Newspaper Page Text
ABOLISH POLICE BOARD, SAYS ATLANTA’S EXPERT PROBER
llcilH it R.. Sands, muni< ipal expert, who made a thorough investigation of the adniinistra- '
of Atlanta s allairs, makes these criticisms in a report to tin* Chamber of Commerce todav: >
The city and county governments of Atlanta should be consolidated.
luc ual powei ot the <ii \ is tested, not in its nominal head, the mayor, but in sundry i
~u lll| ,ci-some. boards, an unwieldy dual system, and large inexperienced committees.
The police board and the park board are unnecessary and should be abolished.
The duet ot construction should be an appointive officer, lie should-have no compaign ob- J
ligations nor political fences to tend. ;
The making of the annual budget is secret. Although budget-making is public business !
the public has known absolutely nothing of what was going on.
THE WEATHER
Probably fair tonight and colder to
morrow- Temperatures: 8 a. m., 51
degrees; 10 a. m., 50 degrees; 12 n..
50 degrees; 2 p. m„ 50 degrees.
VOL. XL NO. 127.
[MFIIOS
num is
mih
FOOILI
Politics. Rather Than Effi
ciency. Figures in Choice of
Officials, Asserts Sands.
URGES APPOINTMENT OF
HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS
Would Abolish Police Board as
Unnecessary—Street Work
Methods Ineffective.
Atlanta’s system of government is
placed on the hot coals.of criticism and
roasted without mercy in the report of
Herbert R. Sands, municipal govern
ment expert of the New York bureau
of municipal research, filed with the
Chamber of Commerce this morning.
That regard to politics rather than to
efficiency is discernible is a general
charge.
The mayor is a figure head, with a
name of power without the substance,
declares the expert.
The administration of the city’s af
-fatrs is too cumbersome for the great
est efficiency and economy, and a con
solidation of city and county govern
ments is recommended.
Too many boards, of imposing aspect,
but of unnecessary existence, a legisla
tive system which he callsunwieldy,
and committees which he thinks are
inexperienced take away the responsi
bility from the proper quarters, and do
not place service responsive to demand,
he charges.
Department Work
Often Duplicated.
Costs and services of departments are
duplicated. Unnecessary offices and
salaries exist. No department is spared
in the report except those relating to
health and education. They were not
included in the Sands report.
At the instance of the Chamber of
Commerce. Mr. Sands, municipal ex
pert, made a general survey of the city
government, in November, that the
weak spots in organization and admin
istration might be detected. His eye
deficiencies found many spots; his
report cover 64 printed pages of a
pamphlet, every portion of which Is de
vote.] to criticism and recommendation.
During the progress of our work we
found much to praise in the methods
and results obtained by each depart
'■“•nt." he writes in a letter of trans-
” :| l, "but our mission in Atlanta was
0 Point out the places where the pres
structure is weak and where pres
n. thods are defective."
Police Force Lacks
Snap, He .Declares.
■ gard to the police force, he said:
I be entire force does not appear ‘to
the punch' or ‘snap’ that a city
■‘Vs admires In police, and which is
‘“■nt in other phases of Atlanta’s
activities.”
" ’ting up exercises and encourage
e,!l to maintain soldierly appearances
‘Commends for the uniformed men.
i'Vports and records of The police de
t'nent, as of most of the city depart
hts. the expert declares, ate inade-
In the matter of records. Mr.
'-'ls finds no department above criti
cism.
b> police board, he thinks, is un
’-s-ary. Other needs of the depart
h he sets forth are more careful se
'on of patrolmen, the establishment
' 'O additional station houses, ini
’'enient of the traffic squads, the in
' illation of the Bertillon system of
asurements. and the destruction of
-tiseated revolvers.
\lueli of the report is devoted to con-
Continued on Page Twa,
The Atlanta Georgian
’ Read For Profit-GEORGIAN WANT ADS-Use For Results
OYNUMITERS
SENTENCED
TOM
STRIPES
Ryan, Head of Union. Leads-
List With Seven Years in
Penitentiary.
