The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-15
s,.,Inl pInrnteh to the InteIIIgeneer.

GLENVILLE. W. Va, Oct. H.-Late
last night Governor Atkinson prepared
and gave out the following statement
regarding the history of the forgery
charge against Mne. Atkinson, and rela-
tive TO the trial which ended yesterday
with the disagreement OF the jury:
81 have hitherto said nothing for pub
lIcatlon In regard to this case except to
merely state that l knew the prosecution
was actuated by malice and hatred. Ii
is family quarrel and the public knows
that they are the worst OF disputes. 1
have heard every sentence OF the tesH-
mony given IN the case. Independent OF
ihe law, which in my judgment does not
class this case as probable forgery.
and iudependent also OF the fact that la
my opinion It was error to admit testl-
mony in other matters which cannot be
directly connected with the alleged crime
Get out In the Indictment, am clearly of
the opinion that several witnesses, and
indeed ait OF the real testimony upon
which the case hinges. had been induced
10 testify for consideration. am led
10 this conclusion by the demeanor Of the
i witnesses while testifylng on the witness
stand and by the facts and circum'
stances connected with their testimony,
coupled with the further fact that offers
were made to other witnesses or thel;l
representatives, to pay money to them
or be given lands without the payment
Of money therefor, provided they would
| testify against the defendant, Mrs. At
klnson. cannot believe that am mis-
taken on this point. have had consld-
cradle experience In connection with
courts and the trial OF cases and be-
liaye that | can tell from the demeanor
Of witnesses and the manner of their
conduct while tesufying, whether they
are telling the truth or falsehood.
Il want to say further, and II seems
90 NE that It was brought out by the tes-
tln0ny elected in this case, that all fair
nInded people could see clearly that
Camden Sommers, grandson Of the late
Judge G. ID. Camden, was the instlgator
Of the procedure.
THE evidence brought out in this trial
also shows that Mrs Atkinson, prior to
her marriage with Judge Camden, re-
ceiyed an anonymous letter warning her
not TO marry said Camden: that at the
time the will OF Judge Camden was about
to be probated various other letters were
written to her threatening newspaper
publication unless large sum OF money
was paid and whlch.lf paid, 1t was prom
ised nothing would DO said or published
relative to her; that prior to her mar
rage with me another similar anony-
nous letter was sent to her threatening
her with other troubles, including news
pape r publications which would be
thrown across her pathway.
THE demands made In these anony-
nous letters were not acceded TO or COM
piled with and the result was that pub
llca,Ions against her appeared In news
papers both ut or about the time Of the
probate Of Judge Camden's Will and also
at or about the time OF her marriage with
me. Camden Sommers, the aforesaid
grandson OF Judge Camden, the man
upon whose testimony the Indictment
against Mrs. Atkinson was solely found.
appeared as the principal prosecuting
witness In this case. II viii doubtless
b. borne in mind that Sommers contend
ed through the public press that he had
nothing TO do with the Indictment OF
my wife.
In my honest, unbiased judgment she
Is guilty Of no crime whatever and most
certainly the crime Of aiding and abet-
ting or utterlnE the forged papers
charged against her In the indictment |
was In no sense proven In the trial of this |
case. The evidence ELECTED In this trial |
showed that II was proposed 10 the |
attorneys Of Joshua Owens. who was In
dlctad with my wife, that II he would |
te'tfy against Mrs. Atkinson that moth |
Ing would be done with Owens, and that |
he would not have to pay for his land, |
which they claimed had not been paid |
for Two reputable lawyers Of Glenyllle !
srlamnly swore to this on the witness |
stand in the trial OF this case.
Another witness, Mrs. House. whom |
everybody could see told the truth, and |
who sustained proper demeanor while |
tsstliylng. stated that she was told by |
camden Sommers and other hclrB OF |
Judge Camden that they would lend her |
The money to pay the balance she owed |
upon her land and they would not re-
qllFn her 10 refund II ~ che would join IN |
The persecution. These are the only In
stances that we were able to develop Of
'n.5 character In the present trial.
II was evident that two or three wilt
n.sSos testified because they had ad- |
mli'n1 themselves that they owed large |
balances on their lands N the Camden
,'lte: that the same proposition had
h'n made 10 them that was made Ia
VWns attorneys and 10 Mrs. House.
one NJ these witnesses stated that Mrs.
Atkinson had written a statement, |
winch he testified 10 and which was nt.
lmN'nl 10 be presented NJ fraud md
OTTER writing ana handing him the paper |
NI|N D. lea, 4 Itu ~ la ffItf
wrote II shc would swear positively that |
y W4G fsise. This l8 false aH is face,
because she has an established hand
write and her writing h wcll known 10
pun 100 and hundreds OF people who
nave had dealings with the Camden cH-
tate
Other testimony n equally unrrh son.
0hI. such n4 the claim that the two sets
.. Ipl7 given 10 owens and 10 Wnei'
I'l Hy my wife were written upon the
.0In' sheets NJ paper ana cut apart
l0' e4H be accounted Ter BY ne faei
lNll The prosecuting wltnCE1 had every |
10 cit thogsc receipts and III
, .m together a7 n they had been made
I.I "a fraudulent purpose,
Another reason I VIII nsslRn n lhnt II
q I.A 4Hii RGHAiHg iH he circuit cpHri ~
.I.' county putting IN question The Eonu'
lH.Hnw NJ the Identical papers upon
WllUh thlH indictment was found. md
NU.l were relied upon by the state IN iiH
IrH..uIUn, Tho suit had bopnl pend
lYr HDFH than year She held ~
lNI' Tine the decd for nll the property 4
n.I No. most, IN any case was breach 7
Another evidence OF the rplrlt of The