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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.