The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-04
SUICIDE OF PORTER STOCKS.
LAWYER GLENN TRIES To PROVE
THAT HE WAS MURDERED.

He Intimates That His slayer Was
the Physician at the NIineOIa Camp
and That the Tragedy Was the out
come of a Quarrel over a Game OF
Cards-Stocks' Gold watch stin
Missing.
Atlanta. Ca, Aug 3-The investiga-
don Of the death Of Porter Stocks. the
convict who committed suicide at the
camp Of Penitentiary Company No. ?, at
Mineola. was begun before the governor
to-day. II developed some very interest
ing. not 10 say sensational, facts bearing
upon the treatment Of prisoners in the
Georgia penitenuary.
Stocks. who was sent 10 the peniten-
tiary for fve years for killing Alpheus
Cassin. after having been once sentenced
TO hang. was young man Of sociable
traits and good family. From this fact
he was allowed unusual privileges, being
transferred from the Chattahoochee
Brick Company's works near the city to
the Mineola camp in consequence Of the
trouble he caused at that camp on &C
count of these privileges. When Stocks
killed himself it was alleged that he was
drunk. having enjoyed almost unlimited
privileges of the camp. being practically
a convict in name only. In fact, he did
little or no work and was in the habit
OF leaving the stockade whenever he pleas
ed The day of his death he went %
town without asking leave TO do so, the
man who took him testifying that he did
not consider it necessary to see Capt.
Gary about taking him offs
Gov. Atkinson, who instituted the in
vestigation, presided over the hearing to-
day which was conducted in the executive
office Principal Keeper Turner Of the
penitentiary department examined the
witnesses. Capt Gary. the superinten-
dent of the camp, who is now under sus-
pension. was represented by Attorney w.
4. shubrick. and Capt Stocks. the father
OF the dead man, by Col. W. c. Glenn.
1t is understood that Capt Stocks will
sue the penitentiary company for heavy
damages on behalf Of the dead mans lit
tie child alleging that his death would
not have occurred had the guards done
their duty.
The witnesses examined to-day were
DIT Howell the camp physician, whose
Capt. Gary, the boss of the camp; j. G.
Kendrick, the man who was with Stocks
when he got the liquor the day of the
tragedy and Dan and Carl Wynne, two
guards who We're nearby when the shoot
ing occurred.
From the testimony of all these wit
nesses il appears that Stocks was filling
the position of bookkeeper at the camp
and was allowed to go about the camp
and the country as he pleased. He was
reported for drinking twice before on the
day he killed himself, though Mr.. Ken
drick with whom he had made the trip
10 town to get the mail securing a gallon
of wine at a country house on the way,
testified that he had taken but three
drinks while in his company, and he did
not consider him drunk.
Capt. Gary said Stocks was a "trusty'
and as such he enjoyed privileges. He
had taken dinner several times with Capt.
Gary's family and tho day before he kill
ed himself had gone frog shooting with
him. The captain, however, said Stocks
was guilty of getting drunk but once, the
day of the killing. He found him in that
condition at the Office and made him 20
TO bed. Shortly after he left him Stocks
got up and went TO DR.. Howell, the camp
physician, and finally succeeded in get
ting the doctors pistol, with which he
put the fatal bullet through his breast be-
fore the doctors eyes.
Col. w. c. Glenn, acting for Capt.
Stocks, gave the case a very sensational
turn. He advanced the theory in his ex-
animation of witnesses that Stocks and
DR.. Howell had fallen out over a game of
cards and that Stocks was killed in the
quarrel He undertook to show that Dr.
Howell had drugged Stocks after the
shooting TO prevent him from regaining
consciousness sufficiently to make state
ment Col. Glenn also undertook to DEM
onstrate that Dr. Howell had misused his
medical skill in his treatment of the
wounded convict in order to shield him
self.
DR.. Howell was put upon the stand the
second time in rebuttal of Col. Glenn's
theory. He was considerably agitated at
first over Col. CLIENTS line of inVestiga-
ton, but in spite of his excitement made
q clear statement, substantiating the sui
eide and justifying his course of medical
treatment.
Stocks had a fine gold watch which has
never been found, although he had it just
before he shot himself. This and the fact
that he was undI essed and moved about,
while in such a critical condition. from in
ternal hemorrhage, formed the founda-
tion for the sensational line adopted by
Col Glenn
The investigation was not concluded to-
day, but will be resumed at u o'clock on
Monday.
ATTAETAsS TAnOn xrrT nnV