Newspaper Page Text
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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
W ADE STEVENS, youth who was arrested following the dis
covery of the bodies of his mother and sister in the Are
ruins of the family home on the McDonough Road. No suspi
cion is now attached to the boy, who is aiding to clear the mys
tery in every way.
Son Is Freed of All Suspicion.
Men Sought Were Feared by
Slain Women.
A« » result of his straightforward
story .tnd the proof he has brought
forwari.' to sustain it, the police vir
tually h.We eliminated Wade Stevens
as a suitpect in the murder of his
mother. Mrs. Sarah C. Stevens, and
his sister. Miss Nellie Stevens, and
the burning of their home on the
MbDonough road.
The activities of the police and
Sheriff McCurdy are now being di
rected towart Walter Wilkes, and
Ernest Maymrd; former employees
of Mrs. Stevem A country-wide
search has been instituted for them.
Descriptions of the negro and the
half-breed have been sent out to all
parts of the Soufli by telegraph, and
the officers are confident that It Is
only a matter of lit <urs before they are
arrested.
The theory that Wilkes and May
nard committed th.» crime, formulated
by statements madle by neighbors of
the Stevens famil:y. and statements
made by William Stevens, has been
strengthened, the police say, by the
statements of Wade Stevens.
3aw Wilkss Near Home.
' Young Stevens, brought to Atlanta
from Chattanooga by Detective John
Black at 2 o'clock Friday morning,
told the police that twice within the
past week be has seen Wilkes, the
last time befmg only a few hours be
fore the murder.
"I met W.Ukes in town Tuesday
night shortly before 8 o’clock," said
young Stevens. "He stopped me and
asked me where l was going. I told
him that I was going to Chattanooga
He asked me If father had not already
gone, and I told him yea Then he
remarked that lie supposed mother
and slater would be alone at the house
during the night, and I told him I
supposed so. Then he asked me if
we needed a hired man. and said
he guessed he would go out and ask
mother If he could get another Job."
' Young Stevens said he also saw
Wilkes within a mile, of his home
last Sunday morning.
"I was driving to town,” the boy
declared. “And I met Wilkes Just
beyond the bridge over the South
ern railroad. He asked me where I
was going, and 1 told him to town.
Then he wanted to know If mother
wanted any work done, and 1 told
him I didn’t know. He then asked
me If father was at home, and when
1 told him he was, he asked If he
could go back to town with me. He
got In the buggy then and we came
to town. He said he was going down
on Decatur Street. pnd that was the
last time I saw him until Tuesday
night, Just before I left i„r Chattu-
nooga.’’
Both Insulted the Women.
Young Stevens is positive thal
Wilkes and Maynard committed the
crime, and declares that both tin
men have several times Insulted his
mother and sister and tried to get
them to give them money.
"The negroes thought mamma kept
a large sum of money in the house, 1 '
said the Stevens boy, “and they were
always asking her for a quarter or
a dollar, and getting mad when she
wouldn’t give it to them. Mamma
and sister often talked of the ne
groes, and said they were afraid of
them. Three times that 1 oan re
member, while Wilkes was working
for us, he tried to Insult sister, and
that Is why we discharged him.
Twice sister saw him peeking in the 1
window when she was dressing or
bathing, and both times he grinned
and cursed and ran.
"Mamma and sister were Just as
much afraid of Maynard as they
were of Wilkes. He tried to insult
Nellie one day and mamma drove
Wm
Will Bible Solve Stevens Slaying?
+•+ +•+ +•+ +•+ +•+ +•+
Gews in Holy Book Negro Read
+•+ +•+ +•+ +•+
Verses About Murder Marked
Testament Given by Slain Wom
an to Suspected Hand Found
in His Cabin.
m
'■'A
isR,
2«l
him away with a gun. He had
threatened the whole family several
times, and we were all afraid of
him. Maynard was a half-breed In
dian and negro, and was always in a
had humor and talking about money. ’
Young Stevens also threw light on
a phase of Wilkes' character that up
holds the theory that Mrs. Stevens'
Bible, found in Wilkes’ cabin, may
prove valuable evidence.
