Newspaper Page Text
The Georgia Record.
VOL I.
DEMON SNELL
BEFORE COURT
Former Georgian On Trial For
His Life In Washington.
MURDERED 13=YEAR=OLD GIRL
Crime Was Shockingly Brutal.
Insanity Will Be Plea of
the Defense.
A Washington dispatch says: Ben
jamin H. Snell, of Georgia, was put
on trial Thursday before Justice
Clabaugh for the murder of thirteen
year-old Lizzie Weisenberger on the
morning of August 6th last. The de
fendant appeared haggard and worried
when he entered the courtroom.
When Snell was brought into court
one of the sisters of the little victim
broke down with emotion and the
family loft the courtroom, a few min
utes afterward. They w-ere in the
seats again when caurt convened after
the noon recess.
SNELL’S CRIME.
The crime for which Snell is stand
ing trial was one of the most atrocious
in the history of the district. It was
on Sunday morning, August 6, 1899,
that Snell called ai the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Weisenberger, 740
Nineteenth street, N. E., and asked
for a drink of water.
Just within the door was the bucket,
but this was empty. Old man Weis
enberger said he would go to the
hydrant on the corner of Nineteenth
and G streets, a hundred yards away,
and fill the bucket. He started at
once, little dreaming of the fiendish
purpose of his visitor. When the old
. man was gone Snell entered the house.
He went straight to the sleeping
room of his little victim, drew a razor
from his pocket and on the instant
that she awoke he jerked the keen
blade across her throat. The girl’s
mother made frantic efforts to stop
Snell, but he beat her off. In the
struggle she was slashed several times
with the bloody razor which Snell still
held.
After accomplishing the horrible
deed, the brute attempted to escape,
but was soon captured by officers.
In many respects the crime and the
incidents leading to it are similar to
the Flanagan crime in Georgia. For
the child Snell had what would appear
an ungovernable attachment.
In 1893 Snell lived on the Bladens
burg road with his family, and next
door to them lived the Weisenbergers.
Lisa was then only seven years old,
but Snell took a great fancy to the
child, and finally arranged with her
parents, who had several children and
were not in very good circumstances,
to have the little girl make her home
at Snell’s. Living next door, it was
not hard for the parents to fall into
this arrangement, and when both fam
ilies moved later, Lisa stayed with the
Snells.
Snell’s conduct toward the little
girl caused the parents to take her
away. After this Snell used every en
deavor to have the little girl returned
to him, but her parents were obdu
rate. Snell then became frantic and
determined upon a horrible venge
ance.
Suspicions as to the safety of their
daughter while she remained at Snell’s
first arose with the Weisenbergers
about a year before the crime.
Snell is educated and after becoming
a visitor of many of the low dives of
city moved in high society in Wash
ington. He was regarded as a valua
ble clerk in the pension bureau, .hav
ing gone in in 1890 on a salary of S9OO
and having been steadily advanced to
a $1,600 position. At the time of this
crime he was a special pension exami
ner at a salary of $1,300 while in
Washington, and expenses in addition
while in the field. He is a native of
Vermont, but lived for many years in
Georgia. He was at one time em
ployed in a bank at Montgomery, Ala.
His parents live at Oconee, Ga., and
are among the most respected people
of that section of the state. His
brother, Charles W. Snell, is clerk of
the Superior court at Sandersville,
Ga., and is a prominent citizen.
ATLANTA, GA.. SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1900.
COMMITTEE AT WORK
Gubernatorial Contest Wrangle
Begins In Frankfort.'
IMPOSING ARRAY OF LEGAL TALENT.
Arrangement Is Made For Two Sessions a
Day Until the Matter Is
Disposed </Z
The Kentucky legislative commit
tee, drawn to hear the contests be
tween Goebel and Taylor for the gov
ernorship and Beckham and Marshall
for the lieutenant governorship met at
the Capitol hotel in Frankfort Mon
day and began the hearing of evidence.
Senator Coleman, chairman of the con
test board in the lieutenant governor’s
case, announced that the sittings of
that board would be the same as those
of the committee trying the governor’s
case, but acting separately.
There was an impossiiig array of
legal talent present. The attorneys
occupying seats on the Taylor-Mar
shall side are ex-Governor Bradley,
Judge W. H. Yost, T. L. Edelman and
Colonel W. C. P. Breckenridge. Those
on the Goebel side are Louis Mc-
Quown, Zack Phelps, Aaron Kohn and
James Andrew Scott.
