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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS
)LUB OF TEMPORARY WIDOWS” GATHERS
EACH DAY TO GREET THEIR HUSBANDS ON JURY
McDermott, Chicago Congress'
man, Accused in Connection
With Loan Shark Legislation.
By JAMES B. NEVIN.
(H|The defense 5.9 nearing 1 Its end In
the Prank case.
wIa few more character witnesses—
the e seems to have been no difficulty
whatever in securing character wit-
iiesscs by the score to testify in be
half of the defendant—the statement
©f FYank, and the defense will rest,
i, The State will t n introduce *ts
-Witnesses in rebuttal of the defense’3
Jcharncter witnesses, and along other
lines. Not improbably, the State will
undertake to rebut in a measure the
^defendant's personal statement.
4 The entire case should go to the
Jury Monday or Tuesday—meaning by
r that that the argument should begin
then.
The State has been all along much
tnore sensational an'd spectacular than
the defense. That generally is the
’fr’J'ay these cases go. and in respect of
.that, therefore, the F ik case has not
been particularly remarkable.
In the length of time required to
; develop fully both sides, however, the
case is in a class by itself, so far ns
Georgia is concerned.
The Frank case has been noticeable,
< too, because of the fact that women
I have been excluded from the court-
&Xoom practically from the beginning
8©f the trial—and yet in the main there
lihasn’t been a great deal said in the
| |©ourtroom that might be called par-
! ticularly offensive, as those things go.
Innuendo Plays Larpe Part. t
} Aside from Conley’s direct state
ment as to unspeakable depravity
fendant’s lack of character to hold
together it3 other story—and that
seems to be the way the State is
fighting its way along—it must break
down the defandant’s exhibits com
pletely, or the defendant’s showing is
bound to figure tremendously in
shaping the verdict.
Can the State do it?
That is a question Atlantans and
Georgians have asked themselves con
tinually for the past week or ten
days. It is the question they still
are asking themselves—and it is the’
question they will ask themselves un
til it i9 answered.
Upon the rebuttal of the Frank
character witnesses much depends—
and it has been promised, inferential-
ly, at least, that this rebuttal will be
complete and final. It must be, if
the State hopes to win out.
There is nothing now' that goes sc
directly to the very core of the is
sue between Leo Frank and the State
of Georgia as the question of the de
fendant's possession or lack of char
acter.
When the attorneys pro and con
come to sum up the case, for the
benefit and theoretical enlightment of
the jury, it will be found, I think,
that both the State and the defense
have made out cases remarkable In
point of strength for and against
the defendant.
In other words. I mean it will be
found that the State has made the
very best of the material it had on
hand by way of outlining and estab
lishing the charge against Frank, the
while the defense has been every bit
as circumspect and astute in provid
ing for the refutation of the charges.
Trial a Fair Fight.
Certainly the trial has been such
a trial as men call fair. The case
was hot called until both sides had
had ample time to prepare for it, and
until both sides announced ready.
The State and the defense each is
supplied with as able and Intelligent
counsel as might be secured, there
has been no limit whatever upon the
time taken up, court officials have left
nothing undone to have the witnesses
both ways on hand at the moments
wanted, and the witnesses under
the rule while the case has proceeded,
have been handled as they should be.
Judge Roan, occupying not only a
most responsible position, but cer
tainly a most trying one, has borne
himself with a degree of official dig
nity and fair-mindedness that must
commend him very highly to the
public.
The Jury has been taken care of
like real human beings—nothing has
been left undone for its comfort.
Consideration has been shown the
defedant, the members of his family,
and the warm friends constantly in
attendance upon him.
The spectators have been orderly,
ever, the hours observed by *he court
have been adjusted to the ao< ommo-
datlon of the lawyers, the defendant
and the jury.
So far as human ingenuity and law
can make it so, therefore, the trial of
Leo Frank has been fair, I think—as
fair as could be asked. And when I
say that I mean fair to both the de
fense and the State.
