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2 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 2b The gallows, which has not claimed a | 'oman victim in Georgia since the early seventies, may claim another before the new year has run its course, for the crime which Mrs. •lames King confessed in the country jail at Gray is softened by no extenuating circumstances 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 which would come to her from his life insurance and an opportunity >o gratify her infatuation for the man whom she hired to commit the actual crime. The story from .Mrs. King’s own lips is one of the most lemarkable recitals of cold blooded criminal conspiracy in the annals of the Georgia courts. Twice did the wife put into effect her plot Io bring about her husband's death. The first attempt failed because she weakened at the last moment and worked as tenderly to save his life as she had planned deliberately to slay him. Her instrument was the same in both attempts. Nick Wilburn, a 25-year-old farm hand, was her ac complice in the erome, and her choice for a second husband when the first should be under the sod and her mourning garments doffed. Old Affection Overcame Her Strychnine, given James King by Nick Wilburn in a drink of whisky, was used in the first attempt on the planter's life. But when King came reeling home, deathly sick from the effects of the poison ous drug, the wife who had directed the attempt to slay him was overcome by her affection ami gave him an emetic which saved his life. King s own shotgun was the second instrument of death chosen by the guilty pair, and it did its work. Nick Wilburn, stealing upon the planter in the hunting Held, 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 thai murder will out was proved true once more ami Wilburn's own 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 accusation as he had been ip con spiracy. he confessed his crime and blamed the woman. Her arrest and confession followed on the heels of her accomplice's story. Mrs. King s Amazing Confession "With God Almighty as my helper, I will tell you the truth," said Mrs. King, in the little jail at Gray. "I can not meet my God with a lie upon’my lips. Ask the people to have mercy upon me, not for myself but for my children 's sake. "I planned with Nick Wilburn to murder my husband. We talk ed it over frequently ami had been waiting for the time when oppor tunity should arise. It came at last. The deed was done and we be lieved our secret safe. "1 loved Nick Wilburn ami 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 we met as often as we could. We used to meet in the woods and have long talks together. Whenever my husband left home, Nick would come and spend hours at a time. Sometimes he remained all night. Yes, 1 am 35, and he is ten years younger, but we loved each other just the same. Hou) Happy We Would Be! "It 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 ami I wanted to be free to love each other and we wanted the money. So we began to talk of how happy we might be if 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 < asiest way and nobody could ever find out even if 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 ami offered Jim a drink. A little later he came staggering into the house, deathly sick, and told me Nick had given him a drink. I knew then that our plot was under way. but. my old love for my hus band came rushing back to me in his presence and I fainted away. When I rallied I did not have the heart to stand by and let my hus band die before my eyes. I hastened to give him some medicine as an emetic and lie 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 1 thought things over I 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 12. "Jim was ill that day and the doctor told him not to eat fresh pork. So Jim said he would take his gun and kill some birds for sup per. He loaded his shotgun, ami about 3:30 o'clock he went to the t ‘ Ids. 11 was the last time he was seen alive except by one man- Nick Wilburn. "Nick slipped in just after Jim left and asked where he was. I told him Jim had gone hunting, and Nick spoke up quickly : Now is our lime.’ be said. ‘Which way did he go?' I told him. and he slipped out quickly and ran toward the «oods where Jim had gone 1 watched him hurry across the fields ami knew that my husband was close to death. “ Fhe Work Is Done, ” She Whispers "Late in the evening Johnny Gordon and Frank Wilburn. Nick’s urother and my daughter's husband, came in and I asked them to go look for Jim, saying I was afraid something had happened to him. s Nick came in just then and they wanted him to go. too, but I told 'into i t Nick stay with me And as soon as the others had gone 1 search. Nick whispered to me that the work was done. But I had I nown it by his white face and his trembling hands Even then I was THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1912. i WOMAN’S HEART FAILED—ONCE Despite the fact that Mrs. James King possessed the nerve to keep her secret under rigid questioning; n spite of her dec- I laration that she would have gone to the gallows without breaking down and betraying her accomplice, her woman's heart tailed her at the first crucial moment