The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-27
JULIA FORCE on TRIAL,
The Testimony All in and ACQuittal
Expected.

Insanity the Plea Of the Lawyers For
the They Make Out a Strong
Case and the State Fails to Weaken
il Materially-Th Mother and Broth
ers of the Accused in Court.
Atlanta, Ca, June 26.-Miss Julia
Force was put on trial to-day for the muir
der of her two sisters last February.
The family is one of fine connections
and social standing, Miss Force planned
the double murder carefully and after
having committed it walked to police
headquarters and surrendered. She had
kept diary for year DIR more and all
through it appeared her intention of
sometime killing her sisters.
Comparatively little trouble was ex-
perienced in getting jury The pris
oner entered the court room with the
widow of ex-Gov Conley. She is de-
Tended by Smith, Glenn & Smith, Secre-
tary Hoke Smiths law firm and John
Hardeman, a cousin. Secretary Smiths
partners are associate counsel. Solicitor
Charles Hill, represented the State.
Miss Forces mother and two brothers
were in the court sitting near the prose
cutting attorney.
Bishop Kinloch Nelson of the Episcopal
diocese of Georgia was a spectator and
subsequently a witness.
DOCTORS TESTIMONY.
The most important witness called by
the prosecutor and the most interesting
was acquainted with the two sisters who
were killed and with Miss Julia Force.
He was called to the house soon after the
murder and made examinations of the
bodies. He has frequently visited Miss
Force since she was arrested and talked
with her as to the motives and cause of
the crime He testified to his coversa-
tions with the prisoner and said: MY
first interview with her after
the killing was on the following morning
at police headquarters. Nobody was
present but Miss Julia Force and myself.
She told me she had done the shooting,
and gave two accounts of the killing of
Miss Minnie, one, that the shot was fired
Just as Miss Minnie turned her head after
being spoken to by herself, Miss Julia,
and the other that she, Miss Julia, was in
front of Miss Minnie when the shot was
fired, the first account is the one consis-
ten with location of the wound.
HER MOTIVE FOR THE CRIMT
'She had to remove them" she said
''O0 account Oh uuudpplu6SS III uOIuCj UlldJ
her brothers had not treated her. right"
What grievance had she againt her
sistersl"
''She said her brothers had been I'M
kind to her, and she thought her sisters
were the cause of it"
what special unkindness2"
''She talked about it in a general way,
mentioning one grievance specifically.
That affair at the dry goods store"
of her brothers to a merchant not to let
Miss Julia buy anything there on credit,
as she was not responsible.
But what motive had she for murder
ing her sisters?"
''She thought they inspired her
brothers to treat her unkindly
She told me, " continued DR. Olmstoad,
"that she had prayed that it might not
be, but she had to kill them"
why that day2"
We'll, the order given High & Com
pany not to give her any more credit was
to her mind the elimination of a long
series of prosecutions. She thought it
disgraced her.
JULIA ANXIOUS TO BE HUNG.
She said her purpose in killing her sis
tiers was TO be hung for murder and thus
disgrace her family. That was the reason
she did not kill her brother Allie She
mad reserved Tor MIN punishment more
terrible than death-that of having him
see her hung for the murder of her two
sisters. She had fully expected to be
hung, and gloried in the thought that
such death would disgrace her brother
Allie.n
The defense was insanity, and such a
strong case was made out that before the
evidence was half in, acquittal was pre-
dicted. The state was not able to sue
cessfully combat the defense with testi-
mony.
Bishop Nelson testified that from his
conversation with the prisoner he was
satisfied that she was insane.
The state insisted that the insults were
real not decisions, and that she was sane
when she shot her two sisters, Minnie
first, downstairs, and Florence, the in
valid, upstairs.
At O'Clock both sides announced that
they had closed.
The case will be argued and the jury
charged tomorrow,
A verdict of acquittal on the ground of
insanity is expected.