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TTEARST’R SUNDAY AMERICAN, ATLANTA, C,A., SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 1013.
BRAM TELLS OF 17-YEAR LIVING DEATH llflNGIU TO S
•J*#*l* ^•4- 4 , #4
Sailor-Convict’s Heart Is Not Embittered
■!•••!• +•+ +•+ 4...*. 4...J.
‘I Leave Vengeance to the Almighty,' He Says
FBI FIT TIME
MU. NEBS
Paroled From Federal Prison, He
Declares He Will Devote Life to
Clearing Himself of Charge He
Murdered Three on High Seas.
Seventeen years spent in prison,
seventeen years when his only hope
was that by some kind stroke of
Providence he would not have to die
there, seventeen years when every
second of the time he says he knew
he was receiving the punishment that
another had earned, ail this has been
the lot of Thomas M. C. Bram, re
cently released from the Atlanta
Federal penitentiary and Bram to-day
declares that he has bitterness in
his heart for no man.
The vengeance, which another man
would seek, he declares he is willing
to leave to the Almighty. His only
purpose in life now is to earn an
honorable livelihood and to so conduct
himself that the Attorney General of
the ynited States will see that the
President issues him full pardon, in
stead of the parole he now enjoys,
and restore his civil rights.
He cares little whether the real
criminal in the famous “Herbert
Fuller" mystery is brought to justice.
He cares only that his name be
cleared of the black crime of the
slaying of three persons on the high
seas and endeavoring to fix the blame
on another.
Looks Picture of Health.
Bram is 47 years old. Though he
looks the picture of health, his years
in prison have told on him. The lit
tle hair he has on his head is as
white *u§ snow. His mustache is
white, but the healthy outdoor life
he led until the jail key turned on
him and his life in the Atlanta prison
have served him in good stead.
The tan of the sea sun and the
wind-lashed face of a mariner are
now his. His skin is as ruddy as
that of a healthy baby. His eye is as
bright as that of an ambitious boy.
His broad shoulders are held well
thrown back. His build denotes tre
mendous strength which the prison
could not rob him of.
There is little of the old salt about
him. In appearance he is a well-
dressed, sturdy business man. In
conversation he could be anything
from a banker to a clergyman. He
declares he does not drink, smoke,
nor swear. He is at peace with the
world.
Sees Auto First Time.
Wednesday when he walked out of
the Avails a free man, he entered the
first automobile he had ever seen.
The first money that he had spent
in seventeen years was spent to buy
a bouuuet of flowers for Warden
Moyer if the penitentiary, who has
been his staunch friend in his fight
for freedom.
Six years ago he came to the At
lanta penitentiary from the Massa
chusetts State Prison, where he had
served eight years. He had once been
sentenced to die. He had fought
against death on the gallows, and he
had won this light, even though he
was doomed to spend the rest of his
days behind prison bars.
But life meant opportunity for hifi
to continue his struggle for ultimate
exoneration, and he fought on. ills
first real opportunity came when he
entered the Atlanta prison. Warden
Moyer, ever the friend of the pris
oners, became peculiarly interested in
the case of Bram.
He made a model prisoner. He
boasts of the fact that during his
fourteen years of penal servitude, no
harsh word has been spoken to him.
No mark of bad conduct has been
placed against his name.
Moyer became convinced of this
seaman's innocence. He introduced
Bram to George Freeman and Harry
Perkerson, Peachtree street tailors,
who became interested in his case
and immediately started out to ob
tain his release. At that time the
parole law did not extend to life
prisoners. Only absolute pardon could
free him.
Through the efforts of Bram's new
found friends, Congressman William
Schley Howard of Georgia introduced
a bill and fought it to a passage pro
viding that life prisoners could be pa
roled after fifteen years of servitude.
This opened the way for P.ram’s
parole. Another powerful ally for
him appeared in Colonel Daniel W.
Rountree, Atlanta attorney, who took
up the fight. The prisoner was eligi
ble for parole July 12 and at that
time the papers in his dtse were filed
with the parole board in Washington.
After Vacation Peel
Your Discolored Skin
(From Broadway Weekly.)
Women returning from the seaside
with browned, reddened or freckled com
plexions will be wise in immediately
taking up the mercolized wax treatment.
