The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-10-20
4 SENSATIONAL CASE.
TIE WIFE OF 4 GOVERNOR TRIED
FOR FORGERY.

E-On EORS-IlI'
Hez Husband Says the Pros cution was
Actuated by Mslics and hatred, While
the Other Side Says the Opposite.
Some years ago there lived in West
\ irgini& very rich old man who
was quite prominent in politics, at one
time being 2 judge. His name was
Camden and he married in his old age
a young woman for a second wife.
After his second marriage, he did not
live very long, and his young widow
married Governor Atkinson. OF course
i the rich old man left his wife consid-
erabIe money and this is what caused
the whole trouble. It was charged by
a grsnd son OF Camden that his young
wife had committed forgery because
she had signed her husbands name to
several imp 0rtant papers, and the
matter was taken in the courts. After
trial lasting several days the jury
failed to agree, seven declaring the
lady innocent and five declaring her
guilty. On the trial Mrs. Atkinson
ci2:aed that while she did sign her
husbands zane she had full authori-
ty to CO 50 After the trial Governor
Atkinson, Mrs Camden's present hus-
band, wao had hitherto kept still
a2cIt the trial of his wife, made a
St2teG}21t. of which the following are
the priacip.l points:
Il have hitherto said nothing for
for publication in this case, except to
merely state that I know the prosecu-
lion was actuated by malice and
batred. I: is a family quarrel, and
the public knows that they are the
most bitter disputes. have heard
every c"ntence Of the testimony given
in the cast. Independent OF the law,
which, IN my judment, does not class
this case as g probable forgery, and
independent also Of the fact that in my
opinion, it was al error to admit testi.
mony on other matters which cannot
| be directly connected with the crime
set out in the indictment, am clearly
Of the opinion that several witnesses,
and, indeed, all the real testimony
upon which the case hinged, had been
induced to testify for consideration.
81 am led to this conclusion by the
demeanor Of the witnesses while testi-
fying on the witness stand and by the
facts and circumstances connected
with their testimony, coupled with the
further fact that offers were made to
other witnesses or their representa-
tives to pay money to them or be given
lands without the payment OF money
thereafter, provided they would testi-
fy against the defendant, Mrs. Atkin-
son. It is, therefore, evident that
there was an effort being made to
suoorn witnesses, and am thoroughly
convinced that two or more OF them
were absolutely purchased. I cannot
believe that I am mistaken on this
point. The evidence brought out in
this trial also shows that Mrs. Atkin-
son, prior to her marriage to Judge
Camden, received an anonymous let
ter warning her not to marry said
Camden; that at the time the will OF
Judge Camden was about to ba pro-
bated, various other letters were writ
ten to her, threatening newspaper
publication unless a large sum Of
money was paid, and whicn, if paid.
it was promised nothing would be said
or published relative to her. Prior to
her marriage to me, another similar
anonymous letter was sent to her
threatening her with other troubles,
Including newspaper publications,
which would be thrown across her
pathway. The demands made in the
anonymous blackmsiling letters were
not needed to nor complied with, and
the result was that the vilest OF vile
OF publications appeared against her
in newspapers. Both at the time OF
the probate of Judge Camden's will
and also at or about The time Of her
marriage with me, the man who IN
ispired all these publications is well
known to be Camden Sommers, the
grandson OF Judge Camden, the indi-
v;dual upon whose testimony the in
dictment against Mrs. Atkinson was
solely found, and who appeared as the
principal prosecuting witness in this
case. In my honest. unbiased judg-
ment, she is guilty of no crime what
ever, and most certainly the crime OF
aiding and abetting in uttering the
forged papers charged against her IN
the Indictment was in no sense proven
in the trial of this case"
Camden Sommers made this state.
ment for publication:
Il have no comments to make con.
carning the merits Of the case beyond
my former statement regarding the
matter prior to the present trial where.
by unscrupulous publications and wit
nesses fo- the defense tortured, twisted
and lied about me. ] will hereafter
studiously avoid giving them even .
shadow Of an excuse to resort to slnol.
lar tactics when the case again comes
up for hearing.
II have been actuated in this matter
alone By desire to protect the estate
of my grandfather from the merciless
rapes OF conspiring mercenaries, and
to prove to the world that Judge Cam
den, in his declining years, instead OF
losing that sterling sense Of justice
anG love of his children which mad al.
ways characterized the life of this
noble old man, was the pitiful victim
Of misplaced confidence in those by
whom he was surrounded in his old
age, and that his mental integrity,
which he restrained until the last,
compelled resort to demand forged
processes to blscken his fair name
aud steal the birthrightS of his child
ren. think the world now knows
this.
Blind Tiger Keeper l>tlIed.
3 white man named Oliver Brum-