Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-04-29
Woman and the Death Penalty.

Tho cpss a 1n Nobles, woman
nov in Jail at Mason; Ga, under sen
tence Of death, has excited general in
terest in the Southern States It has
been tried in the court Of Twiggs ooun
tY, Ga, gone to thsss Supreme Court Of
Georgia twice and s. now on its way to
the Supreme Court Of the United
States. The woman Vas convicted OF
murder in July, 1895, and It is supposed
that year or more may elapse before
the sentence Of the court can be exc
cuted if at all. In the nae. ntime there
is strong effort for executive elemency
upon two grounds, first that the con
vict is insane and second that she . a
woman. =
The crime was committed June 21,
1895. The Mobiles were poor family
in Twiggs county, Georgia. The iAtil.
or was paralytic and could do but lit
tie. His wife and daughters, assisted
by = negro family named Families, did
the farm work. The family was high
ly immoral and the paraiytic father
|pletested IL vain a9aiast Nhat nne
going on around him. Becoming
wearied Of the old mans remonstrance,
q family council Was held and it was
determined to kill him. The wife lured
her husband into an outhouse and gave
tho negro ten dollars to murder him.
THE =, ,nr,-<> okvu~k h3.~n aN-n apH <ha
wife followed up his work with blow
of q hatchet. Neither blow produced
death, but the unfortunate man was
rendered insensible. In that condition
he was dragged forth and buried alive
When the body was exhumed. q few
days later, it was evident that the man
had made q fearful struggle under the
soil and had died in extreme agony.
A more brutal, fiendish, heartless deed
than this murder it would be hard to
conceive. A brother Of the dead man,
becoming suspicious, made the search
| and found the body. All the members
OF the family, together with Families
| and his wife. were arrested All made
confessions or statements, each trying
to throw the blameon the other. Three
ware found gpilty, Mrs. Mobiles and
IFambles OF murder in the first degree
and Fambles' wife was sentenced t.
the penitentiary for life. This was IL
July, 1896. The case was carried tt
1.-The Supreme Court of Georgia on bill
Of exceptions. The rulings of the low
er court were affirmed.
Now the case goes to the Fedora
ISupreme Court upon q new question
II which has been raised. After the cas-
had been decided by the Suprem
| Court of Georgia. and aft=r an appea
to the Supreme Court OF the Unite
States from q habeas corpus ruling ha
been withdrawn. the prisoner wa
taken before the Twiggs County Coul
| to be resentenced. Then, before ser
| tence was passed. her counsel fled
suggestion supported by affidavit ths
1.-THE prisoner was insane, and the col
} Itention was that it was the duty {
the court to summon q jury and tr
1.-The question Of insanity. 1t was ful
! ther contended that the inquisitio
summoned by the ordinary and th
!, sheriff was not a judicial proceeding
Motions covering those points wei
| overruled and the case went back t
: the Supreme Court Of Georgia and th
} ruling Of the lower court was affirmed
| Then application was made to the 81
preme Court Of the United States for
e writ of error to decide whether th
0 method Of trial of the question OF II
: sanity afforded by the laws Of Georgi
Q is not denial Of due process with
. the meaning Of the Fed raj constit'
tion.-Balt. Sun.