PENALTIES METED OUT
AGGREGATE 113 YEARS
Five Given Suspension of Sen
tence-Women Bear the
Ordeal Bravely.
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 30.—Sentences
aggregating 113 years were imposed to
day by Judge A. B. Anderson in Federal
court upon 38 labor leaders found guilty
Saturday in the national dynamite con
spiracy. The heaviest sentence was
seven years, pronounced upon Frank
M. Ryan, president of the International
Association of Bridge and, Structural
Iron- Workers.
Eight of the convicted men got sen
tences of six years, two got four-year
terms, twelve drew three years, four
got two years and six got one year and
one day.
Edward Clark, who pleaded guilty
and turned state’s evidence received a
suspended sentence.
Judge Anderson suspended sentence
on Frank J. Murphy, of Detroit; James
Cooley, of Chicago; James A. Coughlin,
of. Chicago; P. F. Farrell, of New York,
and Hiram Cline, of Muncie, Ind., for
mer organizer of the Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners.
The eight who received six-year sen
tences were Herbert S. Hockin, former
secretary of the Iron Workers union;
Eugene A. Clancy, of San Francisco;
Olaf A. Tveltmoe, of San Francisco,
formerly secretary of the California
Building Trades council; M. J. Young,
of Boston; P. A. Cooley, of New Or
leans; John T. Butler, of Buffalo, vice
president of the Iron Workers union:
J. E. Munsey, of Salt Lake City, and
Frank C. Webber, of New York
P. J. Smith, of Cleveland, Ohio, and
John H. Barry, of St. Louis, received
four-year sentences.
Twelve Given
Three Years Each.
These got threw years: C. N. Beam,
of Minneapolis; H. W. Legleitner, of
Denver; Edward Smythe, of Peoria. 1
Ill.; George Anderson, of Cleveland; G.
W. Basey, of Indianapolis: W. Bert
Brown, Kansas City; W. J. McCain,
Kansas City; Paul J. Morrin, of St.
Louis; William E. Reddin. of Milwau
kee; M. J. Cunnane, of Philadelphia:
M. J. Hannon, of Scranton, Pa., and
Murray L. Pennell, of Springfield, HI.
These four got two years: Frank J.
Higgins, of Boston; Frank K. Painter,
of Omaha: Richard H. Houlihan, of
Chicago, and Fred Sherman, of Indian
apolis.
The following were given one year
and one day: William C. Bernhardt, ot
Cincinnati; James E. Ray, of Peoria,
Ill.; William Shupe, of Chicago; Fred
J. Mooney, of Duluth; Edward E. Phil
lips, of Syracuse, N. Y., and Charles
Wachtmeister, of Detroit.
In considering the cases of the men
on whom judgment was withheld,
Judge Anderson said that he would
rather make a mistake and suspend
judgment than to make a mistake in
inflicting undeserved punishment. He
said he was Inclined to show leniency
wherever he could.
Brought to Court
Under Heavy Guard.
The prisoners wer? brought into the
Federal court room under heavy guard
and the situation was one of intense
gravity while the convicted men waited
Continued on Page Two.
i
ATLANTA. GA„ MONDAY. DECEMBER 30. 1912,
WARNING TO WOMEN
"Say to' every woman, if she is
married, never to let a man other
than her husband put his hands on
her. If I had slapped Nick Wilburn's
face the first time he squeezed my
hand. I would liot be in this dreadful
fix now.”—Mrs. Kathrine King’s mes
sage to other women —a warning
drawn from her own folly that may
lead her to the gallows.
THEY ARE LEFT ORPHANS BY THE JONES COUNTY TRAGEDY
Wzl _
/ za x* 11,11 w* • A v ,,r- ' • \
/ / •««»««► , .‘V n I I
/ / i -> /fISK I
//fS' Bl*
• - f'*'
i | - id® t 'it I I I
jBWL*.* / /
\ f w’ ar I 9- fcmL irA /
\ \ ML I
\ M| ’/ s F
Nannie, aged ten; Charlie, the four-year-old baby, and James, thirteen years old. three of the six King children.
