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

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

2 TTTF ATLANTA CFOnOTAN AND NEWS. O00>O0CA0O0O0OOOO0 0OOOOCh?OOOOOOOOOO'>'>Ki OO0OOOOO<X>OO0OO0OOOO0OO0OOlSKC8?tt COUNTING UP Copyright, 1JM3, Intern»Ui>ujU N«wa Servi « Declares She Shot Husband Be cause She Thought That He Was Reaching for Gun, Continued from Page 1. kill Judge Godbee and his wife: tha> ! she would have to have been a fool j or a crazy woman to have done such I a thing. He said thal the defendant had no I intention of killing either Judge God- bee or his wife when she went to the postoffice that morning; that Judge* Godbee called her a vile name there and had sent her word beforehand that he would kill her unless she left Mlllen. The attorney said that Judge God- bee was anxious to alienate hie chil dren from their mother, but they *tuck loyally to her. The defendant was warned by her daughter “to watch out for papa as he may kill you," and that was the reason why she was always prepared to protect herself. On the morning of the shoot ing, Judge Godbee, addicted to the use of morphine, had a desperate look, Dixon said, and made a motion with his hand as if to draw a pistol after he had insulted the slayer. The shooting of Mrs. Florence Godbee was purely accidental, contended IMxon, and anyone in the vicinity was Just as likely to have been shot at that time as the bride. In conclusion, Dixon said that he confidently expected a verdict of not guilty. There will be six speeches during the day. and the defense, by not put ting up any* witnesses, will have the concluding argument Judge Saffold will make the concluding argument for the defense. Two spectacular features marked the hearing Thursday. One was 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 slain Judge Godbee In the Millen postoffice solely In self-defense, and that she had feared he was about to carry out his threats to shoot her. She said that she did not Are until he stepped toward her, reaching toward his hip pocket and calling her on 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 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 w as the animus for her Incriminating tale related to the jury. Thp story of Mrs. Spader came near the close of the nttrht session. Judge Hammond deciding on holding court late In order to get the trial through by FYlday night. The witness was nervous and trembling when she took the stand. She had been asked only a lew questions before she was weep ing unrestrainedly. When It came to the cross-examination, the attorneys for the defense found It a difficult iask to get a word from her between her hysterical sobs. Rhe collapsed entirely as she was led from the wit ness fctanri 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 Mlllen 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 stand 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. Mr?. Godbee told the jury that aft er her marriage to Judge Godbee in 1887 she has known but few days ot happiness. She charged that her for mer husband had robbed her and her brothers and sisters of their father'd •Lite; had killed her younger broth- Jake Perkins and escaped without punishment; had choked and slapped her. and struck her with his fist, and f ^oo'p HouseV I BILL J ■Hi IS DELAYED IT No .^tooc8>c*»x0&a0ooacKMCK}00mo0Cb*50a»0»of8sx>o0OTrc^ re\ letters from the postoffice at Perkins, Gn , 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. I^ater, 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,” Mrs Godbee said, "he left as execu tors of his state my uncle and cousin. Mr. Godbee came to 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 few months later he began try ing to get hold of my father’s estate, and succeeded In gaining control r.f 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 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 th^ place. Judge God bee’s treatment be came almost unbearable.