of the conspiracy. When the husband she had plotted to kill came reeling into her presence, fainting from the effect of poison adminis- I tered at her instigation, she could not bear to see him die. and { hastened to 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 the father of her six children, and pointed out to Wilburn the direction her husband j had taken. Then she sat down anti waited calmly for the I news that his body had been found. ' struck by a sudden fear that Nick would be suspected, that he had not the nerve to stand up under questioning. I warned him. but my fears were true. "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. (here was a great deal of talk when Jim's body was found I 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 I think they suspected Nick and me. And the detectives found that negro. Jesse Barber, who told them he had met Wilburn, and 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 while Nick was there. I bore the ques tioning all right, but suddenly one of the detectives turned and asked Nick what he was trem bling about. The poor fellow was shaking like a leaf, and so they arrested him and made him tell the truth. When the sheriff told me what Nick had confessed. 1 knew it was all over -and I might as well confess, too. I'm glad I’ve done it. It is a great load off my mind.” Loved Him Best of All. Mrs. King was arrested at the village of Red Oak yesterday afternoon, after Wilburn’s con fession had been made in the Macon jail. Mrs. King was vis iting her sister and the house was filled with women and chil dren when the officers entered. The woman made a bold effort to deny her guilt when the offi cers entered and served the war rant . “My God!’’ she screamed; “you charge me with killing my husband, my pool' dead Jim. Why, 1 loved him better than all the world. My God, what will become of my poor little chil dren • ’' 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 chil dren ran to her, sobbing in fear of something they did not un derstand, and tried to comfort her. “1 never want to go through such a scene again,’’ said De tective Kea. “I was crying like a baby when I served the war rant, 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 Jones coun ty jail at Grays instead of being carried to Macon, and the officers yielded to her request. She hard ly spoke on the journey, but when she was locked inside the sheriff’s room the officers told her of Wilburn's confession. As they recited the details of his story the woman knew there was no hope for her. After a little while she suddenly rose from her chair, threw out her hands and spoke: “1 did it. It is all true." she said. “But if 1 had been ar rested first 1 would have gone to the gallows without a tremble, without a word, rather than drag him with me. 1 thought ho would he brave enough to stand by me as I would have stood by him." Wilburn's story, told in the Macon jail yesterday, was prac tically the same as that of his accomplice, though not all of the details of the conspiracy were recited. He said nothing of ills relations with I Mrs. King, but told tlie officers she ha 1 promised him S6OO of the insurance money if he would slay her husband. Today he went further and said they hail planned to take the $2,000 and en joy a long honeymoon t ip. They were to have been married as soon as a "de cent period" should have elapsed after King's death. "I'm mighiv sorry now." said Wil burn. "Jim King was always a good friend to me My family hadn't done him light, an', wav My brotlu ■ l iaiik ran aw av with li.s ilaught- i ton months ago against Jim's wiii." President-elect Woodrow Wilson and Mary Baldwin seminary, the big Presbyterian girls’ school at his birthplace in Staunton. Va„ where he will hold a reception this afternoon for the people of the town. His father was pastor of the Staunton Presbyterian church when the pres ident-elect was born 5G years ago today. 38 DYNAMITERS FOUND m Continued From Page One. called. He started and then threw down his paper and took his place in the line. i Balkan War More Interesting to Him. ■ "I was so interested in the Balkan • war I forgot where 1 was,” he whis i pered to tlie man next to him. Ryan, tlie head of a union of 12,000 " members, sat in tiie last row of the de ‘ fendants* benches until he was called - to the bar. The union leader betrayed f absolutely no emotion as he calmly ; arose and took his place in the line. Despite the solemnity of the occasion, a number of the spectators smiled at the actions of Frank K. PainttW, of Omaha. When his name was called he I removed a stickpin from Ills necktie i and handed it with his purse to his ; lawyer. . One of tlie most picturesque figures in the room was Tveitnioe, the San Francisco labor leader. Because of his studious life and literary productions, I the prisoner looked out of place amidst the tales of violence and dynamite out , rage which made up the evidence in the ease. Tveitinoe wears glasses and has the face of a student. Sentences of Two Years Expected. It is within tlie power of the court to suspend sentence, or impose lines wlth out prison terms, or include both fines and imprisonment. There is a general belief that the average sentence im posed will be about