Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, September 12, 1913, Image 2

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I THE ATLANTA UEOKOJAN AND NEWS. GODBEEDEFENSE ASKS OR KIN PENALTY LIMIT Continued from Pago i. ution to the statement of the defend- *nt, who said that Judge God ben threatened her. (.ailed her a vile name, and she shot him find.” “Gentlemen of the Jury,” he said, none of you can doubt the truth of VI rs. Spader's testimony, and the de fendant told this little woman she had hired a negro to kill Judge Godbee and hie wife and that if he (the ne- gro( did not do it, she would. She also told Mrs. Spader that she did not want her grandchild to ride with Judge and Mrs Godbee. as It, ioo, must suffer when the Judge and dig wife were killed. “The defendant expressed no regret after the shooting for killing Mrs. Godbee. If she shot Judge Godbee In self-defense and had no intention of harming his wife, why didn’t Phe «ay so? She never until yesterday ex pressed any regrot for the deed.” Anderson concluded for the State with a strong plea for conviction. Dixon was the first speaJcer for the defense. He recited the sufferings which Mrs. Godbee had endured, poke of the threat against her life made by Judge Godbee and told the lury that the defendant had told a plain, straightforward story to the jury and deserved an Acquittal. Defense Ridicules Plot Story. Dixon ridiculed the idea of Mrs. Godbee, the defendant, telling Mrs. Spader that she had hired a negro to kill Judge Godbee and his wife; that she would have to have been a fool or h crazy woman to here done such n thing. He said that the defendant had no r.tention of killing either Judge God bee or his wife when she went to the postofflce that morning; that Judge Godbee called her a vile name there and hail sent her word beforehand rhat he would kill her unless she left Milieu. The attorney said that Judge God bee whs anxious to alienate his chil dren from their mother, hut they stuck loyally to her. The defendant was warned by her daughter “to watch out for papa as ho may kill you." und that was the reason why -•he was always prepared to protect herself. On the morning of the shout ing, Judge Godbee, addicted to the use of morphine, had a desperate look, Dixon auld. and made a motion with his hand as if to draw a pistol after he had Insulted the slayer. The .-.hooting of Mrs. Florence Godbee was purely accidental, contended Dixon, and anyone in the vicinity was lust as likely to have been shot at hat time as the bride. In conclusion, Dixon wild that he onfldently expected a verdict of not guilty. Defense Shows Hand. VT. H. Davis, the second speaker for liie State, stated at the outset that he wanted to know the position of The defense an to the law in the case. Judge Saffold said the defense wan That the killing of Godbee wus Justi fiable and the shooting of Mrs. Godbee was an accident. “There are no grades,” said Judge Saffold. Davis said Dixon had jumped on only one witness, Mrs Spader, "one , of the most reluctant witnesses he tad ever seen.” He asked: “Why did he not attack Mrs. Daniel, Mrs Brinson or Mr An derson’s testimony? Mrs. Spader did not want to testify against Mrs. God bee. She told what the law com pelled her to tell and no more.” Davis said, referring to the defend ant’s statement, that the court was not trying a divorce suit between Judge Godbee and the defendant and not considering a suit involving prop erty rights. “Why, I have never seen a case in which the dollar was so plainly stamped.” said Davis. “The only issue in this case,” Davis continued, “is whether the bullets that killed Mrs. Florence Godbee were fired accldentallj'. What are you going to do with the evidence of Mrs. Daniel, of Mrs. Brinson and others, who said that the last ahot was fired at Mrs. Godbee after she wap shot and while she wa# struggling to get up and, when shot the last time, she sank back down?” iJavis said the row's between Judge Godbee and the defendant had no place in this oaHo, but as they had been discussed and would be dis cussed he would have to touch on touch on them. “With the defendant admitting that she did not love Judge Godbee. who was probably at fault for the many rows," he usked, “are the courts of this county so weak that they would allow Judge Godbee to rob the de fendant of her property? There are some silent witnesses In thia case —more eloquent In their silence than they could possibly be otherwise Upholds Plot Story. “The defendant’s attorney has ac cused Mrs. Spader of not telling the truth, yet Mrs. Spader Paid the de fendant, In the presence of Mrs. Dr. Bargeron, said she had hired a negro to kill Judge and Mrs. Godbee. and that if he didn’t the would kill them herself. Why didn't Mrs. l>r. Bar geron go on the stand and deny It? •Mrs Spader aleo said that the de fendant had told her she had sent word to