'Vr'ar. of Hawaii, just made public.
i The imports and exports of the is
lands aggregated 884,143,760, an in
crease of $1 i. 692,597 over the amount of
[ the preeedipg year. This also denotes
an increase of 172 per cent since tlW’'
first year of the t< rritorial goverrmlent,
I’lie i. port states that this increase
has been mainly in trade with the
mainland of tile i’uited States, which’
constitutes nine-tenths of the whole, in
, eonelusion, the report says on this sub
ject:
life sear lias been tile most notable
and satisiaetoiy financially in the his
i”rv of ihe territory. The receipts and
disbms.-m pts both ~f current and loan
(funds hate been much larger than ever
I , ’ < *'< , i-. anti ■ new tax '.stem of ad
vanc’d e.iaraeter has been inaugu
rated."
Tile gov. rnor made the following rec
'"nniendalions for legislation affecting
the islands:
I’fat i - auc.i->i ui immigrants to the is-
I’lnls la eliminated from the literacy
les;, should such legislation b. ma.!’., ’
A genera] revision of tile land laws. '
I’he ’xten.-hm of th. Cnited States
itclaniation a -i to Hawaii.
life creation of ;l park 1( , include the
largest active volcanoes.
Appropriations to continue harbor
u ork.
I’he -atablisliment of a first-eiass
quarantine station at Hilo.
AIRS. ELIZABETH BIGBY
!S laid TO REST IN
WESTVIEW CEMETERY
Bp-b, wldoa Os Judge John S. Bigin.
..I.” .H.,1 yesterday morning of apoplexy
... a pmate sanitarium, was held from
■ d . '’T 1 , un'i'-'-Uking estabiish-
niitu at .’ o clock todaj . Rev. C. T A
, ■'f’e, of Si. Philips Cathedral, offlclaT
H1 -' mtennei • tview.
■Virs. Bigby was 58 jears old, and of
■ Ite had resided with her son. H. S. Big
ai mi Richardson street. At the
■■i l ruiulej streets, n-id in the davs
when her husband was L.dted States dis-
Hit .timihex and congressman, Mrs. Big
>J was a leading figure in the city’s social
” aS a de ' oted 'nember of st
t.rj"' 1 ?," 1 * 1 arp ,our daugh
.. ... I,s 1 Fouler Richardson, ol
Ldkesbarn. Pa.; Mrs. Charles A. Wil-
Ol’-. cl X’.-u v,,rk elty. and Misses Ma
l ’". 1 deride Bigin, of Atlanta.
If” pallbearers will be Charles North
tn. Hugi) tan-se . John A. Jones, James
I- A.i.lorson, Judge Ben Hill and Charles
FATHER HELD FOR
SON BEING KILLED
IN HOLD-UP PLOT
'.ltA.\f> JI'Nf’TION, COLO.. Dee. 28
■r. If i.indsb > i s being held |IV t||(? po j
11’’’ today while an inquest into the
-’'P'lf Os his fifteen-year-old son was
begun by tin coroner. The lad was
r l '” b -V ' sheriff's Posse while"
lie was guarding the entrance of a btiai/
'lf widen tl). f.ithei attempted to etPh
a So.ooo ..Im, k. |.' a t h ,. • and son. earlie;
>h'o to tlie office of
"f’ Loma t'anrting t’ompanj an’
with drawn revolvers and threats' ..|
’ f " ' E - Quea to make out 1
cheek to Limlslev.
The two went to a where t i. v
'">■'l to g< t ihe cheek eashed. The bov
was told i.. stand outside and watch.;
'"'’"'f. Steve Nichols, With a num.
In i’ ot deputies. Who had been notiliec
<«i th.- occurrence b.v Quear, came to
ward th. batik-. Young Llndsley with
out waiting to be asked to surrende •
or without calling on the |>osse to halt
began filing. The posse men returnee
Ilf. h e and lie dropped dead. The fa.
II- surrende ed.
CENTRAL ROAD PROMOTES
ATLANTA AND MACON MEN
SAVANNAH, GA. Dee. 28.-lmpor
tant changes in the freight traffic de
partmen: of the Central of Georgia
i lilwaj* have been announced, to be
come effective January 1.-
•I < arlisle, who is now the Cen
tral’s division freight agent, at Mueon,
' ! ’" Piomoted to assistant genernJ
freight agent at Savannah, vacated by
the signation of James B. Parker. ' ■
I. 1.. 1 oilings, at present commercial
agent at Atlanta, has been promoted to
division ti eight ageuey at Macon, sue
eetding i ’ai lisle.
FORGER'S DEVOTED BRIDE
FAILS TO GET HIM FREED
K \XS.\S < IIA . D€‘c. 28. Despite the
uniiiing evutiun of a wife who met and
ii .itiieH him hi the Missouri penitentiarv.
.11.1 sin., has uevoted time and money
to his reformation, Itarrj Van Waringn.
■i musician, will go to prison to serve out
an elght-vear sentence for forgery.
’’A i.eriectlj developed ease of consti
tutional iuimoralitj. ’ was the opinion
announced yesterday b.v two alienists ap
pointed bj- Judge Porterfield to inquire
into Van Waringa's sanity.
WATKINS TO BE JACKSON MAal
JAf KSON. GJ. Dee. 28.- in t ill f
i. 'i'ui i> itnarj here ..’esterday H xtM
i\V.< < euated former C<dflE
\l Ti for ‘i- mayor in a
3