Weatherbeaten skin had best come off,
for no amount of “beautifying” will ever
make such skin pretty to look at. The
surest, safest, easiest way to shed the
despoiled cuticle is with the treatment
suggested. Put the wax on before re
tiring. as you would cold cream, and
rinse it off next morning with warm wa
ter. Minute particles of scarf skin will
peel off day by day, gradually showing
the healthy, youthful skin beneath. One
ounce of mercolized wax, obtainable at
any drug store, is enough to make any
discolored or spotted complexion clear,
white and satiny soft. Its action is so
gentle no injury is caused and the face
shows no trace of its use.
Bif* 4 ng heat, irritating winds and dirt
are sull wrinkle-makers that the dally
use of tne* following astringent-tonic lo
tion at this season is highly advisable:
Powdered saxolfte, 1 ounce, dissolved in
witch hazel, fe pint. Used as a face
bath this is a splendid wrinkle remover
and preventive.— (Adv.)
First Act Is to Buy, With Part of
Scanty Store, Flowers for Man
Who Aided Him, Warden Moyer.
Anxiously Seeking Employment.
dence was absolutely uncorroborated.
Brown was not Indicted, but I faced
the awful charge of mxrder. Then?
was prejudice against me, I guess. In
Boston. Anyhow, after my indictment
I was speedily brought to trial, de
clared guilty and sentenced to death
My attorney fought gallantly for
me. He obtained a new trial. Again
I faced a Jury and again I heard the
hideous words “guilty as charged,"
but this time the penalty was fixed
at life Imprisonment.
I did not despair. I knew that come
day, as sure as there is a God in
heaven, I would be vindicated, and I
feel that they day Is drawing close at
hand now'.
Has Big Task Before Him.
From the moment I surrendered to
the bark's crew until last Wednesday
I have never known freedom. And
now that I am free I have a big work
before me.
I will not cease working until I have
a full pardon from the President and
my good name and civil rights re
stored.
Why do I want these things? Why
am I not satisfied in this glorious
freedom my friends have obtained for
me? Don’t think for a second I am
not intensely grateful to them; that I
am not enjoying every moment of
this blessed life in the open air.
When I awoke Thursday morning I
thought that I still dreamt. I waited
for that rising gong that I had heard
for six long years in the prison here
and for longer, more bitter years in
the Massachusetts State prison. Then
I realized that I was indeed free and I
actually sang a song of joy and
were turned over to the American
authorities and it was decided that we
be tried in the United States Court in
Boston, from which port we had
cleared.
Sentenced To Be Hanged.
In the preliminary investigation
Brown repeated his accusation
against me, and for some reason he
was believed. Any circumstantial ev
idence they had against me was of the
flimsiest sort, and r . own’s direct evi-
r I 'IIOMAS M. C. BRAM, just paroled from the Atlanta Fed-
eral prison, where he served six of the seventeen years he
has spent in a cell after being sentenced to life for slaying
three persons on the bark Herbert Fuller, July 13, 1896, on
the high seas, of which crime he declares he is innocent, assert
ing further that he will devote his life to clearing his name.
Bram’s Own Story of the
Herbert Fuller Mystery
By THOMAS M. C. BRAM.
I w’us born on the Island of St.
Kitts, a British possession in the Car
ibbean Sea, 47 years ago. Mv father
was a Dutchman, mv mother an Eng
lishwoman. Mv boyhood days being
spent on this out-of-the-way island,
my ambition naturally centered on a
sea career.
First I served before the mast, but
I was an apt sailor and at the age of
24 I was master of my own vessel, a
brig, called the Twilight. Later I was
master of the schooner China.
After attaining my majority I was
naturalized as an American citizen
and made my shore home in New
York, where my family is now.
As an American citizen I shipped in
June of 1896 as first mate of the bark
Herbert Fuller, carrying a cargo of
lumber and a few passengers from
Boston to Rio de le Platte, in South
America. She was a trim ship with
a capable master and crew and I was
well satisfied with my berth.
Tells of Triple Slaying.
On the night of July 18 I took the
deck watch at midnight. In the after
house the captain, his wife, the sec
ond mate and a passenger named
Monks were sleeping. William Brown,
a seaman, was at the wheel.
It Was a fair night with little sea
running and I paced the deck with
no thought that this peaceful calm
was to be broken by as horrible a
crime as was ever committed.
I went into the waist of the ship,
passing among the lumber which was
piled waist high, to see that all was
well.
My first hint of the tragedy came
when I heard what I thought to be
a cry. I rushed back on deck and met
the passenger Monks. He excitedly 1
told me that he had just discovered !
the dead bodies of the captain, his j
wife and a passenger.