"Wilkes always was saying lie
wanted to be a preacher, and In
March he borrowed mamma's Bible
He drank lots of whisky, and would
sit with the Bible In one hand and a
glass of w hisky In the other, laughing
at the Bible. He used to point out
places in the Bible where it said not
to kill anybody, and then he'd say it
was all bosh and make fun of it. He
would say that he’d bet he could do
all those things and not get punished.
He and Maynard were together when
ever they got h chance, and they
drank a lot of whisky."
In young Stevens' story of bow he
speni the day on Tuesday, he de-
cliirhd that he knows nothing of his
sistah taking his .Nothing to J neigh
bor's. and says he was not i: home
all day His statement, in whieh he
Is corroborated by “Red" Merchant,
arrested with him In Chattanooga,
follows:
"I left home at S o'cloek Tuesday
morning, after a quarrel with mamma,
1 had cut the oats on Monday and
on Tuesday she wanted me to put
them in the barn. It bad rained dur
ing the night and I told her it was
too wet. She was mad and said if 1
didn't put the oats in rho .bam i
could leave, f told her 1 would if eh-'
would give me my clothes, and she
wouldn't do it.
“So 1 came to town In the overalls
that I have on now. 1 met Red'
Merchant on Pryor Street near the
Union Depot, and we were together
about town until about 1 o'clock, when
‘Red’ went home, to East Atlanta. I
hung around town until 3 o'clock and
met Rod’ again. We stayed down
town and about 5 o'clock we met four
boys, one of them the McWilliams
boy, and stayed with them until
about time for the train to leave.
We caught the S: f.5 W. and A. train
and got into Chattanooga about 1:08
o'clock. At 1:30 we saw a man
named Parker who runs a newsstand
near the Chattanooga depot, and
talked with him for some time. Then
I we hung around town. I wasn't ar-
' rested by the Chattanooga police.
] When I read in the paper Wednes-
i day morning that mother and sister
had been murdered and that 1 was
wanted, I went to the chief of detee-
[ lives and gave myself up.”
Young Stevens and young Merchant
were taken to tho Decatur County
Jail by Sheriff McCurdy Friday. They
I probably will be held a few days un
til the Chattanooga end of their story
Is proved. Young Stevens says the
man Parker, owner of the newsstand,
will come to Atlanta if necessarv and
prove that he w#e there about the
time- the murder is supposed to b:.v“
been committed.
Is the Holy Bible to play a part in
solving the mystery of the murder of
M rs. Sarah C. Stevens and her daugh -
ter and the burning of their lonely
farm house?
Was the murderer * type of hu
manity who combined a passion, at
a contempt, for the Bible with an In
satiable craving to kill, rob and de
stroy?
Was this fanatic Waltsr Wilkes, a
ne~ro. who up to three weeks ago
worked for Mrs. Stevens—known to
be a close student of the Bible?
Was h'e aided In his fiendish work
by Ernest Maynard (or Mannard), a
half-breed Mexican, who worked at
the Stevens farm before Wilkes came
—known to be a friend and follower
of Wilkes, and as deceitful and as
treacherous?
The finding of Mrs. Stevens' Bible
on a shelf In a log cabin formerly oc
cupied by the negro and the Mexi
can, with many passages having ref
erence to violent deaths and actions
marked with a cross In lead pencil,
has brought these questions strongly
to the fore, and has caused the in
vestigations of Sheriff McCurdy and
Detective Rosser to point toward the
negro and the half-breed as possible
perpetrators of the crime.
Officers consider the Bible, with It*
marked passages, one of the most re
markable and Important bits of evi
dence unearthed since the Investiga
tion of the murder began.
The Bible has been positively Iden
tified by Mr. Stevens and two of Mrs.