The morning session was taken up
with the filing of papers by the Re
publican attorneys, renewing the mo
tion of Taylor and Marshall that the
committees vacate because of their
alleged illegal drawing by the senate
and house clerks and responding to
the notices of contest served on them
by alleging that the charges made
about. the use of the military were pf
too vague a nature to be substantiated.
The attorneys for Goebel and Beck
ham objected to the filing of such
papers and they were taken under ad
visement.
Chairman Hickman, of the guberna
torial committee, announced that after
a conference of the two committees it
had been agreed that the sessions of
the board should not interfere with
the legislative duties of their mem
bers, and on this account the boards
could only hold afternoon and even
ing sessions. The afternoon sessions
would begin at 2 o’clock and close at 5
o’clock, and the evening sessions
Would begin at 7 o’clock and close at
10 o’clock.
“Owing to the fact that we are to
morrow to entertain a distinguished
citizen from Nebraska and to elect a
United States senator,” said he, “the
only session will be from 9 to 12
o’clock in the morning.”
SOUTHERN PROGRESS.
T..lst of New Industries Established the
Fast Week.
The more important of the new in
dustries reported for the past week
include brick works in Alabama, Ten
nessee and Virginia; a carriage factory
in North Carolina; coal mines in Ken
tucky; cotton mills in Alabama, Geor
gia, North and South Carolina and
Tennessee; a cotton seed oil mill in
Louisiana; in drainage company in
Florida; electric light plant in Geor
gia, Louisiana, South Corolina and
Tennessee; an excelsior factory in Al -
bama; flouring mills in Georgia, North
Carolina and Texas; hardware compa
nies in Mississippi, North Carolina
and Texas; an ice and cold storage
plant in West Virginia; iron ore mines
in Alabama; a knitting mill in North
Carolina, lead and zinc mines in Ken
tucky; lumber mills in Kentucky,
Louisiana, North Corolina, Texas and
West Virginia; naval stores and phos
phate companies in Florida; a planing
mill in Kentucky; a rice mill in Texas;
a stave and heading factory in Geor
gia; telephone systems in Georgia and
North Carolina; tobacco factories in
North Carolina and Virginia; wagon
works in North Carolina; zinc mines
in Arkansas. —Tradesman, (Chatta
nooga, Tenn.)
ATLANTA PARK BILL.
House Committees Consider the Measure
On the 31st of January.
A Washington dispatch says: The
committees in both houses will hear
the Atlanta military park bill on the
31st of January, that date conforming
With requests from citizens of Atlanta
as to their convenience. A large At
lanta delegation is expected in Wash
ington on that date.
SAMPSON’S CLAIM.
Court Will Decide Whether He
Took Part In the Santiago
Naval Fight Gr Not.
“And the attorney general avers that
all the herein above named vessels of
the king of Spain were sunk or de
stroyed on or about July 3, 1898, by
the libellant (Rear Admiral W. T.
Sampson), and the vessels under his
command.”
This is an extract from the answer
just filed by Attorney General Griggs
to the libel filed in the supreme court,
of the District of Columbia by Rear
Admiral Sampson, in his own behalf
aud also in behalf of the officers and
enlisted force of the North Atlantic
station who took part in the Santiago
naval engagement against the Infanta
Maria Teresa and miscellaneous sailors
and supplies captured upon her and
other Spanish war vessels.
It forecasts the purpose of the de
partment of justice to support the
contention that the armored cruiser
New York actually participated in the
battle with Cervera’s fleet, and that
her addition to the force made it supe
rior to the Spanish squadron. It is
expected that the court of claims and
the district supreme court will deter
mine the question of whether the
New York took part in the battle, and
by its decision an end will be put to
the controversy which has been agi
tating the navy and the country since
the battle occurred.
BERRY BANTERS BEVERIDGE.
L.
Calls Indianian To Tank For Remarks
Made In Imperialistic Speech.
In the senate, Monday, Mr. Berry,
of Arkansas, had read-.the resolution
offered by Mr. Baci/t>.7 Georgia, and
also of Mr. Beveri ’le, of Indiana.
Those who desired Ito discuss the
Philippine question, He said, were met
by the objection that tihey were aiding
those who were in alrrns against the
United States and were responsible
for the loss of life among our soldiers.
