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MOTHER AND DAUGHTER DEAD IN
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Son Is Strangely Missing; Sheriff Charges Murder
EXTRA
The Atlanta G eorgian
Read for Profit---GEORGIAN WANT ADS---Use for Results
VOL. XI. NO. 254.
ATLANTA,‘GA., WEDNESDAY, MAY 28. 1912,.
Copyright. 1906. 9 PITVTQ PAY NO
By The Georgian Co. * VJ3Ji.x J. o MORE
VETERANS READY FOR
Try Macon Man for
Shooting Neighbor
VOTE ON COMMANDER
Next Reunion Place To Be Se
lected Wednesday Afternoon.
Alabama Monument Dedicated.
CHATTANOOGA, TENX., May 2S.»
The decision to vote on the election of
commander-in-chief and to select the
next meeting place at 3:30 o’clock
this afternoon were the important re-
suits of this morning’s session of the
United Confederate Veterans, in re
union here. Some routine business
wap transacted, but the two impend
ing selections overshadowed all other
matters, allowing them but little im
port.
Upon the very eve of the election it
is still generally believed that General
Dennett H. Young will be re-elected
commander-in-chief. The selection of
the next meeting jdace appears to be
a dead heat between Jacksonville,
Fla., and Richmond, Va.
The only aspirant to the office held
by General Young appears to be Gen
eral K. M. VanZant, of San Antonio,
Texas, who has a fairly formidable
following.
General Irvine Walker, chairman of
the committee appointed at the Ma-
•con reunion to co-operate with a
committee of the Grand Army of the
Republic in regard to a joint peace
jubilee of the two organizations, sub
mitted a report recommending that at
!ea?t 10,000 Confederate veterans at
tend.
The dedicatory exercises of tile
Alabama and Florida monuments this
morning drew thousands <>;' veDr.ins
Wand t ie attendance at the morning
Av*ion by the veterans on a lesoiu-
MACON, GA.. May 28.—Mallary
Bedingfield, a prominent Macon busi- I
ness mrfn, is on trial In Superior Court !
to-day. charged with assault with in- j
tent to murder, because of the shoot
ing last November of his next-door
neighbor. Fred Guttenberger. an or
chestra leader, whom he mistook for
a burglar.
Mr. and Mrs. Guttenberger vveif I
the principal witnesses for the State.
Mr. Bedingfield told the jury that he
fired toward the ground and one of
the bullets deflected, striking Mr. Gut- j
tenberger.
Gen. Lomax, Dixie
War Veteran, Dead Police Secure Admission From
Negro Sweeper During Exain-
WASHINGTON, May 28.—General
Lindsay Lundsford Lomax, Confed
erate officer in the war between the
States, died at Providence Hospital
to-day. ' He wap 78 years old. Fu
neral services will be held to-morrow
at his old home in Warrenton, Va.
General Lomax was taken to the
hospital about two weeks ago with a
fractured hip, the result of a tall
while visiting his daughter in War
renton
Wilson Would End
Party Conventions
WASHINGTON', May 28— The ab
olition of political convention? for
nominating purposes and the elimi
nation of the electoral college were
advocated by President Wilson to-day
in a talk with Representative Britten,
of Illinois.
The President told the Congressman
fhftT Tie 1 ong'TrSlTTSvored tfie shor^en^
ing of the ballot and he believes the’j 77..7Y" "77* "7* YTYTT7****Y* 77
■ , .. * that Leo Frank had told him to write
abolition of the electoral college would
,, , , . the death notes, changed his narrative
accomplish this purpose. , . , ,
again to-day. Confronted by E. F
Holloway, a foreman in the plant, he
admitted having been in the factory
TUT l (N « a ■ x after having steadily maintained that
WGuS blSter-m-LaW he was ,jn Pct e rs Street between 10
! and 2 o’clock that fatal Saturday and
NEW YORK, May 28—Thomas Me- j' at homp aI1 other hour '’ of the da L
Millan, Savannah millionaire, member j Says Confession Is Near,
of the firm of McMillan Brothers,' Holloway, after leaving the.secret
manufacturers of copper turpentine ! at which the admission was
ination for Pbagan Clews.