Stevens' brothers as the property of
Mrs. Stevens. The inscription on the
fly-leaf—"Mrs. Stevens’ Book"—has
been Identified as her handwriting.
Mr. Stevens made the further Im
portant statement that the Bible has
been in Wilkes’ possession slijce the
last of March, when Mrs, Stevens
loaned him the book at his request.
The negro had told her that he was
studying for the ministry and did nol
have a Bible of his own.
Striking Passages Marked.
Practically every passage that is
marked with the crude cross has ref
erence to some form of violent sin
that Is punishable by eternal damna
tion. The passages refer to killing
destroying, lust and adultery, the
greatest crimes In the spiritual and
temporal calendar. These questions
are being raised:
Why did Wilkes mark only passages
dealing with violent sin and Its pun
ishment?
Did the marking of the Bible within
a month of the murder have any
bearing on the crime?
Does it show that Wilkes' mind was
constantly filled with thoughts of
murder and robbing?
Did the marking of Exodus x!x:13
"And it came to pass that on the
third day In the morning that there
were thunders gad lightning, ar:d a
'hick cloud upon the mount.” have
any bearing on the burning of the
house, the crackle and roar of the
flames and the thick clouds of smoke?
Did the marking of James 1:14
“But every man is tempted, when he
Is driwn away oil his own lust land
enticed,’’ have any reference to his
desire and efforts—alleged by the
girl’s relatives to have occurred—to
attack little Nellie Stevens?
Did the marking of James 11:10,
"For whosoever, shall keep the whole
law. and yet offend in one point, he
is guilty of all," mean that he would
be equally guilty whether he commit
ted assault, murder, robbery, arson,
or all?
The portions of the Bible that were
marked, presumably by Wilkes, are
as follows:
Exodus xlx: 13—There shall not an
hand, touch It, hut he shall surely be
stoned or shot through; whether it
be beast or man, It shall not live:
when the trumpet soundath long, they
shall come up to the mount.
Violent Passages Indicated.
Exodus xix:18—And It came to
pass on the third day In the morning,
that there were thunders and light
nings, and a thick cloud upon the
mount, and the voice of the trumpet
exceeding loud; so that all the people
that was In the camp trembled.
Exodus xxtlS—Thou shalt not kill.
Exodus xx:14i—Thou shalt not com
mit adultery.
Exodus xx:17—Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man
servant, nor his maidservant, nor his
ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is'
thy neighbors.
Exodus xxl:15—And he that smltetl,
hts father, or his mother, shall be
surely put to'death
Exodus xxl:17—And he that curseth
his father, or his mother, shall be
surely put to death.
Exodus xxi: 19-—If he rise again
and walk abroad upon his staff, then
shall be that smote him be quit; only
he shall pay for the loss of his time
ana shall excuse him to be thorough
ly healed.
Exodus xxi:33—If men strive an-,
hurt a woman with child, so that hei
fruit departeth from her, and yet no
mischief follow: he shall be surely
punished, according as the woman
husband lay upon him; and he shal
pay as the Judges determine.
Exodus xxi:23—And if any mischief
follow, then thou shalt give life for
life.
Exodus xxi: 18—And he that steal-
®th a man and selleth him, or if he
be found in his hand, he shall he
surely put to death.
Exodus xxli:16—And if a man en
tice a maid that is not betrothed
* • • he shall surely endow her to
be his wife.
Matthew v:38—Neither shalt the:
swear by thy head, because thou
canst not make one hair white or
black.
Matthew vli:23—But If thine eye
be evil, thy whole body shal! bfe
full, of darkness. If, therefore, the
light that is in thee is darkness, how
great is that darkness.
Hebrews xili:17—Obey them that
have the rule over you, and submit
yourselves; for they watch for your
souls, as they that must give ac
count, that they may do It with Joy,
and not with grief; for that is un
profitable for yon.
James i: 14—But every man is
tempted, when he Is drawn away ol
his own lust and nticed.