TO SEAT MAYOR
•WITH CEREMONY
The most pretentious mayoralty in
auguration ever witnessed in Atlanta
will mark the beginning of James G.
Woodward's administration. The cere
mony will be held in the Auditorium,
and Dr. Percy J. Starnes will give a
concert on the big organ as the begin
ning of the services.
The arrangement of the details of the
inauguration are in the hands of’City
Clerk Walter Taylor.
The old council will convene in the
Auditorium next Monday night at 7:30
o’clock. Mayor Courtland S. Winn will
deliver his farewell message. Then the
1912 council will adjourn sine dlf.
Following that the new council will
be called to order and James G. Wood
ward and the new members adminis
tered the oath of office.
The greatest interest in the meeting
will be in the inaugural message of
Mayor Woodward and the announce
ment of his committee appointments.
The next meeting of the 1912 council
will be held next Monday afternoon at
the city hall at 3 o'clock. At that time
an ordinance will be presented desig
nating the Auditorium as the place for
the inaugural ceremony.
v
Inspection of construction is incompetent and insufficient, inspection work on Atlanta’s ■’
s streets lias been particularly poor, especially on repairs.
After insufficient advertising the park board let the park privileges on a six-year contract
i to a local politician.
Thousands of dollars may be saved to the city each year by designing pavements»-aecord-
> ing to the stress which thev are to bear.
<
'Pile entire police force does not appear Io have the ‘“punch” or ■’snap.'' Setting up exer-
L rises are necessary.
An automobile license fee. ranging from $lO to $25. is desirable to provide funds for road
< improvement.
KIN ABANDON MRS. KING;
FATHER TO AID WILBURN
I: End Smoke Nuisance,:
: Urges Expert Sands:
j • While en route from New York •
• to Atlanta, the representative of •
• the Bureau of Municipal Research •
• was informed by a couple of com- •
• mercial travelers that “Atlanta is •
• a nice enough place, put I don't •
• think you will like It, because •
• there is a continuous fog of smoke •
• there, which gets in your eyes and •
• lungs and is disagreeable gener- •
• ally.” It does not behoove any city •
• to be thus advertised. There has •
• been enough agitation of the sub- •
• ject In Atlanta. What is needed •
• now is efficient correction r •
• Municipal Expert Sands’ report. •
•
QUITS HIS PULPIT TO WED
DIVORCED PARISHIONER
’ SAN JOSE, CAL., Dec. 30.—Rev. F.
S. Jensen has quit the Baptist minis
try and taken a job as a floor finisher,
I and permitted his wife to sule for di
( voice, so that he might marry Mrs.
Lulu Smith, one of his former parish
r loners, who was divorced by her hus
band, who named the minister.
FOUR KILLED BY
ROBBERS FOR 55
MEMPHIS, TENN., Dec. 30.—Rob
bers entered the home of William B.
Fox, living on a plantation at Folk
Landing, a few miles south of Mem
phis on the Mississippi river, cut Fox's
throat, crushed his wife's head with an
ax, stabbed a nlneteen-year-old son.
1 .shot the negro cook, left a small baby
1 in Its cradle, stole $5 and two horses
1 and got away.
' Fox’s home was near the river bank,
i When the steamer James Lee landed
i there Captain Bender, her commander.
saw the front door half open and heard
a dog howling.
He sent men to investigate and dis
( covered th** dead bodies. A posse, or
-1 ganlzed to hunt th** murderers with
bloodhounds, traced them to a point
where they crossed from Mississippi to
Arkansas, where the trail was lost.
ACCIDENTALLY KILLS FIANCE.
HAMMOND. LA , Dee 30. Miss Estelle
Fleming, 18 years old. a society belle, ac
■ cidentally killed George H Abbott, her
fiance, while they were at target practice.
RUSH FOR MARRIAGE
LICENSES PRECEDES
INCREASE IN PRICE
According to Ordinary Wilkinson, the
announcement that marriage licenses
would go from $1.75 to $2.5(1 on January
I witli the inauguration of the salary
act has caused a sharp increase in the
work of issuing certificates.