James Conley in his new affi
davit to the police Wednesday
admitted he lied in his first, when
he said he wrote the Mary Pha-
gan death notes Friday. He said
he arose about 9:30 Saturday
morning, drank some whisky and
at the corner cf Forsyth and Nel
son Streets met Frank carrying a
bundle. Frank told him to wait
for him. He went to the factory
with the superintendent, he said,
and Frank put the bundle into a
trash barrel.
Admission that he was In the Na
tional Pencil factory on the day of
the murder of Mary Phagnn was
gained from James Conley, the negro
sweeper on whom suspicion has
turned, after cross-examination by
detectives, at police headquarters.
T.h4 negro, who X* came comer
of attention with hfs amazing story
* Infer?Groiicrf Sjfo/JUvc?
Tk SCARLET PLAGUE
TRIE MAGAZINE
GIVEN WITH NEXT
wrnrnm
Athletic Preacher
Saves Child’s Life
TAMPA, FLA.. May 31.—The Rev.
J. E. Skinner, athletic pastor of the
Palm Avenue Baptist Church, saved
the life of 9-year-old Alberta Robin
son at a church picnic at Sulphur
Springs, when the child, with 30 or
40 others, was In bathing. She slip
ped from the shallow part of the pool
into water more than twenty feet
deep and had gone down twice when
Rev. Mr. Skinner reached her. She
was resuscitated.
Georgia Millionaire
stills, was married to-day to Miss Ma
mie Bliss, of Savannah, sister of his
first wife and for the last seven years,
since her sister’s death, in charge of
the McMillan household.
The bride was visiting her sister,
Mrs. Edmund Usina. in this city, when
Mr. McMillan met her here. The wed
ding came as a surprise.
Clyde Ship Calls
Help by Wireless
CHARLESTON, S. C.. May 28.- The
Clyde line freight steamer, Katahdin.
is lying disabled off the North Caro
lina coast, according to an interrupt
ed wireless message received here.
An electrical storm put the wire
less station out of commission as the
message was being received, and the
nature and extent of the Katahdin’s
injuries could not be ascertained.
To Legalize Hotel
Register Marriages
Miss Ruth Johnson, of Cleveland. Term.. maid of honor for
Tennessee Division Sons of Confederate Veterans, and below.
Miss Katherine Todhunter. of Lexington. Mo., maid of honor
for Missouri Division. United Confederate Veterans.
tion asking the Federal Government
to purcha. c,, > Johnson’s Island in Lake
Erie, near Sandusky. Ohio, will be
taken Thursday m .rning. according
to a commitiei* report submitted to-
Lav Thousands of Confederate vet
erans who died in Nvztnern .prisons
are buried there and a monument has
been erected to them on the island by
the wbitten of the South, at a cos: ot
$30,000. It is stated that the island
will be obliterated as a historic point
unless* immediate action is taken to
preserve it.
j obtained, declared he was sure it was
only a matter of hours before Conley
would confess. He asserted that If he
had been allowed to put question? to
Conley he could have gotten impor
tant information.
The police quest ions were, of course
all put with the Idea of gaining in
formation against Frank.
Chief Lanford had announced that
he would go before Judge Roan with
a request for an order allowing him
to confront Frank with the negro, so
that Conley’s statement would be ad
missible in court. Lanford, however,
failed to carry out his plans, although
he would not admit they had been
abandoned.
Later Chief Beavers said that the
plan to confront Frank with Conley
would not be carried out to-day and
that its wisdom was doubtful, as, of
course, Frank could not be compelled
to answer any questions.
Refuse to Admit Suspicion.
The police refused to admit that
suspicion was turning or should be
turned to Conley, who has told one
falsehood after another since his ar
rest. They tried resolutely to con
strue every one of his statements as
TALLAHASSEE, FLA.. May 28.— , against Frank and would not admit
Senator Himes’ common marriage • that the continued contradictions of
bill, providing that any man and the negro made bis value as a wit-
woman who register at a hotel ••sjness next to nothing.
The police declared that Conley had
been asked to write the contents of
the death notes and had spelled night
watch” as it was in the note, ‘ night
witch,” and “self” with the “I” and “e”
transposed as in the notes. What
all this shows, in view of the fact
that the same officials had an
nounced that they had conclusive
evidence by “experis” and that Frank
wrote the notes, is not plain.