He regarded this position as absolute
ly unwarranted, and declared that no
man who was a man would be deter
red from speaking by charges that
were absolutely unfounded by facts.
Mr. Berry believed that the two res
olutions which he had had read from
the desk fairly represented the views
of the two great parties in this coun
try. He was certian that the resolu
tion of Mr. Beveridge reflected the
sentiment and feeling of the adminis
tration because it had been favorably
commented upon by the administra
tion speaker and newspapers through
out the country.
The resolution had been endorsed
he said, by the administration leaders,
yet it conferred an authority power
upon this country as absolute as was
possessed by the czar ht Russia.
“What is imperialism,” Mr. Berry
asked, “if it be not the assertion of
such a power as is asserted by the res
olution of Mr. Beveridge?” He de
clared his unalterable opposition to
such a declaration, atad believed the
people of the United States would not
approve so plain a violation of the
constitution.
Mr. Berry referred to that part of
Mr. Beveridge’s speech in which the
Indiana senator had asserted that God
had selected the American people as
His trustees, whose appointed work
was to extend to the Philippines and
the Filipinos the civilization and lib
erty with which the American people
as His chosen children were to en
lighten the world. Mr. Berry did not
admit that the American people were
the trustees of the Lord in the Philip
pine matter. He said that when men
asserted that they were the trustees of
the Lord he wanted some more sub
stantial proof of the assertion than
their own word.
MONDAY’S HOUSE SESSION.
Representative Gale, of Kentucky, Sworn
In—District Business Taken Up.
June W. Gale of Kentucky, who
was elected to succeed the late Evan
B. Settle, appeared at the bar of the
house Monday aud was sworn in.
Mr. Cannon, of Illinois, from the
committee on appropriations, reported
the urgent deficiency appropriation
bill and gave notice that he would call
it up for consideration Tuesday.
Mr. Babcock, chairman of the com
mittee on District of Columbia,claimed
the day for consideration of District
of Columbia business.
PRAISE FOR SCHLEY
Senator Wellington Makes Caustic
Anti-Imperialist Speech.
GIVES WARNING TO THE COUNTRY.
Asserts That Congress Should Declare Its
Intentions Toward the Archipelago
Without Delay.
For an hour Thursday Mr. Welling
ton, Republican, of Maryland, occu
pied the attention of the senate, con
tinuing the debate on the Philippine
question. He took as his text the
resolution he introduced last Tuesday,
declaring that the United States should
not take permanent possession of the
archipelago, but after subduing the
insurrection—which he sincerely de
plored—should confer upon the Phil
ippines the right to govern themselves,
affording them such protection as they
might need.
Mr, Wellington referred to the part
the people of his own state had taken
in the Spanish war, saying:
“On that July morning which, by
its rising sun heralded the destruction
of the Spanish naval power in Santiago
bay, as it illuminated the line of Amer
ican warships advancing to deal death
and destruction to the Spanish fleet,
surrounded by a halo of glory, the
martial figure of a son of Maryland,
Winfield Scott Schley, guided and di
rected the great contest. And though
now it seems to be the policy of a ca
bal of one of the departments of this
administration to rob him of the glory
which justly is his, the verdict of the
American people has been recorded
and he will go down to history as the
true hero of that naval battle.
“A year and a half has passed since
that great battle; and yet there is no
indication that we intend to keep faith
with the Cubans, but there is every
indication that by the power of syndi
cates, cabals and combinations there
is to be continued in Cuba the despot
ism of a military government,in which
the Cubans themselves have no part,
which is beyond the pale of any law
save that of force, and is not recog
nized by our constitution. A very
Pandora’s box of national troubles has
been opened and difficulties and dan
gers are gradually taking form and
surrounding us.
“But the great question that now
confronts us as a result of this war is
the question of the Philippine islands.
It would have been well for us as a
nation if Admiral Dewey could have
retired from the bay of Manila on the
morning after he had destroyed the
Spanish fleet, but he dared not do so.
He had destroyed the Spanish power
and it would not have been proper for
him as a representative of the conquer
ing nation have departed and to have
left anarchy and chaos remain instead
of authority. War finally came be
tween the United States and Filipino
forces, who had been working for the
same end, the destrucfion of Spanish
power.”