eighteen months or , two .'ears, but there is no official word to substantiate it. After receiving tlie sentences tlie ■ prisoners will b>- taken to a Federal I pi Ison, probably Leavenworth, unless • an appeal stays tlie execution of the ■ sentences. If the prisoner- arc removed to Fed ’ eral prison immediately after sentence is imposed, a special train probably w ill : be used. Fines aggregating $60,000 could be ■ imposed upon eacli guilty defendant. ; Member-- of the Fnited States district attorney's office declare that a SIO,OOO fine could be imposed on the conspira cy charge and $2,000 for each proved Sleeps in the Bed in Which He Was Born WILSON AT BIRTHPLACE I - - i w®- - /JH» »\\ I (ISBmFoW .A W '"1 ■MB i iMM Jbr - ; \ I I wig offense in the illegal transportation of dynamite. Those found guilty wer§ the follow ing: , Frank M. Ryan, president of the In ternational Bridge and Structural Iron Workers; John T. Butler, Buffalo, vice president of the association; Herbert S, Hockin, former secreary of the or ganization, of Detroit. Mich.; Olaf A. Tveitmoe, San Francisco, secretary of the California Building Trades council; Eugene A. Clancy, San Francisco; Philip Cooley, New Orleans; Michael J. Young, Boston; Frank J. Higgins, Boston; J. E. Munsey, Salt Lake City; Frank C. Webb, New York; Patrick F. Farrell, New York; John H. Berry, St. Louis; Paul J. Morris, St. Louis; Hen ry W. Legleitner, Denver: Charles N. Beum, Indianapolis; W. E. Reddin, Mil waukee Michael J. Cunnane, Philadel , phia; Richard Houlihan, Chicago; James Cooney, Chicago: James H. Coughlin, Chicago: William Shoup. Chicago; Edward Smythe, Peoria, Ill.; James E. Ray, Peoria III.; Murray Pen nell, Springfield, Ill.; William C. Burn hardt, Cincinnati; Wilford Brown, Kan sas City: William J. McCain. Kansas City. Mo.; Frank K. Painter. Omaha; ' Peter J. Smith, Cleveland, Ohio; George Anderson, Cleveland, OJiio: Michael J. Hannon, Scranton Pa.; Edward E. i Phillips, Syracuse, N. Y.; Charles Wachtmeister, Detroit; Frank J. Mur phy. Detroit; Fred J. Mooney. Duluth, Minn.; Ernest G. W. Basey, Indianapo lis; Fred Sertnan, Indianapolis: Hi ram W. Kline, Muncie, Ind., former or ganizer of the Brotherhood of Carpen ters and Joiners. Record Conviction Os Labor Men. This was the largest number of la- I bor men in the history of the United States ever found guilty at one time on any charge. Tlie jury had been out nearly 41 hours, having retired at 5 o'clock Thursday, December 26. The trial had been in progress nearly three months, having begun in Federal court here on October 1. No appeal can be taken until the sen tences are passed, but lawyers for the defense announced at once that the ap peals will be taken as soon as possible. All the defendants will be given a chance to see their wives Sun4ay at the Marion county jail. Many of the defendants tried to smile as they were led away and Some of them succeeded in laughing. originally there were 51 defendants, but some were discharged by the court for lack of evidence. The defendants had entered pleas of eiot guilty on Man h 12 last and immediately begun In' mg plans for a hard legal battle in court. Every resource known to the law w is utilized by the defense, and the I best known lawyers in tlie country were |r< tained. There were 26 offenses in all | charged against the defendants, the I indictment counts totaling 1,040. President-Elect Greeted on His Birthday by Old Townspeople at Staunton, Va. STAUNTON, VA., Dee. 28.—Presi- • dent-elect Woodrow Wilson awoke to day in the same room in which he was born 56 years ago. Although still pale I from the effects of his recent cold, the ’ president-elect said he was feeling bet ter and did not think that the enter tainments provided for his birthday would have any bad effect on his health. Practically all of today's program was given over to a renewal of the boyhood ties of Mr Wilson and his visits included calls upon three aged women who used to nurse the presi dent-elect in his babyhood. The first visit was made to a sani tarium where Mrs. Elizabeth Kayser, now a paralytic, is an inmate. Mrs. 1 Kayser was an intimate friend of the Wilson family and used to assist the , president-elect's mother in "minding the baby.” The other iwo nurses of "Little , Tom, as Governor Wilson was known when he was a little boy, are Mrs. H L. Hoc. r .ind Mrs. Am inda Fultz. The latter is the mother of David Fultz, now a New York lawyer and a former baseball and football star of Brown university. Meets Forme- Servant. Mr. \\ ilson also met for the first time in many years Frank T. Ware, a form r servant in the Wilson family. , “Manj’ times I had < are of Little Tom' and wheeled him in his little car riage." said Ware. "He was always a good boy and never gave any trouble to those who nursed him.” Political lint s, are forgotten here in the celebration of the coming of the distinguished first citizen. On< of the foremost members of the committee on arrangements, J. S. Collins, who de signed the arches for the street deco rations. was a Taft man during the campaign and worked against Mr. Wil son, and the Rev. w. m. Fraser, a classmate of Mr. Wilson, was selected to deliver the speech of welcome. Rev. Mr. Frazer is pastor of the First Pres byterian