Conley was also confronted by
General Foreman N. V. Darley In the-
presence of Detectives Black, Scott
and Lanford and the negro made im
portant admissions that will no doubt
force him to admit his guilt.
Conley admitted that, he sat at the
elevator shaft on the first 1 floor it
12:30 on the afternoon of the murder
[and saw Darley in company with Miss
j Smith descend the stairs. Con ley
described Miss Smith as wearing a
raincoat and Darley with his coat on
with no hat. Darley stated that
both descriptions were absolutely cor
rect In every particular. Strange
to say, neither Darley nor Miss Smith
saw the negro, for he was seated in
the shadow of the steps and never
made a sound.
Conley said that after Darley came
Continued on Page 2, Column 1.
Bride Given $2 in 2
Months Asks Divorce
Asserting that since she was mar
ried two months ago her husband, L.
P. Ellison, had contributed only $2
to her support. Mrs. Flora Ellison has
filed suit for divorce and alimony.
She obtained a ne exeat bond of
$200, requiring Ellison to remain in
the State until the hearing, set for
June 7. She alleged that he had
threatened to leave the State if she
sued.
Kidnaps Sixth Child;
Has 'Parental Mania'
NEW YORK, May 28.—The entire
police force of Greater New York is
searching to-day for Anna. Boyarsky,
aged 18, who is suffering from “par
ental mania,” and who is at large
somewhere with a kidnaped child in
her possession—the sixth she has
stolen in two years.
The victim is Frieda Lieberwitz,
aged 4. whose parent? live next door
to Anna's mother in Brooklyn.
Sheriff Sees Slaying Mystery in Burn
ing to Death of Mrs. S. C. Stevens
and Her Daughter in Lonely Farm
House—Find Evidence of Crime.
man and wife are duly married,
passed the Senate by an overwhelm
ing majority.
The measure is expected to pass
the House without opposition.
Suffrage Bill Near
Passage in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, ILL., May 28—The
hill diving women in Illinois the ballot
to-day needed only thirteen votes In
the House in order to pass.
Suffrage advocates are busy trying
!o line up this number of votes
A wonderful magazine given
FREE with every copy of the
next Sunday American.
Two Georgians Get
Army Commissions
WEST POINT. X. Y. May 28.—
Ninety-two new officers will be ad
ded to Uncle Sam’s army on Juno
12 b> the graduation of the first
class of the corps of cadets at the
United States Military Academy.
Two Georgians are in the class:
David 3. Falk and Allan G. Thur
man.
Workman on Healy
Skyscraper Crushed
G. T. Pruitt, an iron worker, 71 Wal
thall Street, was crushed by a swinging
beam at the Healy Building. Wednes
day He was taken to Grady Hospital.
His leg was injured badly.
Pruitt and a companion were pinned
against a wall by a girder swung by a
huge crane Pruitt’s companion! es
caped injury.
That the mother and girl whose
charred remains were found in the
ruins of their home seven miles
southeast of Atlanta early Wednesday
morning were murdered and the house
set afire by the murderer in an effort
to obliterate all evidence of the deed
was the astounding declaration made
by Sheriff J. A. McCurdy after an in
vestigation of the tragedy.
Positive identifications of the two
women as Mrs. S. C. Stevens, 40
years old, wife of William Stevens,
e 70-year-old Confederate veteran
now in Chattanooga at the reunion,
and their adopted daughter, Nellie
Stevens, 13 years old, were made by
neighbors
Conditions leading up to the theory
that the deaths were the result of
murder are these:
The charred bodies of the wom
en were found lying in the center
of a bed room in the rear of the
cottage. Near at hand were the
remains of a shotgun.
Mrs. Stevens’ skull had been
crushed in. A hoe found in what
had been the hallway leading
from the room is believed to have
been the instrument used to strike
the woman as she arose from her
bed. with the shotgun, to meet
the intruder.
That the door of the room was
open at. the time of the encounter
is believed to add another Imk to
prove the affair a murder.
