Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, September 12, 1913, Image 2
1
THK ATLANTA (JLOKU1AN AND NEWS
GODBEEDEFENSE ASKS
DR GIVEN PENALTY LIMIT
Continued from Pag* *•
«lition to the statement of the defend
ant. who «aid that Judge Godbew
threatened her, called her a vile
name, and ehe .shot him first,’’
“Gentlemen of the jury,” he s«ud,
none of you can doubt the truth of
Vfrs. Spader’s testimony, and the de
fendant told this little woman ahe had
hired a negro to kill Judge Godbeo
and his wife and that if he (the ne-
sjro( 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.
.00, must suffer when the Judge and
Elis 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
arming his wife, why didn't she miy
so? She never until yesterday ex
pressed any regret for the deed.”
Anderson concluded for the State
with a strong plea for conviction.
Dixon was the llrst speaker for the
defense. He recited the sufferings
which Mrs. Godbee had endured,
spoke of the threat againat her life
made by Judge Godbee and told the
jury 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.
SJpader that she had hired a negro to
kill Judge (Jodbee and his wife; that
dhe would have to have been a fool
or a crazy woman to have done such
a thing.
He said that the defendant had no
i.tention of killing either Judge God-
bee or his wife when she went to the
post office that morning; that Judge
Godbee called her a vile name there
and had sent her word beforehand
hat he would kill her unless she left
Millen.
The attorney said that Judge God
bee was anxious to alienate his chil
dren from their mother, but they
■duck loyally to her. The defendant
was warned by her daughter “to
watch out for papa as ho may kill
you,” and that was the reason why
jhe was always prepared to protect
herself. On the morning of the shoot-
ng, Judge Godbee, addicted to the
use of morphine, had a desperate
00k, Dixon said, and made a motion
with his hand a* if to draw a pistol
after he had insulted the slayer. The
shooting of Mrs. Florence Godbee
was purely accidental, contended
Dixon, and anyone In the vicinity war
just as likely to have been shot at
hat time as the bride.
In conclusion. Dixon «atd that he
onfldentlv expected a verdict of not
guilty.
Defence Shows Hand.
W. II. Davis, the second speaker for
ihe State, stated at the outset that
e wanted to know the position of
the defense as to the law in the case.
Judge Saffold said the defense was
that the killing of Godbee was Justi
ciable and the shooting of Mrs. Godbee
was an accident.
There are no grades.’* said Judge
Saffold.
Davis said Dixon had jumped on
>nly one witness. Mrs. Spader, “one
<>f the most reluctant witnesses he
.ad ever seen.”
He asked: “Why did he not attack
tire. Daniel, Mrs. Brinson or Mr An
derson’s testimony? Mrs. Hpader did
rot 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
1 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 raae in
which the dollar was so plainly
stamped,” said Davis.
“The only Issue In this < ase,” Davis
continued, “is whether the bullets that
killed Mrs. Florence Godbee were
tired accidentally. What are you
going to do with the evidence of Mrs.
Daniel, of Mrs. Brinson and others,
who said that the last shot was fired
at Mrs. Godbee after she was shot and
while she was struggling to get up
and, when shot the last time, she
sank back down?”
Davis said the rows between Judge
Godbee and the defendant had no
place in this case, but as they had
been discussed and would be dis
cussed lie would have to touch on
touch on them.
"With the defendant admitting that
she did not love Judge Godbee. who
wan probably at fault for the many
rowe." he asked, "are the courts of
this county ho weak that they would
allow Judge Godbee to rob the de
fendant of her property? There are
some silent witnesses in thin 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. Spade! said the de
fendant. in the presence of Mrs. Dr.
Dargeron, 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 Dr. Bar
geror; go on the stajid and deny it?
'Mrs. Spader also sold that the de
fendant had told her she had sent
word to Mrs. Agnea Godbee not to
let the defendant’s grandchild go
riding with Judge and Mrs. Godbee
as Hhe did not want it killed. Why
didn’t Mrs. Agnes Godbee deny it.
She was here in the courtroom.
“Gentlemen,’’ Davis concluded, “the
laws of your State are at stake; the
respect the people hare for court-
houses is at stake; the homes of Jen
kins County are at stake; right. ju«-
tlce and truth are at stake, too.
have never asked for blood. Be us
merciful uh you can on the defend
ant.” „ „
Mr. Dekle, for the defense, was .he
next speaker.
Dekle said that he was proud to
represent thin good woman (referring
to the defendant). The speaker Haiti
that there were no halfway grounds,
that the jury must convict Mrs. God
bee or acquit her.
Cells Killing Justifiable.
Mr Dekle said the killing was Jus
tifiable. in view of the threat* made
by Judge Godbee He said there was
no evidence to refute the defendant's
statements regarding Judge God bee’s
actions at the poatofflee 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 suid.