Mrs. Agnes Godbee not to let the defendant’s grandchild go riding with Judge and Mrs. Godbee as she did not want it killed. Why didn’t Mrs. Agnes Godbee deny It. She wap here in the courtroom. “Gentlemen,” Davis concluded, “tne laws of your State are at stake; the respect the people havo for court- nou*es is at stake; the homes of Jen kins County are at stake, right. Jus tice and truth are at stake, too. have never asked for blood. Bo us merciful an you can on the defend ant.” 4 , Mr. Dekle. for the defense, was «.ne next speaker. Dekle said that he was proud to represent this good woman (referring to the defendant). The speaker said that there were no halfway grounds, that the jury must convict Mrs. God bee or acquit her. Calls Killing Justifiable. Mr. Dekle said the killing was Jus tifiable. in view of the threats made by Judge Godbee. He said there was no evidence to refute the defendant s statements regarding Judge Godbee s actions at the postofflce on the morn ing of August 18. The speaker de clared that she had a right to kill Godbee to protect her good name if for nothing else. “If It is true that she was suffering from emotional insanity at the time of the shooting, she is still Justified under the law,” he said. The speaker said Godbee harassed the defendant for many years, and his treatment of his w ife was enough to drive anyone to desperation. He said the defendant did not say that she did not love Judge Godbee. but that she did love him and his bad treatment of her caused her love to grow cold and finally to cease. l>eklc said the defendant was being perse cuted and that she was driven to commit the deed. The speaker declared that Godbee showed his heartlessness when he told the defendant she must give up her property or Sarah Godbee. Dekle concluded his address with “Law Brothers tor Quality' Men’s Fall Hats Three famous lines—“Dunlap,” “Stet son” and “Crofut-Knapp.” Complete stock of all the new ones, both soft and stiff, ready for your selection. They’re beauties. Come in to-morrow and see for yourself, values At $3 to $5 New Fall Woolens They’re here in great abundance. You'll enjoy looking through them to-morrow, and it's not a bit too early for that Fall Suit order. Suits and Overcoats At $25 to $50 10 WHITEHALL ST. See Our Window Display ■ the statement that au acquittal expected. Court then adjourned until the emoon. Solicitor Moore will be the first speaker after dinner, and Judge Saf fold will conclude for the defense. The court then will charge the Jury. The jurors should retire to deliberate by 6 p. m. There will be six speeches during the day, and the defense, by not put ting up p.ny witnesses, will have the concluding argument. Judge Saffold will make the concluding argument for the defense. Two spectacular features marked the hearing Thursday. One w'ah the impassioned statement of Mrs. God bee In her own defense and the other the testimony brought forward by the State. Mrs. Godbee, her voice trembling with emotion, told the jurors that she bad slain Judge Godbee in the Millen postofflce solely in self-defense, and that Hhe had feared lie was about to carry out his threats to shoot her. She said that nhe did not fire until he stepped toward her, reaching toward his hip pocket and calling her an ob scene name. Woman Tell® of Alleged Plot, Strongly discrediting this statement of the accused woman was the testi mony of Mrs. Arthur Spader, a tele phone operator, who swore to having overhead Mrs. Godbee confess to the hiring of a thug to assassinate Judge Godbee and his wife three months be fore she did the killing herself, Mrs. Godbee took the stand again to deny the sensational story of the telephone operator. She said that Mrs. Spader's testimony evidently was Inspired by a spirit of revenge. The defendant declared that Mrs. Spader LEADING WITNESSES, JURY IN GODBEE CASE CANDIDATE LISTiTRUEBIIl FOUND had been one of her roomers, and that because of unsavory stories cir culating in regard to her she had been compelled to evict her from the house. This angered Mrs. Spader, she said, and probably was the animus for her Incriminating tale related to the Jury. The story of Mrs. Spader came ne.,r the close of the night session. Judge Hammond deciding on holding court late in order to get the trial through by Friday night. The witness was nervous and trembling when she took the Ntand. She had been asked only a few questions before she was weep ing unrestrainedly. When it came to the cross-examination, the attorneys for the defense found It a difficult task to get a word from her between her hysterical tx>bs. She collapsed entirely as she was led from the wit ness stand and out of the courtroom. Says Thug Was Hired. She managed to say during the time she was on the stand that she had boarded at the Godbee home for some time and that she was the chief oper ator at the Millen telephone