The presiding judge let in one big,
significant line of evidence supposed
ly unfavorable to the defense. It so
happens, however, that later he let in
another line supposedly as unfavor
able to the State.
An Even Break
There w r as no possible connection,
reaily, between these two things, of
course, for the judge did. exactly the
thing he thought was right in both
instances. It merely is a fact that
his tw T o biggest rulings cut evenly be
tween the State and the accused—and •
to that extent is noticeable. In that it
makes an even break.
I make the foregoing observation
now because, looking at the case from
the present "dint of view', in advance
of the verdict, I feel that he observa
tion is true—and whatever the out
come of the trial. I for one shall n >t
feel that the case has been unfairly
tried.
Judicial error may have crept In—it
certainly is not for Lyraen to say as
to that. It perhaps is not Tight end
proper even to speculate upon such a
thing.
Whatever judicial error has crept
in, however, if any has, it may be cor
rected upon review' before a court
higher up. Either that or the error
will redound to the defendant’s bene
fit—for once acquitted, he never can
be tried again for the murder of Mary
Phagan.
There is on. advantage that has
come of the long drawn out battle,
perhaps, and that is in the time it
has given the public to weigh oarefin -
ly and discriminatingly every bit of
evidence as it has fallen from the lips
of witnesses.
There is no reason why any person
able to read the English language
should be unfamiliar with any detail
of the trial.
The newspapers certainly have done
theiir part in ©reading the story, as
told by each side, before the public
from day to day.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16. Startled
by the testimony of T. H. McMichael.
former chief page of the House, con
cerning the official conduct of Repre
sentative James T. McDermott, of
Illinois, the House Lobby Investigat
ing Committee has decided, it is said,
to make a preliminary report on Mc
Dermott to the House at the earliest
possible opportunity.
This report, will he separate from
the committee’s proposed general re
port on the subject of lobbying, anri
when It is presented It will be in
order for any member of the House
to move for McDermott’s expulsion.
If such a motion is made, it will he
necessary for the House to vote di
rectly on the question. According to
the rules, a two-thirds vote of the
membership Is necessary to expul
sion.
Loan Sharks Raise Funds,
Whether such action will be taken
depends largely on the testimony of
four pawnbrokers of the District of
Columbia, who now are under sub-
pena by the committee. These pawn
brokers. according to McMichael.
raised a fund to defeat the District
Ipan shark bill w hich passed Congress
some time ago.
McMichael testified that McDer
mott made a trip to the Hotel Na
varre. New York City, anri there he
says he learned the money, or part of
it. was turned over to McDermott.
McMichael admitted he never saw a
cent of the alle^d fund.
It was learned to-day that mem
bers of the committee believe this
phase of Me Michael’s testimony i.->
the most serious matter they have
yet disclosed and constitutes a direct
accusation of bribery Future testi
mony, they admitted, might entirely
disprove this.
Searchlight on McDermott,
Acting on this theory, the general
investigation of lobbies which they
have been conducting was to-day
turned entirely into an investigation
of McDermott’s persoal conduct.
The committee may go into a re
port of a liquor lobby raising cor
ruption funds to defeat the reforms
proposed during the close of tho
Cannon regime. which precipitate^
the so-called rules fight.
They have
chosen
Mrs. W. M.
Jeffries
forewoman.
There Are Eleven Full-Fledged
Members and “Associate” Mem
ber, Who Waves at Bachelor.
Atlanta has a brand new club. It is
called “Thfe Club of Temporary
Widows.”
Its membership, as its name indi
cates, is made up entirely of women.
There are just eleven of them. All
w'ere brought ta their temporary
widowhood by the trial of Leo M.
Frank. All are wives of jurors in the
great murder case, or, at least, they
were before the trial began. All are
thoroughly tired of the tedious pro
cesses of the law which have kept
them in their somber w r eeds for three
long w'eeks.
Mrs. Jeffries, “widow” of W. M-
Jeffries, a real estate man, who is
serving on the Frank jury, has been
elected the “forewoman.” They do
not have a president in the Club of
the Temporary Widows.