After picturing the possibilities of
an indefinitely continued -desultory
war, Mr. Wellington said:
“It is neither fair nor just to attack
the president or the administration
for the conduct of the present war.
When the unfortunate contention be
gan he could not do otherwise than
uphold American authority and stand
by American arms, aud during the
interregnum between the two sessions
of congress it was his duty to continue
this war for the upholding of Ameri
can authorityon the islands. The Amer
ican forces could not be withdrawn,
for their retreat or emba kation would
have marked the begumingof internal
disorder and possibly foreign inter
vention.”
TOBACCO GROWERS MEET.
Agreement Adopted Looking To a Fight
Against Trust.
The North Carolina State Tobacco
Growers’ convention met in Raleigh
Thursday and adopted the following
agreement:
“We agree to enter into a contract
with J. F. Jordan and his associates to
sell to them our tobacco raised during
the next five years at an advance of
not less than 15 per cent over the
prices of the same grade of tobacco
during the last five years, the said
price to be fixed by a commission, a
majority of whom shall represent the
seller,”
NO. 30
NO CHANCE
FOR ROBERTS
Committee Denies Utah Man’s
Right to a Seat.
THE DECISION VERY EMPHATIC
Two Members Favor Seating Him
and Then Having Him
Expelled.
A Washington dispatch says: The
committee of the house of representa
tives to investigate the case of Brig
ham H. Roberts, of Utah, reached a
a final conclusion at Wednesday’s ses
sion. On the polygamous status of
Mr. Roberts the committee was unani
mous and agreed upon a formal state
ment of facts. On the question of
procedure to be adopted the commit
tee was divided.
The majority, consisting of all the
members except Littlefield of Maine,
and DeArmond, of Missouri, favored
the exclusion at the outset. Messrs.
Littlefield, Republican, aud DeAY
mond, Democrat, will make a minority
report favorable to seating Roberts on
his prima facie rights and then expell
ing him. The majority were Tayler,
Frear, Morris and McPherson, Repub
licans; Lanham and Miers, Demo
crats. The statement of facts found
by the committee is as follows:
“We find that B. H. Roberts was
el“'*ted a WpreseDtative to the fifty
sixth congress from the state of Utah
and was at the date of his election
above the age of twenty-five years;
that he has been for more than seven
years a naturalized citizen of the
United States and was an inhabitant
of the state of Utah.
“We further find that about 1878 he
married Louisa Smith, his first and
lawful wife, with whom he has ever
since lived as such and who, since
their marriage, has borne him six
children.
“That since 1885 he married as his
plural wife Celia Dibble, with whom
he has ever since lived as such who,
since such marriage, has borne him
six children, of whom the last were
twins, born August 11, 1897.
“That some years after his said
marriage to Celia Dibble he contracted
another plural marriage with Margaret
C. Saipp.with whom he has ever since
lived in the habit and repute of mar
riage. Your committee is unable to fix
the exact date of this marriage. It does
not appear that he held her out as his
wife before January, 1897, or that be
fore that date she held him out as her
husband, or that before that date they
were reputed to be husband and wife.
“That these facts were generally
known in Utah, publicly charged
against him during his campaign for
election and were not denied by him.
“That the testimony bearing on
these facts was taken in the presence
of Mr. Roberts and that he fully cross
examined the witnesses, but declined
to place himself on the witness stand.”
FOR. A GREATER SYSTEM.
Directors of Raleigh and Gaston
Provide For Merging of
Other Lines.
Great progress was made at Raleigh,
N. C., Wednesday toward the consum
mation of the plans of the greater
Seaboard Air-Line system.
Meetings were held of the directors
and stockholders of the Raleigh and
Gaston railroad, and resolutions were
adopted providing for the immediate
merging with the Raleigh and Gaston
Railroad Company of the Baleigh aud
Augusta Air-Line, of the Durham and
Northern railroad, the Carolina Cen
tral railroad, the Georgia, Carolina
and Northern railway, the Palmetto
railroad and the Chesterfield and Ker
shaw railroad.
Arrangements were also made for
the issuance of $5,000,000 first mort
gage bonds upon the Raleigh and Gas
ton railroad properties, including its
ownership in other lines.
Under the plan adopted all the phys
ical properties of the above mentioned
railroad companies will be forthwith
acquired by the Raleigh and Gaston.