exchange. She testified that Mrs. Godbee, goad, ed into a desperation by the taunts of her former husband, had confided in her that she had hired a negro thug to kill both him and his new wife. "She told me that she had endured his persecutions to the point of mad ness’,” said the witness, “and that she was desperate. I did not give much thought to the story at the time, as 1 did not think it peculiar that she should talk in this wild way under the circumstances “ Mrs. Godbee was on the witness etand two hours. Her statement was earnestly delivered and created an impression on the crowds attending the trial. Many of the marital diffi culties of Mrs. Godbee and her former husband were well known here, but she pitilessly bared the intimate de tails of her life, telling of her unhap piness as her trump card in her battle for freedom. Mrr, Godbee told the jury that aft er her marriage to Judge Godbee in 1887 she has known but few days oi happiness. She charged that her for mer husband had robbed her and her brothers and sisters of their father’s estate; had killed her younger broth- er. Jake Perkins, and escaped without punishment; had choked and slapped her, and struck her with his fist and Indications Are Against Charter Reform Victory and Mayor's Control of Council. John Mitchell Is Indicted Two Weeks After Attacking Girl. Boy Stabber Held. Continued from Page 1. ing to gain for him the support of Councilman A. H. Colcord. The nib came when it was found that Mr. Col cord was pledged to Fred Lester. A further complication set in with the intimation from Alderman Spratllng that he was seeking the place. Woodward Out for Lester. Mayor Woodward was bitterly op posed to Mr. Anderson being Aider- man without opposition. He tipped off Mr. Armistead and Mr. Armistead paid his fee and announced he was iu the race to stay. In addition, Mayor Woodward let it be known that he was supporting Fred Lester for Po lice Commission. The natural assump tion is that Mr. Armistead also is back of him, which gives Mr. Lester two of his three ward representatives. According to Councilmanic prece- ent this should insure his election. Record time in a criminal case was made Friday, when an indictment for assault was returned against John T. Mitchell as the man who attacked a 15-year-old girl on the Cascade road, near the old Utoy prison camp, last week. His arrest and indictment presents one of the quickest handled cases on record in Fulton County. Two indictments for murder were returned, one against a 14-year-old boy, Frank W. Barton. He is charged with killing another youth, John Ed gar, on Kennedy street the Fourth of July. The boy is now’ in the cus tody of the Juvenile Court. The kill ing occurred while he was demon strating to another boy the manner in which he handled a person attack ing him. Plunged Knife Into Breast. Throwing up one arm, knocking tin* other boy’s hand up, he plunged a knife into his breast, killing him al most instantly. Evidence in the case showed that after stabbing his play mate, young Barton drew the knife from lfis body, and after wiping the blade on his trousers, shut the knife and placed it In his pocket, then cau tioned another boy not to tell who stabbed Edgar. A pathetic figure w T as the mother of the indicted boy, who waited In the Solicitor’s office, while the Grand Jury was passing upon the case. Court deputies found themselves shrinking from the task of breaking the sad news of her boy’s indictment to her. Young Woman Breaks News. At their solicitation, an attractive young woman connected with the courts informed Mrs. Barton of the Grand Jury's action. The news al most completely prostrated her, while with true mother love she declared her belief in her boy's innocence. The other Indictment for murder was against Vada Wright, a negro woman, for the killing of Bessie Green, also a negro. The killing oc curred several months ago, \ ada us ing a knife. Who says Romance is dead 4 i Read the exclusive feature in The Sunday American how a Southern beauty swam the tor rent to get to the minister before her pursuing father. ftwmAYftcti ddtnsk 'U' mt Amarlc* EISEMAN BROS., Inc. The Best Makes of Clothes for Boys Made by America’s Foremost “Boys’ Cloth ing Specialists’ Specialization is the FEATURE OF THE AGE. It applies to the making of llOY’S’ CLOTHES as well as it does to the professions and the “cults,” and in many in stances with vastly more benefit to human kind. We enjoy showing you OUR lines of BOYS’ and CHILDREN’S CLOTHES, because they bear the unmis takable imprint of “SPECIALIZATION”—the DIRECT and undivided thought in the designing and making of juvenile garments, that are on a parity of perfection with our highest class Men’s wear. These are the sort of BOYS’ CLOTHES we invite you to see. The NEW MOD ELS FOR FALL are here in endless variety of weave, color and style. Boys’ School Suits But the