With him I ran aft to the cabin and
found out his entire statement was ;
true save that the third dead person
was the second mate.
Three Slain With Ax.
All three had been killed with some |
heavy, sharp weapon. The discovery
of a blood-stained ax proved that this
was the weapon that had been used.
With the death of the Captain and
the second mate, I, as first and only
officer aboard, took immediate com
mand.
I refused to permit the bodies to
be buried at sea, thinking perhaps
that If they were brought into port
they would furnish the police with
some clew to the mystery which was
completely baffling to me.
However, as we had no embalming
Instruments and fluids and no one
aboard knew anything of this art, I
realized that the health of all hands
demanded that they could not be kept
aboard.
The only solution as I could see It
was to make the Jolly boat fast with
a long tow line, place the bodies in
this craft and in this way make the
nearest port.
Accused by the Sailor.
This I did, and with this ghastly
convoy bobbing in our wake, we made
Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the mean
time, however, I had the sailor
Brown placed In irons as a suspect.
I had no particular evidence against
him, except that he was to my knowl
edge the only man awake in the after
part of the bark.
Soon after I did this Brown startled
the entire ship by making u state
ment declaring that, from his post at
the wheel, he had seen me enter the
aft cabin, take the ax and slay the
captain, his wife and the second mate.
He gave no motive. He simply de
clared that I did it. Though I was the
only officer aboard, I promptly sur
rendered to the crew as soon as I heard
the charge, and I was Brown's fellow-
prisoner when we reached port.
We were surrendered to the Cana
dian authorities, but inasmuch as
Brown and myself were both Ameri
can citizens and thi crime had be°n
committed on the high seas in a ves
sel flying the United States flag, we
praise.
But under the parole law I may not
leave the State of Georgia. The Geor
gia people have been gloriously good
to me, but I would like to see my
family, from whom I have been sep
arated for so long. Tney are in New
York and have kept in constant com
munication with me, but that is not
seeing them.
Right now I can’t bring them ^wn
here to m», for I am absolutely with
out money. The $5 note which the
Government gives each released pris
oner was the first money I have seen
since a few months after my incar
ceration.
Must Find Work to Live.
I haven’t needed money here in At.
lanta. The prison authorities gave us'
everything a temperate man wants,
but now that I am out I need money i
desperately. I must find work, find
it right now. I have never done any
thing ashore, but I guess I can le^rn
something. I am strong, earnest and
willing. That ought to be enough.
Under the parole law I have to re
port to Warden Moyer once eacn
month. The warden has been among
my best friends, but it is hard on an
innocent man to have to make an
accounting to somebody like a truant
schoolboy or a prohationed drunkard
In f*«eeking the pardon I h<^|e no
thought of trying to fix the blajaie for
the crime on another. I don’yknow
whether Brown is living <>r d*u<i. ]
don’t even accuse him of committing
the deed.
“Vengeance Is jnine," .^ays the Lord
I am willing that it be His. He is far
wiser, far more Just, far more forgiv
ing than I possibly could be. And 1
know that He will repay me for the
suffering I have undergone, just as
sure as He will punish those who have
made an innocent man suffer.
My only wish is for my name to bj
cleared, so that I can look every man
in the eye and demand the respect of
all men.
BEAUTIFUL BUNGALOW
FOR SALE
This beautiful six-room bungalow for sale by owner.
Lot 50xl32 1 / a - All improvements, excepting cherted
street. All conveniences. Market value $4,200. Will
accept reasonable offer.
R. J. SLEAR, 328 Peachtree St., I. 5717.
Closed Business Houses and Fifty
Picnickers Are All That
Mark Occasion.
For the first time in fifteen years,
Atlanta will celebrate Labor Day
Monday without show or display. In
stead of tramping the hot streets in a
parade, or gathering by the thousands
at a great central meeting, most of
the 6,000 union men in the city will
spend the day quietly at the parks
and in the country.
More than 50 private picnic parties
have been arranged by the various lo
cal unions, at which the men of one
trade will meet and celebrate the day,
and there will also be numerous fam
ily outing parties at the park* and
picnic grounds near Atlanta. Elab
orate speeches will be taboo at these
gatherings, though there will prob
ably be a few impromptu addresses on
labor topics.