church, which was formerly the church of the pn sident-elect's fa ther. When Mr. Wilson learned that indoor ceremonies would be held in tlie chapel in which he was baptized he smiled as he ran his hand over his head and re- ■ marked: "I haven't much more hair now than 1 had then,” SEEK WOMAN IN PROBE Os DEATH Relatives of John Perkins Ask Autopsy to Solve Sudden Fatal Illness. Continued From Page One lighted well, and thsre was a lot of confusion. "The little boy. Robert, was here j ast Sunday and asked to see the old mun He told me he was a friend, and didn't say the old man was his father. He walked upstairs and stayed maybe an hour in Mr. Perkins’ room, talking tn him. "We found several bank books in Mr, Perkins' room. The detectives got | some and 1 found two afterward ano I gave them to Mr. Alexander today Boy Asked for Father’s Effects. "The boy. Robert, came again ye?, terday and asked me to give him what, ever property the old man had left in the room. He admitted then that Mr. Perkins was his father. I didn’t give him anything. There wasn't anything to give except the bank books and a few odds and ends. "Mr. Perkins didn’t receive any pack age on Christmas day that 1 know of. He ate his dinner up town, and looked all tight at supper time. He ate an ordinary supper, not too much nor too little, and it was maybe an hour after ward that he got sick. 1 don't know whether lie took anything or ate any thing between supper and his attack." Mr and Mrs. Perkins lived together in Atlanta until about four years ago, when she got a divorce and was award ed the custody of her two children, Paui. now aged sixteen, and Robe:;, now twelve. About two years later Perkins came to Atlanta, found the elder boy on the street and took him to a sister’s home at Hillsboro. It created quite a sensation at the time, but the mother was unable to induce Perkins or his relatives to surrender the bey. She had married H. B. Wingard, a rail road mun. in the meantime. They are living in Capitol avenue. Revealed Name Just Before Death. Within the past month the old mar came to Atlanta again, engaged boa.d at tlie Yeargin place, about two blocks from the Wingard home, and met Rob ert frequently on the street. He was known at the boarding house as Mr .'loses, but just before he died he gave his name as John Perkins, of Nashville, Tenn. Next morning, after the papers had published the story of John Perkins sudden death, Mrs. Wingard appeared at the undertaking establishment and asked to see the body. She identified if as that of her former husband, and i was then that she declared her belie: that he had come to Atlanta to kidnap his second child. Mrs. Wingard received reporters to day in her basement room at 36 Capitol avenue, one number in a row of old fashioned red brick boarding houses with high steps and basement dining rooms, just in the rear of the state house. She is a little blond woman with blue eyes and wavy hair, plump and seemingly happy. A baby and a wooly dog played together at her feet as she talked of Perkins and their troubles. Ex-Wife Tells Os Separation. “I hadn’t spoken to John Perkins it five years—not since I gained my di vorce and he put me on the train." she said. "1 wanted nothing to do with him, wanted nothing he had. didn't want ever to hear of him again. He told me I was, taking my ducks to thf wrong pond, and I replied that I would keep their heads above the water. "No, I didn't go to the boarding house where lie lived and died. My little boy Robert, went there once or twice. The old man was nice to the boy and they used to talk together sometimes, ami Robert alwaj j came and told im about it. “Yes, I sent Robert to the boarding house yesterday, but not to bring back any of Perkins' property. T didn't wan': anything of his. I told Robert to ask Miss Yeargin to take care of the old man’s valise or anything else he had. for the negroes around there had tola me of some woman who claimed to be his wife and who was laying claim u his belongings. I don’t know whether there was anything in their story or no.. Intends to Fight To Get Back Son. “The next thing I’m going to do Is to try again to recover my oldest sor.. Paul, taken away two years ago by Perkins. These Alexanders are keeping him hidden out down at Hillsboro, ami I want him back. He is mine The court gave him to me. Now that his father is dead there can't possibly be any excuse for any one else, aunt • anybody, keeping my boy. I’ve re tained a lawyer and I'm going to have (Paul back. "I understand Perkins had < an. • erable property. Mr. Poole told > l,f there was S6O in his pockets and a ban! book showed a balance of S3OO. I j*’ ll want it, but his two sans, my children, certainly should get it. Perkins !>“'■ nobody else but his sister, this M “ Alexander. "• •h. yes, I've seen him often, but to speak. When I lived in Hunt'' street near the engine house he user to come to town and board close by ana I’d see him looking at the house ata hanging around. And not long ''B° since I moved here, I saw him over u the capitol yard across the street. 1" ■' ing toward this house. "You say they are talking of hole :r>6 an autopsy'.’ Well, 1 reckon that "t; be right. Alexander seems to something is wrong and it's clear things up."