Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-28
JULIA FORCE TRIAL
Verdict Not Guilty" of the mnro''
Chargsd-The Accnsed Insane
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fBy telegraph 20 the Dlspatch'i
ATLANTA. GA. June 27.-The julia Force mur-
dor case was resumed this morning at o'clock
befofe Judge Richard Clarke.
Tho statoment Of Miss Force was introduced
by solicitor lill for the prosecution nIs as 80,
rnent was written 10y Miss julia. She claimed
that Il embodied true statement OF her ehllro
lifo up TO the time OF tho killing OF her t"o sI'
ters. II was remarkable, IN that u eA'enu''
back 90 six months boiOfe she was pOIh. ,,or
Mcssrs. George and Allie Force were put upor
the stand by the defence and denied the truth Oh
her statements. 49,, ~, .oi,
Miss sarah ColIy testified that Miss Force tolh
her that the statement Was written on the lue7-
day before the killing. -.
IL IA an unusual thing 20 see the family OF huI-
derei persons seated by the murderer or , niui
deress. but such was the case TINS morning WIZ"
the opening argument Was Degun. ,,,
The Solicitor made few remarks ouillnlns
the States case and he was followed by hr. BuI-
ton smith for the defence. MI. smith Iiir q, a
strong appeal TO the jury, aud the euect ol -
was plsinly visible upon the faces OF severn.
Colonel Hafdeman, Of Macon. followed, also loi
tho defence. lie Is a kinsman OF MISS forc.'
and he mHdo an eXceptonaily me % aIk ii =.
Whom he referred 10 the tact Miss Julia torce
had wished her mother ID the ueleuuhh' ""0
affected and sobbed softly.
Aftcrthe dinner recess Judge Clarke charged
the Jury. During the delivery Of his reinsIAs
Miss Force ant immOgnble before the jury WIN
her face bnried IN her hands. In hl4 chntge
Judge Clarke referred TO the enormlly OF tho
crime. and said tho jury should consider the
prior lifs Of the prisoner. lie said the crime was
/ probably without parallel. unless II De III lhe
Borden murder case, n that crime "hs , co,u-
u,fted by Liz2ie Borden. Iho Force mtiIicI
was even more horrible than thas As me Junso
was charging the jury the prisoner brONe To"i', W.,
sobbing convulsively. The jury remained ou'
only few minutes. and at 3 o'clock brought III
n verdict Of not guilty. - -
II will be remembered that Miss Force vas
tried shortly after the murder occurred on i-i =
| md Asrua
sane SoncttOr-Genernl llill held that the pro
cecding was Irregular. ms the case should hsNc
/ gone frat before the criminal courts NheIc III,
prisoner had the privilege OF entering pleh OF
insanity AMI estai fishing 1t 10 tue satisfactory o
/ tho Jury. This has been done. ana about MISS
Forces insanity there seems TO ne niue uon1t
/ She Will be sent NJ once 10 the Sti'e Luha'''
/ Asylum at Miedgeyille.
STORY or THE CRr'iE.
! Miss Julia Force shot and Killed her two s'-
| tors, Florence and Minnie, In Atlanta. Ia.' cd
I ruary %, 1898. The woman Is 3S years ol1 ane
/ her two victims were respectively ~ anu :.
I wears old After com uniting the deed Mics orct
| went calmly TO the police station, where su,
! gave herself no. sAying that spc had klllcd hcl
/ two sisters and needed protection.
/ The news Of the tragedy ciehlel li'euso "a
! citaneuf owing in some measure TO the promi
| nence Of the Force family, two members o
| which. ]. H. and A. W, are successful shO'
| mauufacturers I'm Atlanta The general lmpt"s
| slou was that Miss Force was insane, ana he
crrauc conduct on many previous OCCASION
seemed % furnish good grounds ior such an I'm
pression. The cool manner IN when she CON
| rnitted the crime was also slgniii,ant.
Who the exciteuent was stiil NJ ifs hclSh
tho police found a statement written by Mis-
I Force. in which she gave her reasons LOT com
mittiug the crime IL r. the story OF sehsil'f
/ bot.temDered child. who had grown 10 woman
hood IN the belief that her mother, sisters ah'
| 1rothrrs always slighted her. the climax wa
| reached when her brothers Orderel tue uty'
! goods stores not 20 glye her credit - ~ ls
/ enough abe wrote. 81 nave borne all cfi
hear Nav God avenRc. ana Tor eVory insult
! every mortircatiOn that has been given me near
| n crushing weight Of insult, mOrilncatlOD' hii'
suffering moral ana physical. upon the head
| Of these scoundrcs aud traitors OnamlnH he
/ brothersi. q, my Father, help your mia
1bis crav-haircd woman with tho strong bu
| stern face was brought before jury On fcoi
ary 2Stn. and heart a wilt read, IN when lh
members OF her family expressed their Delc
| that she was insane. DR.. James H. Baird thel
| testified that from an examination on tue pre-
| vious day he WAS sat sied that she had cohihlt
ted the crime whllv under tho nHuchcc ol h'
insane delusion, a. she was undoubtedly oi th
| opinion that her family were her enemies 81
that sac could only escape their persecution .
committing crime
! Mrs Force then testified that ner dauShte
| Julia had not been mentally balanced since pc
| tOber 1G 1892, On which day she had acted yer
| strangely ana altogether Ike Hn insane person
Finally Nr. Albert ". Force tertine1 ihat MS 81
ter's mind was un-onud; that All her grlcIdhcc
! were imaginary. and that for some days bclOt
! tho tragedy he had fully expected t. DO sho
down every time he went home 20 dinner v
! opened the door. lie also pointed ont That on
Of his brothers Was Ia an insane asylum ana tna
hie aunt's mind had been az one time unpAl
| aucsq. Ia resAr1 TO his sisters complaint VA
| sfOrexeepers had bceu instructed not To give ne
| credit, he SAID that ne had given such lnstrhc
| tons, a. he did not conslier his sister resbousl
| hie Tue iury then questioned Miss Force, an
| IN reply she saii that she wa- not insane; INA
! her family had always wronged her, and tha'
| though she had n high temper, she had eve
tired 70 DO rgnt Tho jury declared her Insane
| at which she protested loudly. saying" am no
! insane.' Finally. on March 9th, tho grand iuf
Indicted her for murder.