James 1:13—Then when lust hath
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conceived, It bringeth forth sin; and
sin. when It ie finished, bringeth forth
death.
James 11:10.—For whosoever shall
keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he le guilty of all.
Colossians 111 - 20—Children, obey
your parents-in all things; tor this is
well pleasing with the Lord.
Ephesians xxxiv:25 — Wherefore
putting away lying, speak every man
with his neighbor: for we are mem
ber* one of another,
Ephesians vl:5—Servants, be obe
dient to those that are your masters
according to the flesh, with fear and
trembling, in singleness of your heart,
as unto Christ.
Stevens Aids Officers.
Several points that had nuzzled the
officers Investigating the case were
cleared up with the arrival of Mr
Stevens from Chattanooga and his
visit to his burned home Thursday
afternoon. His Identification of vari
ous objects and his statements that
none of them were In their usual
places have completed and upheld the
murder theory.
The ax and the hoe tound In the'
bed room, where the bodies were
found, Mr. Stevens identified as be
longing to the, house. The hoe, he
said, is usually kepi on tne back
porch, and the ax Is kept at the wood-
pile In the rear of the house. Sheriff
McCurdy and Detective Rosser are
positive that the ax and the- hoe were
the weapons used by the- murderer;
and they are positive also that there
were at least two j'.’ the fiends.
Though Sheriff McCurdy declared
that young Wade Stevens and. "Red"
Merchant will be held until their ac
tions on the night of the murder can
be thoroughly investigated, he Inti
mated that all clews now point to the
negro and the Mexican, Walter Wilkes
and Ernest Maynard, or Mannard, and
intimated that a country-wide search
will be institued for the two men.
Both Were Discharged.
Maynard, or Mannard, had been
discharged from the employ of Mrs.
Stevens because he had Insulted the
young girl and once had attempted to
attack her.
Wilkes was discharged because he
became a “peeping Tom," and
-\ as surly a .d threatening on the day
he was ordered off the place.
Wilkes knew Mr. Stevens would be
away from home on the night of the
murder. When working in the fields
with the negro a month ago Mr. Ste
vens told the negro that he would at
tend the reunion, and remembered the
negro had asked him the date when
he would be away from home.
The investigation conducted Friday
by the officers developed the fact that
Wilkes and Maynard were togeth*'-
a great deal of the time.
ADDITIONAL TRAIN
SERVICE.
Effective Sunday. June 1st, the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad will
establish double daily service between
Cartersville, Ga„ and Etowah, Tenn.
Traili 35 will leave Etowah 8:30 a.
m., arrive Cartersville 9.25 a. m.;
train 38 will leave Cartersville 10:30
a. m.. arrive Etowah 1:30 p. m.; train
37 will leave Etowah 2:20 p. m., ar
rive Cartersville 5:20 p. m.; train 38
will leave Cartersville 7:12 p. m.,
arrive Etowah 10:10 p. m. adv’
City of Savannah Is
Overhauled Entirely
GERMAN WARSHIP ASHORE.
I BERLIN, May 30.—The German
cruiser Bleacher went ashore this aft-
| ernbon during a heavy fog. Other
- arshipa are standing by.
Information was received Friday by
W. H. Fogg, district passenger agent
of the Central of Georgia Railroad,
that the Savannah Line steamship
City of Savannah left New York yes
terday for Savannah for the first time
since It was overhauled thoroughly.
Improvement* consist of seven ad
ditional stataroo ns, private baths in
connection with large bed rooms and
a barber shop similar to those on the
City of St. Louis and the City of
Montgomery. Tna City of Savannah I
Is one of the most commodious ships i
plying between New Xork and Savan- |
nah.
Former Columbus Woman Daad.
COLUMBUS.—Mrs. Fran* White, a
for.iter reslilmn of Columbus, la dead
at her home ha Georgetown. S. C. Her
body will be brought here tor the fu
neral Saturday.
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