They Meet Every Day.
Every night the eleven widows may
be seen at Alabama and South Pryor
streets as the jurors file by under
as close a guard a£ though they. were
prisoners, and very dangerous pris
oners at that.
They are privileged only to wave
their handkerchiefs—the young bride
of the club throw’s kisses^—as the
men go by on their w'ay to the Kim
ball House for the night. This same
young bride—or young widow—rush
ed up to the line the first day of the
trial and tried to speak to the hus
band of whom she had been bereft.
A stern look from one of the depu
ties repulsed her. Softening, the of
ficer explained that it would be worth
as much as his job if he should let
her or any of the widows say just
one little word to one of those jurors.
There’s One Associate Member.
Several times another young woman
has been noticed on the edge of the
little group making up the widows’
club. She has had eyes only for the
bachelor of the jury. He has had
eyes only for her. It is said that
she is to be taken into associate mem
bership in the club. Report also has
it that she will qualify for full mem
bership soon after the trial.
None of the widows knew each
other before the trial began. Now a
number of strong friendships have
been formed. In addition to the daily
gatherings at Alabama and South
Pryor streets, meetings are to be
held each w r eek during the life of the
club, which its members hope to per
petuate for years. The meetings will
be held at the members’ homes, and
the regained husbands may be per
mitted to attend once in a while.
HRS. M. F. WOODWARD
MRS. F. V. L. SMITH
Death Was Accident,
Grubb Family Says;
Suicide Story Denied
Many fast
friendships
have been
formed.
That Andrew J. Grubb’s death was
not a suicide is the statement made by
members of his family, who assert that
it resulted from an overdose of strych
nine, which the deceased had taken on
account of heart trouble.
Mr. Grubb died Thursday morning at
the family home on DeKalb avenue,
North Decatur, while the other mem
bers of his family were attending the
funeral of his favorite sister, Mrs. So
phia Smith. Owing to the condition of
his heart, Mr. Grubb had remained at
home, fearful lest he he overcome at the
funeral. At home with him was his
19-year-old son,. Harvey Grubb.
According to his family, Mr. Grubb
had suffered with heart trouble for
many eyars and had been compelled to
take strychnine to get relief. The only
way In which he could get the strych
nine without a doctor’s prescription was
to tell the pharmacist that he wanted it
for the purpose of killing a dog. Thurs
day morning he obtained the strychnin*
in this manner, which his family says
started the suicide rumor.
[ circumstance has served to
size the presence of the de
It’s Wife and mother, and ,o
them at all times conspicuous
; the spectators—as they must
seen, in a large degree, in any
A Practical Painter
A Perfect Job
A Pretty House
A Pleased Owner
A Permanent Customer
Widows
Remember
“It’s Cheaper to Paint
Than Not to Paint. ’ ’
Phones: Main 1115; Atl. 329.
perpetuate club
when widow
Old Sol, as Barber,
Singes Lem’s Beard
hood is over,
adding
SiIDDTJ2TOWN, OHIO, Aug. 16 —
Lem Buhler got in the way of a sun
beam reflected through a prism glass
here, and it set fire to his whiskers.
He may lose one eye.
twelfth
31 South Broad Street
member.
Grand opening with
up - to - date quality
and service. All
welcomed. Under new manage
ment
HELEN WOODWARD, DAUGHTER OF JUROR
Wisconsin to Begin
Sterilizing ‘Unfit'
Solicitor General Dorsey asked him
if he knew of any acts of perversion
Frank had committed.
Then the volcano that had been
dormant for ages became ‘active.
Then the race that has endured
martyrdom broke its silence. Then
the mother, who believes in her
heart that her boy could do no wrong,
spoke.
"He never heard such a thing, and
neither have you,” and her voice was
blazing when she spoke it.
Then the drama was furnished.
The audience rose from the seats.
Eyes were fixed. Breaths were short
ly drawn. Seconds seemed hours.