The decision of the local labor lead
ers to do away with the parades and
mass meetings of former years is in
line with the action of union men
all over the country, especially in
the West,
Several of the prominent labor
leaders will speak at labor gather
ings at other cities and towns in
Georgia. Among.them is S. B. Marks,
president of the Georgia Federation
of Labor, who will speak at Cedar-
towm. For the first time in fifteen
years, Jerome Jones, editor of The
Journal of Labor and Georgia's most
noted labor leader, will spend the day
quietly, without making any of the
speeches for which he has become fa
mous. Mr. Jones has but recently re
covered from an attack of nervous
exhaustion, and his physicians have
advised against taking part In any
celebration.
Wcant South Pryor
Widened in October
Seventy-five Per Cent of Property
Owners Agree to Waive Their
Damage Claims.
Plans for the widening of South
Pryor otreet from Georgia avenue to
Ridge avenue will be discussed at a
meeting of the South Side Improve
ment Club at the South Pryor street
schoolhouse Thursday night.
A committee will report that 75 per
cent of the owners have agreed to
waive claims for damages in the event
the project goes through.
Mayor Woodward and several
Councilmen have promised to attend,
and some of the County Commission
ers are expected. Efforts will be made
to get the project before the Council
at the October meeting, so that an
appropriation for the improvement
can be put on the October financial
.sheet.
ATLANTA ENGINEERS TO
ATTEND NATIONAL MEET
J. C. Henderson and I* H. Fenn,
members of the Atlanta local of the
Stationary Engineers’ Union, will leave
Thursday for Springfield, Mass., to at
tend the annual meeting of the na
tional association on September 8
Henderson will represent No. 3 and
Fenn No. 2.
There Is No Possible Chance of
Them Being Operated Again
in Atlanta.
Whatever victory the gambling in
terests claim to have won In the
Court of Appeals decision annulling
an old city anti-gaming device law is
a w’holly empty victory, according to
an interpretation placed on the opin
ion by City Attorney James L. May-
son.
There is no possible chnnce of
bringing back the chewing gum slot
machines, which were barred as a
result of a recent campaign by The
Georgian, because of this decision.
When The Georgian began its cam
paign against the machines widen
were robbing deluded patrons of
thousands of dollars, the case that Has
Just been decided was then pending
before the Court of Appeals. Coun
cil passed a new law barring all slot
machines from use in Atlanta. Within
three days after the passage of this
law Chief Beavers had every one of
the crooked slot machines removed
from the near-beer saloons.
City Attorney Mayson’n opinion is
tfiat the Court of Appeals decision
does not affect this Atlanta law. He
says the dicision annuls only such
laws as apply to “gaming devices.’’
The slot machine ordinance does not
mention “gaming devices."
The decision against T. C. Alexan
der, which has Just betjn reversed by
the Court of Appeals, was made under
an anti-gaming device ordinance. Re
corder Broyles held that the shot ma
chines were gaming devices and
should be stopped. Alexander ap
pealed his case and Judge Bell sus
tained Judge Broyles. He then took
it to the Court, of Appeals.
The court holds that the machines
nr* 1 gaming devices, but that their op
eration is covered by State laws, and
that city laws dealing with gamtng
devices are therefore null and void.
However, if there were no city or
dinances touching on the subject,
Chief Beavers, under the court's de
cision, could prosecute anyone who
would venture to operate a gambling
slot machine under authority of the
State law.
Greek Consul’s Aide
Robbed by Negro Girl
Over $1,000 In Jewelry Systematical
ly Removed From Home of
Demetre Vaflades.
Katherine Williams, a negress, 19
years old, was arrested by Detectives
Sturdevant and Chewnlng Saturday
night, charged with stealing $1,000
worth of jewelry from the home of
Demetre Vaflades, No. 606 Highland
avenue, an attache of the Greek Con
sulate, where she is employed as a
cook. More than $150 worth of the
stolen jewelry was found by detec
tives who searched her home at No.
22 Cooks alley.
Mr. Vaflades has been missing val
uable articles from his home for sev
eral weeks, and when he notified the
detective department last w’eek more
than $1,000 worth of diamond rings,
bracelets and other Jewelry had been
stolen. Officers working on the case
suspected the Williams woman, and
she was shadowed constantly, result
ing in her arrest.
Stop That Whooping Cough
WITH THE McFAUL
Whooping Cough Powders
Instant Relief In Use Over 30 Years
For young babies, children or adults. Contains no dangerous or
habit-forming drugs. When given to ohlldren under two years of age
it is almost a specific, rendering the disease so mild that the whoop is
not heard.