* He threat ened the life of Jake. One day Jake, who was coming to the postoffice, was shot and killed by Judge Godbee. In telling of the killing. Judge Godbee said he had done it for my sake. Ho would not let me go to the funeral or see the body. I managed to obtain SI,500 and gave It to him for his de fense in his trial for Jake’s murder " Mrs. Godbee told the jury that shortly after the killing of her young er brother Judge Godbee took $2,000 of her money and bought a hotel In Mlllen. where they lived a year. Sh* said they separated during that time because Judge Godbee started a scan dal to obtain possession of the hotel property. It was settled by Mrs. God bee signing a deed of the property turning It over to her husband. Worked as Housekeeper. She told of their reconciliation a few months later, at the request of her husband's relatives, and declared that she was forced to work in the hotel at housekeeper’s wages of $10 a month. One morning. Mrs. Godbee said, sh » awoke to find her husband bending over her with a revolver in his hand. Shortly after this they separated and d for three years. Be- •nclled, she said he to Atlanta and estao- % r m a house at No. 398 Pled- euue, which sb said had .. ►utativ.n. She charged that Atlanta he failed to property for liar. farcing her to run the household on less than $4.50 a week. Some time later they returned to Millen. where, she says. Judge God bee became addicted to morphine. She then divorced him and asserted that he continued to annoy her and circu late reports about her character. After Judge Godbee and his bride came uj Millen Mrs. Godbee said she got nitio anonymous letters threatening her life unless she left the town. Mrs. Godbee told the jury that even after Judge Godbee camo to Millen with his new wife he annoyed her and persecuted he" She said she shot he: former husband because he called her a vile name as she came out of th<8 postoffice only a day after he had told his daughter. Sarah Godbee, that her mother w as onlv a common w-oman of the streets. The trial of Mrs, Godbee aroused the public to a higher pitch of ex citement than any other case in years. The courtroom was crowded to its capacity as she was making her impressive statement, and when court reconvened in the evening the scene was duplicated. A pathetic figure at the trial was that of the slain girl's mother, Mrs. M. B. Boyer, of Williamsport, Pa. She burst Into tears during one part of Mrs. Godbee’s recital, and could not be comforted. Many women were in the courtroom throughout the day. In fact, they exceeded the men in num* ber. A dramatic story of the shooting was told by Miss Maude Barnwell, the young assistant at the postoffice, who whs present and a witness of th« tragedy. She testified that Mrs. God bee fired the last shot into the body of Judge Godbee’s bride. An effort was made to shake her testimony to bear out the statement of the defendant that the killing ot the young woman was accidental and occurred merely because she got In the range of the bullets that were In tended for her former husband. Miss Barnwell insisted, however, that the infuriated woman not only fired the first shot into the body of the young Mrs. Godbee, but that, after both her victims had fallen to the floor, she had reached over the body of Judge Godbee and sent an other bullet into the body of her younger rival. Continued from Page 1, liberty was based on the fact that he Is charged with being a fugitive from Justice, whereas it is not clear in the minds of the legal authorities wheth er Thaw is guilty of committing a crime. Shortly after rising this morning and before going to the barber shop to be shaved Thaw issued a formal statement summing up his case and lamenting the fact that New York State was spending so much money on him. The statement follows: Thaw's Statoment in Full. I think the people of my own State would like to know by w’hat warrant of law or common sense the money of the people of the State of New York is being squandered like water by many more thousands of dollars than are available to me in these per sistent and unscrupulous efforts to return me to Matteawan. If I am sane, then certainly I don’t belong to Matteawan: If I were insane, then the laws of New’ York State itself make it compuusory that I be deported from New* York State to my home State, Pennsylvania. The statutes of New York re quire that insane persons from another State who are sent to Matteawan or to any other New York public asylum, not charged with crime, and I, as an acquitted mand, stand exactly in this class, shall be reported to the State Board of Deportation and promptly sent out of the State back to the State of their resi dence. The New York law is so anx ious to get rid of alleged insane persons from another State that it provides that doctors and nurses, if needed, be supplied to get rid of them. The United State? courts have adjudicated me a resident of Pittsburg and reaffirmed this fact within three months. Why does ai.y New York offi- FORSYTH WORLD’S GREATEST TURKEY TROTTERS, Frank Inez HALE and PATTERSON LYDIABARRY stn E comeouIThes Delmore and Lee; Doris Wilson and Company, and others. LYRIC Mats. Tuesday. Thursday, Saturday The Season’s Greatest Play THE CALL OF I HE HEART A Great Stage Production. Matinee Prices. 