It had taken mother love, the ten-
derest of all passions, to furnish the
incident that had really stirred.
v possibly can be—no human being
would expect less of her than that
^tut her calmness and deliberation on
V the stand Friday showed that she ap
preciated the material value of the
evidence she was then giving, and
| that it was necessary then that her
Mbest and most discriminating intelli
gence be given full play, no less than
heretofore her heart had been.
| I think the public now is looking
forward to the defendant’s statement
with far more interest than anything
■1^-unless it be to the forthcoming
evidence of the more or less myste
rious witnesses the State still has in
1‘eserve.
MpFrank never has told his own story.
He has maintained a reserved silence
ever since he was arrested, and it
will be particularly interesting to hear
What the main actor in the drama
has to say in his own behalf, after all
else has been said on that side.
It is by no means too much to
say that Frank’s statement may make
or^ mar his cas^-it may clear him
entirely, for that tiding has happened,
a»cl many more times than once—or
it may cut the other way. It certain
ly will be a ' dramatic utterance—
^whether the thrill of it be pronounced
or, repressed.
It looks as if the defendant has said
about the last word that can be said
in jteLablishing his good character.
Good character can be proved only 1
in the way he has gone about it.
If the State relies upon the de-
34 Peachtree St,
MADISON, WIS., Aug. 16.—The
State Board of Control of Wiscon
sin. which has the management of
the State charitable, penal and re
formatory institutions, is receiving
a large number of inquiries from
relatives and friends of criminal in
sane, feeble-minded and epileptic per
sons regarding the provisions of the
new law providing for the steriliza
tion of such degenerates.
The Board of Control Is the judge
as to the advisability of sterilizing
any degenerate in the public charge,
and there is no appeal from its de
cision.
The board intends to begin with
the female degenerates and later take
up the males. Several hundred fe
male degenerates v/ill be sterilized
this year.
CHICAGO, Aug. 16.—No more will
Mrs. Michael Raymond, eighteen years
old, be led Into trouble by her beauty.
Her winning face captivated two hus
bands, but each had quit her because
she could not help attracting every
man who saw’ her.
To-day she occupied a cot at Colum
bus Hospital. Doctors said she might
not recover. Her face, neck and body
were slashed in more than a dozen
places.
Raymond heard other men were pay
ing attention to his wife. When he re
turned home last evening, he kissed her
as usual, then drew’ a razor and cut
her. He fled.
Men’s Shoes Soled Sewed at 50c
GWINN’S SHOE SHOP
6 LUCKIE STREET, OPPOSITE PIEDMONT HOTEL.
. BELL PHONE IVY 41S1. ATLANTA 2340,
kA a Guaranteed Work
John D, a Prodigal;
Gives Berries Away
Tree Spender’ Out
Of Asylum a Day
AFTER
NEW YORK, Aug. 16.—The har
vest of crabs and blackberries at
Tarry town this year beats all records.
Thousands of crabs are being
caught in the Hudson daily. One
man daught 150 in two hours.
Blackberries are so plentiful that
half of the boys of the village are
picking them. The favorite and best
field is on John D. Rockefeller’s es
tate. Mr. Rockefeller has not inter
fered with the picking, and it Is es
timated that 300 quarts are picked
from his busfces daily.
Evelyn Again Takes
Up Name of Thaw
NEW YORK, Aug. 16.—Edward
Stewart, once well known In Broad
way as a lavish spender and who has
ben confined in the State Asylum for
Insane at Center Islip, escaped from
that Institution to-day and for one
whole day he lived over again the
former life that eventually landed
him :n the asylum.
He cashed a check and was spend
ing money freely when he was recog
nized by some former acquaintances
who notified the authorities.
NEW YORK, Aug. 16.—Evelyn
Nesbit Thaw, with the accent on the
Thaw, began her second week at
Hammerstein’s Victoria more of a
favorite than when she started.
.She has stopped shying at the name
Thaw, which now is plastered from
the ground to the roof, where It
bAazes forth in electric glory.
2 TRAINS DAILY
Lv.7:12AM,5:10PM.