The speaker said Godbee harassed
the defendant for many years, and
his treatment of his wife was enough
to drive anyone to desperation. He
said the defendant did not say that
Hhe did not love Judge Godbee, but
that she did love him and his bad
treatment of her caused her love to
grow cold and Anally to cease. Dekle
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
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CANDIDATE LISTTRUE6ILLF0UND
Indications Are Against Charter
Reform Victory and Mayor’s
Control of Council.
Continued from Page 1.
. gain for him the support
ing tc
Councilman A. R. Colcord. The rub
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 tippe I
off Mr. Armistead and Mr. Armlstead
paid his fee and announced he was in
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 js
back of him. which gives Mr. Lester
two of his three ward representatives.
According to Councilmanic prece-
sent this should insure his election.
John Mitchell Is Indicted Two
Weeks After Attacking Girl.
Boy Stabber Held.
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 the
other boy’s baud 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 his 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 was the mother
of the indicted boy, who waited In
tile Solicitor's office, while the Grand
Jury was passing upon the case. Court
deputies found themselves shrinking
from the task of breaking thfe sad
news of her boy’s Indictment to her.
Young Woman Breaks Nows.
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, Vada us
ing a knife.
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Court then adjourned
•rnoon.
• Solicitor Moore will be the fir**
speaker after dinner, and Judge Saf
fold will conclude for the defen«e.
'f’he 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 any witnesses, will have tHfe
concluding argument. Judge Saffold
will make the concluding argument
for the defense
Two spectacular features marked
the hearing Thursday. One wan 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
had ulaln Judge Godbee in the Millen
postoffice solely In seif-defense, and
that »he had feared he war about to
carry out his threats to shoot her.
She said that tfhe did not fire until he
stepped toward her, reaching toward
hia hip pocket and calling her an ob
scene name.
Woman Telia 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
Mih. Spader's testimony evidently was
Inspired by a spirit of revenge. The
defendant declared that Mrs. Spader
LEADING WITNESSES,
JURY IN GODBEE CASE
bad 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 ar.d trembling when tiiie took
the stand. 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 robs. She collapsed
i entirely as she c\as led from the wit
ness stand and out of the courtroom.
Says Thug Was Hired,
j She managed to say during the time
she was on the stand that she had
boarded at the Godbee home for rome
time and that she was the chief oper-
I ator at the Millen telephone exchange.
Shu testified’ that Mrs. Godbee. goad
ed into a desperation by the taunts of
her former husband, hud confided in
I 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 inau-
ties»\” 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
stand two hours. Her statement was
I earnestly delivered and created an
I 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 a*» her trump card in her battle
for freedom.
Mrr. Godbee told..the jury that uft-
er her marriage to Judge Godbee in
1887 she has known but few days ot
happiness. She charged that her for
mer husband hud robbeu her and her
brothers and slaters of their father's
estate; had killed her younger broth
er Jake Perkins, and eroaped without
punishment; had choked and slapped
her. arid sTfuck KW with hi-? lls* and
The two women arc Miss M
Daniel, eyewitnesses of the shoot
the jury which will decide the sla
and Barnwell ami Mrs. Warren
ing, and in the center is shown
vers fate.
threatened her with a revolver; that
she had discovered him In thefts of
letters from the postofflce at Perkins,
Ga., where he was postmaster for a
time, and finally, she said, he brought
to Atlanta and installed her in a
house that had 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 1886,”
Mr?. Godbee said, “he left as execu
tors of his state my uncle and cousin.
Mr. Godbee came ta look over my fa
ther's mercantile business and bought
it. He met me and called on me con- |
stantly. In July of 1887 we were
married.
“A *ew months later he began tr> -
ing to get hold of my father’s estate-
and succeeded in gaining control r.f
the plantations. My younger brother.
Jake, hail trouble with Judge Godbee
over the property, and there was con
stant friction between the two.
"My mother died in 1889. Follow
ing her death our married life grew
more unhappy. He insisted upon be
ing made the administrator of my
mother's property, and finally gained
control of it. My brother Jake was
ordered not to put his foot on the
place. Judge Godbee’s treatment be
came almost unbearable. He threat
ened the life of Jake. One day Jake,
who was coming to the pdstoffiee, was
shot and killed by Judge Godbee. In
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
$1,500 and gave'it to him for his de
fence in his trjal for Jake’s murder.”
But the Mason supporters are sure
to develop strong opposition to him
later.
The significance of the whole epi-
sVle 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- I
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. YanDyke,
for whose place they are running, is
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 Ccuncilmen.
As the Councilmanic races are con
fined to individual wards, the Interest
in them is much less. In the First
Ward, J. N Renfroe. with the sup
port of Mayor Woodward, is running
against C. I). 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. Farilnger 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 croud 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 opooel- |
tion. And they all lean to the present
majority in Council.
The election is to be September 80.
The registration books have closed,
and. according to Registrar Andy P
Stewart, there is only about a 60 per I
cent registration
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