"It is either that or the holiday sea
son,” said the ordinary, “for during the
past two weeks we have issued 150 li
censes more than this office usually Is
sues in a month."
It was announced some time ago that
with the introduction of the salary act
the county would demand all the money
coming from the various offices, and for
this reason the cost of marriage li
censes would go up to the legal limit,
$2.50.
CITY LIGHT CONTRACT
IS SIGNED BY MAYOR;
EFFECTIVE APRIL IST
The new street lighting contract for
' Atlanta which caused a serious split
between th** council and City Electri
cian R. C. Turner was signed today by
Mayor Courtland S. Winn and Preston
S. Arkwright, president of the Georgia
’ Railway and Power Company.
The contract will go Into effect next
r April. By its terms the city’s street
lighting bill is reduced $20,000 a year.
•
HOHL
IDITION
2 CENTS EVERYWHERE
Brothers and Sisters of
Confessed Death Plot
ter Refuse to Help
Save Her F'rom the
Gallows.
!
(Willing for Woman to
Hang, if Law So De
crees, as Penalty for
Planning to Kill Her
, H u s b a n cl .
By Staff Correspondent
MACON. GA.. Dec. 30.—Whila
Mrs. Kathriue King, confessed ac
complice in the killing of. her
husband, lies in a cell in the
•Jones county jail and moans her
fear of the gallows, abandoned by
her family who state that she
deserves no sympathy, the father
of young Nick Wilburn, slayer
of Mrs. King’s husband, has ar
rived in Macon and has started
the fight to save Lis son from the
gallows.
The father. John Wilburn, call
ed at the jail here this afternoon
ami had a long talk with his son.
"I am heart-broken over my son's
dime.” declared the aged father, "and i
li n'd knov we.it to do for him. Bit':
ii' a lawyer wijl be of any assistance h«
I shall certainly have a good one,. I am
loitermined that Mrs. King shall not bn
1 let off with a sentence any lighter than
Iti e one given to Nick. Ts my boy
Jia: gs, ll>en Airs. King must hang, too.
IH< would never have committed that
> e.im if lie had not been controlled am#
| driver. to it by that woman."
At a turn's ence io be held this after-
i noon between Solicitor J. E. Pottle,
j Judge J. It. Park end attorneys for the
(brothers of Jjlmes King, it will tie de
cided whether to call a special term of
i court.
Mrs. King Faces
Her Fate Alone.
Tile bro’thc- anti sisters o* Mrs.
' King today adhere to their decision not
IO make an effort to save tier front
death on the gallows. They feel that
she has committed a terrible crime for
which she deserves no sympathy, and
they have determined to let the law
take its course without hindrance.
A conference was held yesterday aft
ernoon at the home of Mrs. John King, ,
a half-mile from Round Oak, and she,
two other sisters, and her brother. W.
S. Simmons, u shoe store proprietor of
Macon, were present. They agreed
that none of them should ever visit Mrs.
Kathrlne King, and, in fact, to cast her
out of th.dr lives as much as possible.
, "If Kathrlne were not guilty, we
would spend every dollar we have in
the hope of saving her,” declared Mrs.
John King, "but we feel that she has
disgraced us and her children as well,
and she need not expect any assistance
from us. We would rather that she
should die than for her to spend the
remainder of her natural life In th«
penitentiary. It will be better for her
children to say that she is dead rather
than to say that she is wearing con
vict's clothes. If hanging is the pen-
■ alty for her crime, then she should
hang. We all think that way, and I
don’t believe that anything could
change us. We never expect to see her
again.”
Special Court Term
Not Likely.
There Is little likelihood of a special
term of the Jones county superior court
being called for the trial of Mrs. Kins
t and Jesse NJck Wilburn, the confessed
murderers of the former's husband,
) James King, who was shot with his own
, gun on December 12. The next term of
court Is scheduled for the first Monday
t in April, and It is believed that Judg«
' Continued On Page Tw»,
'.4