Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, December 28, 1912, EXTRA, Page 3, Image 3

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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