Prepared by a physician for physicians and physicians prescribe
and recommend It
By Mail 25 Cents, or at Druggists.
The McFaul Medicine Company
431 Marietta Street Atlanta. Uearrla
NATIONAL
CONSERVATION
EXPOSITION
Sept. 1st to Nov. 1st
Knoxville, Tenn.
- Only 5 l /2 Hours' Ride
VERY LOW RATES
NO CHANGE OF CARS
City Ticket Office, 4 Peachtree Street
Union Passenger Station
‘Ad’ Men Feasted at
’Cue by Louis Magid
Sales Boosters Spend Enjoyable Day
With Their Families at
Tallulah Park.
Members of the Atlanta Ad Men’s I
Club, their relatives and friends ar- j
rived home from Tallulah Park Sat
urday night shortly after 8 o’clock,
tired but hapny. They had spent the
day at a barbecue given in their
honor by Louis B. Magid.
Mr. Magid went to considerable ex
pense and lots of pains to make the
’cue one of the best the Ad Men have
ever attended, and the usual menu
was elaborated until there was
everything the most exacting of epi
cures could desire. Th- trip was made
in a special train, which left Atlanta
Saturday morning at 6:55 o’clock.
MATOR INSISTS
HE'LL HAVE NO
PRIMARY TICKET!
Woodward Denies Rumor That Ha
Is Boosting Certain Candi
dates in Race. »
Rumors of a solid Woodward ticket*,
in the coming primary have no foun
dation, according to Mayor Wood-H
ward, who denies'that he is in anv*
Tax Equalization
Effective iu 1914
Boards of County Assessors To Be
Named After January 1—Books
Open February 1.
State Tax Commissioner John C.
Hart said Saturday afternoon that no
effort will be made this year to put
into effect the workings of the tax
equalization law recentlv passed jy
the Legislature. In 1914, howeve'*,
the work of the State Board of As
sessors and the Tax Commissioner
will actively begin.
The boards of county assessors will
be named in each county as soon as
possible after January 1. The Tax
Receivers, under the new law. will
open their books on February 1 and
close them May 1. Within twenty
days after the books are closed the
county boards will meet to go over
the tax returns, and the digests will
then be forwarded to the State Tax
Commissioner for equalization.
way boosting the candidacy of any-i
one in the race for Alderman or* 1
Councilman In the primary of Sep
tember 30.
“I have advised a number of my
friends in the different wards that!
they ought to get busy and see that
’real men’ are elected to represent]
them; that they should get men who
are honest at heart and who will look,
after the city’s affairs as they should
be looked after,” said the M’ayor.j
'T will do all I can to prevent the*
adoption of the new charter whichrj
certain men are .^tempting to for. o!
upon the city. While I agTee that wo
need a new charter, we should get the*
right kind of a charter while we arH
at it. The one proposed gives th‘»|
Council more power, and the Council!
has too much as It is.
“The charter is not at all like what
the people advocated in their mass
meetings, and I shall work hard to
defeat its adoption. In the next few
days I will make a detailed state
ment showing my reasons for oppos
ing It. But as for my fining up any
group of men on a ticket, such ru
mors are not exactly correct. I wilt
work for the election of any YeaL
men’ who may be nominated, how
ever.**
There Are atLeast 1000 Men
in Atlanta Earning Perhaps
$1500 Per Year
Who can easily make $5,000 or more soliciting life insurance.
If you are an intelligent, high grade man and not satisfied
with your present position, It is your duty to inquire In regard to
our propositions by letter or in person.
Anyone rending this ad who can suggest to me the name of a
man whom he Ixdieves will make a good solicitor will do a serv
ice, and 1 will be glad to investigate.
R. F. SIIEDDEN, Mgr.
The Mutual Life insurance Company of New York
Assets Over $600,000,000.00
Grant Building Atlanta, Georgia
Get Out Your
Fall Garments
<1 Look them over carefully. If
you find any of them soiled or
wrinkled send them to the Trio
Laundry and have them
TRIOCLEANSED.
<1 Don’t Wait until the rush be
gins—-let us have them N-O-W
when we can give them extra
care and attention.
(I We know you will be perfectly
delighted with the result.
^ Ask us about the splendid work
we can do for you on your
Gowns, Suits, Dresses, Etc.
QUICK SERVICE BRANCH
Trio Laundry and Cleaning Co.
213 Peachtree St. Ivy 2469