The method in which the daughter
met her death could not be ascer
tained. owing to the charred condition
of her body.
Son Quarreled With Mother.
Inquiry among the neighbors de
veloped the fact that Wade Steven?,
the 16-year-old son. who disappeared
from his home Tuesday afternoon,
had quarreled with his mother ana
sister.
Mrs. L. G. Self, who lives a short
distance from the Stevens home, told
Sheriff McCurdy that the boy had a
tilt with his parent because she would
not permit him to come to Atlanta
during the absence of his father.
Mr? Self stated that Nellis Stevens
had appeared at her home with a
package of Wade’s clothing, which
she asked Mr?. Self to keep that nigh’
to prevent the boy from disobeying
his mother and leaving the house.
This statement, coupled with others,
to the effect that Wade Stevens had
I
THE WEATHER.
Forecast for Atlanta and
Georgia—Fair and warmer
Wednesday; fair Thursday.
V
How
About This?
This little " Want Ad” Tablet
brought 16 answers, and the
heater was sold the first day it
appeared in the Georgian.
v.
GAS water heater for sale cheap. Good
as new. Phone Ivy 2407-J. 6-21-3
Can you beat it? Georgian
" Want Ads" get what you
want when you want it.
on numerous occasions acted in an
infractlous manner—at one time
snatching $6r> from his mother’s hand
and running away—have led Sheriff
McCurdy to start a hunt for him in
order that he may be questioned in
connection with the murder.
The house was burned during; the
night. Its ruins were first discovered
at 8 o’clock Wednesday morning by
J A. Nelms, who was passing the
scene in a milk wagon. Nelms, after
viewing the smoking embers? of the
building, summoned J. L. Cowan, a
neighbor, and notified the county po
lice.
Vt hen Sheriff McCurdy arrived or
the scene the remains of the twe
women already had been found by
Nelms and Cowan. Mrs. Stevens was
identified by her false teeth.
When the bodies had been taken
out of the ruins they were exam
ined. Mrs. -Stevens' skull was seen to
have been crushed in.
It was this fact that first led the
authorities to suspect foul play. Care
ful examination of the surrounding
embers in the place where the bodies
were found brough to light a shotgun
barrel, the stock and woodwork ol
which had been burned off.
The weapon was seen to have been
close to the positions where the bodies
were discovered.
Slain as They Left Beds.
Ti nt the women bad left their be-H
before they met their deaths was an
other conclusion drawn by Sheriff
McCurdy . The bodies lay in the cen
ter of the floor while the iron frames
of the beds were over in a corner . i
the room.
The door to the room was open.
Its halt demolished frame atill stands
in the ruin.?. Just outside the door
the hoe was found.
Sheriff McCurdy’s theory is that
the murderer fled through the door,
casting the hoe with which he had
slain the women ip the hall. That
the plan to set fire to the house and
burn the bodies to hide the crime
came as a second thought.
The house was about 50 yards from
the road in a clump of trees. It is
in a lonely spot and the nearest
neighbor is beyond earshot. That
the screams of the women would net
have been heard is safe to conclude.
Girl's Skull Crushed.
Another development that tends to
show murder, came with the discov
ery that the skull of Nellie Stevens
had been fractured, also. A sharp
crack across the top of the head
showed possibility that a knife-like
weapon had been used, striking with
such force as to cleave the bone.
The positions of the bodies in the
ruins tends to beat* this theory out
—that the murderer had struck the
girl with his hoe after crushing Mrs.
Stevens' skull.
Mrs. Stevens’ skull, it was shown,
was crushed in by a blow directed at
her from in front. Her body was
found just three feet from the door
way. Directly behind this lay the
body of Nellie Stevens.
Jt is thought that Mrs. Stevens,
when she took up the shotgun and
started towards the door at the
. ouud of the intruder, was followed
b} her daughter. When the older
woman opened the door, Nellie was
directly behind her. The murderer,
then, if he stood just without the
doorway, with hoe in hand, struck
Mrs. Stevens first. With a second
blow he felled the girl behind her.
Open Knire Under Girl’s Body.
The gun barrel was found close to
the bodies of the women and the
hoe was found out In the hallway.
Continued on Paa« 7. Column X