15c, 35c. Night Prices, 15c, 50c. NEXT LYRIC MATINEES—TUES., WEEK THURS., SAT. ARTHUR C. AISTON PRESENTS ESTHA WILLIAMS In Owen Devi,’ Startling Play “A MAN’S GAME” Duke of Manchester Is Sued as Bankrupt Special Cable to Tne Atlanta Georgian. LONDON, Sept. 12.—The Duke ot Manchester, husband of Helena Zim merman, of Cincinnati, is hopelessly in the toils of the money lenders. A petition in bankruptcy, filed by one of them, will be heard In the Bank ruptcy Court. The Duke owns 70.000 acres and a magnificent gallery of old masters, but these are either entailed or heav ily mortgaged. cial squander New' York money to return me? Evelyn Ready to Aid Thaw Get Freedom. NEW YORK, Sept. 12.—“There are many ways in which I could help Harry, just as I have done before. Some day he will realize that and come to me asking my help." The above statement was made to day by Evelyn Nesbit Thaw’ after she was asked what she would do if the attorneys for Harry Thaw should call her to appear as a witness for him in his efforts to obtain his free dom. “There is nothing in all this world that I would not do to help Harry if he would come to me and make the request,’" continued Mrs. Thaw. “Harry realizes that I could help him greatly. But 1 will never give him assistance until he sends for me as his wife. There are a hundred ways in which Harry could communicate with me. I realize that he can not come to me. But he doesn’t com municate w’ith me; he depends upon his high-priced lawyers. I will not discuss the way in which I could help him. He knows.” Asked whether she would promise the authorities that she woul«i live with Thaw’ as his wife if he were given his liberty, Mrs. Thaw refused to answer. She also refused to an swer the question as to whether, in case Thaw regained his liberty, she would go with him to Europe. The ATLANTA TO WIGHT. SAT. MAT. & NIGHT The Merry Countess Thursday’s Montgomery Ad vertiser says: “Presented by a cast of principals who were ca pable in every respect and mounted in lavish and gorgeous manner. ‘The Merry Countess turned out to be a glittering and surprising concoction of startling novelties; whirling. twirling dances; and refreshing and origi nal comedy. Every principal was able and some far above the av erage ability evinced by leading characters in road shows.’’ Wednesday’s Macon Telegraph says: “‘The Merry Countess’ is a notable offering. It is doubtful if we will have as pretty music, nor as well sung, this winter. We have not had many in the past.” Other critics say the same; so you are taking no chances with this show'. Night 25c to $1.50; Mat. 25c to $1. ORCHESTRA OF 15 jC pstrang* her Graham Crackers baked by the National Biscuit Company have a flavor and zest all their own. You will relish them. They will nourish you. NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY GRAHAM CRACKERS Made from the finest materials and perfectly baked, they come to you fresh, crisp and clean — in the mois ture-proof package. Eat them at meals and between. Give them to the children without stint. Always look for the In-er-se&l Trade Mark. 10c 1 “Correct Dress for Men” SELECT YOUR FALL HAT NOW and be sure it has the “Essig” label on the inside. It carries with it all that pertains to Hat Style, correctness in shape, | color and price. Soft Hats and Derbies Essig Special, $3.00 Knox Hats - $5.00 Stetsons--All Styles $3.50 to $5.00 Silk and Opera Hats $6.00 to $8.00 Essig Bros. Co. . , “Correct Dress for Men ’’ 26 Whitehall St. The Tale of A Gold Plated People is stranger than that of the fabled El Dorado. It deals with a wonderful vanished race whose ruins have been discovered in South America by Pro fessor Saville, the distinguished arch aeologist of Columbia University, and will be told in NEXT SUNDAY’S AMERICAN This alluring discussion, combined with the regular features—sporting, cable, financial, theatrical, society and news of the modern world in general— will go to make up an EIGHTEEN CARAT NEWSPAPER which can not be duplicated at any price. And it is delivered at every door in Dixie for five cents. There are dozens of features in it that are each worth twice the money. There’s a striking color page concerning The Most Forgetful Beauty in Europe and a fashion article by Lady Duff Gordon on Autumn Oddities From Paris Moreover Madame Lina Cavalieri will answer beauty questions; so what more could a woman want. The wise reader orders early from the dealer or by phoning Main 100.