Mason supporters are sure to develop strong opposition to him later. The significance of the whole Epi sode is that there is more interest in the fight for places on the Police Commission than for seats in Council. If the new charter is adopted the whole Commission is abolished and a new one elected. That would assure a merry scramble for all places. Mason Sure of Place. But, as stated in the beginning, the close of the primary entrance list insures a continued sway of the old crowd. If Carlos H. Mason and his supporters want to be re-elected to the Police Commission they will be, without a doubt. The livest race of all is in the Eighth Ward between John S. Owens and W. A. Hancock. This is a cam paign of the personal strength of both men. They are wary of plat forms. Mayor Woodward is support ing Mr. Hancock, but Mr. Hancock declines to make the campaign on the issue of Woodward. Zest is added to the race by a hot fight for Police Commissioner from that ward. Alderman A. H. VanDyke, for whose place they are running, is are now of uppermost interest, and for ‘ 1 snappy” style and GENUINE SERVICE we recommend our BIG VAL UE SPECIAL. Boys’ Norfolk Suits with Two Pairs of Pants a favorite with all the hoys for school wear. They stand the rough-and-tumble rebellion of playground romp- ings. Ages 6 to 18 years. The two women are Miss Maud Barnwell and Mrs. Warren Daniel, eyewitnesses of the shooting, and in the center is shown the jury which will decide the slayer’s fate. threatened her with a revolver: that she had discovered him in thefts of letters from the postofflce at Perkins, Gh.. where he was postmaster for a time, and finally, she said, he brought to Atlanta and installed her in a house that hud once been an immoral resort. Later, she claims, he circu lated reports that she was an immoral woman and keeper of a resort. Tells of Marriage. “When my father died in 18S6,” Mrs. Godbee said, “he left as execu tors of his Mtate my uncle and cousin. Mr. Godbee came to look over my fa ther’s mercantile business and bought it. He met ine and called on me con stantly. In July of 1887 we were married. “A few months later he began try ing to get hold of my father’s estate, ! and succeeded in gaining control «.? 1 the plantations. My younger brother, Jake, had trouble with Judge Godbee over the property, and there was con stant friction between the two. “My mother died in 1889. Follow- i ing her death our married life grew more unhappy. He insisted upon he- j ing made the administrator of my | mother’s property, and finally gained I control of it. My brother Jake was * ordered not to put his foot on thu- j place. Judge Godbee's treatment be- I came almost unbearable. He threat ened the life of Jake. One day Jake, I who was coming to the postofflce, was : shot and killed by Judge Godbee. In I telling of the killing. Judge Godbee said he had done it for my sake. He would not let me go to the funeral or see the body. I managed to obtain 51,500 and gave it to him for his de fense in his trial for Jake’s murder.” out after the place of Police Com missioner Robert Clark. Both are for Mr. Hancock for Alderman. If Mr. Owens is elected neither one of them would be likely to get the place. Less Interest in Councilmen. As the Councilmanic races are con fined to individual wards, the interest in them is much less. In the First Ward, J. X. Renfroe. with the sup port of Mayor Woodward, is running against C. D. Alverson. In the Sec ond Ward, C. D. Knight has no op position. In the Third Ward, R. R. Jackson, with the indorsement of Mayor Woodward, came out at the last minute against Councilman Or ville H. Hall. In the Fourth Ward, R. E. George and A. W. Farlinger have entered what promises to be a very conser vative campaign. Neither of them is strongly aligned with either side, but both lean toward the old crowd in Council. There is no avowed Wood ward candidate in the Fifth Ward, the entrants being Jesse B. Lee and Dr. W. M. Ethridge. And that ward is one of Mayor Woodward’s strong holds. Jesse M. Wood, of the Sixth Ward; S. L. Dallas, of the Seventh Ward; Frank H. Reynolds, of the Eighth Ward; C. W. Smith, of the Ninth Ward, and Claude C. Mason, of the Tenth Ward, all are without opposi tion. And they all lean to the present majority in Council. The election is to be September 30. The registration books have closed, and, according to Registrar Andy P. Stewart, there is only about a 50 per cent registration. Prices $ 5 1 All That’s New ai o $ 15 rid Best in BOYS’ WEAR for Fall and Winter Is Now Ready to Show You The New Hat The New Blot The New Ned The New Ind 5 ises (wear erwear Children’t Departmen t En ti re Second Floor and—the greatest line of School and Dress Shoes for Boys and Children in Atlanta. (Shoe Department—Main Floor, Rear) Eiseman Bros., Inc. 11-13-15-17 Whitehall Street Official Outfitters Boys’ Scouts of America