The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-12
SHAKEN BY THE STATES
CROSS-EXAMINATI
WAS THREE TIMES MARRIED.
SOMETHING OF THE ROMANTIC
CAREER OF THE WOMAN
ON TRIAL.
SHE is RICH IN HER OWN RIGHT.
In Case of Conviction the Pardon.
ing Power Is in the Hands of
Her Husband.


trial of Mrs. Gov. Atkinson was re-
sumed here today On cross-examina-
ton the witnesses who testified for the
defense Saturday night Jared badly at
the hands of Attorney Dim, for the
prosecution. Facts were brought out
which seemed to weaken the testi-
mony in chief. Up until 2 o'clock this
afternoon the time was devoted to the
examination of witnesses to prove that
Owens, cO-defendant of Mrs. Atkinson,
was at the time of his alleged purchase
of land from Judge Camden financially
able to pay for the same. The alleged
forged receipts show a payment for
something like 1,400. Two witnesses
were produced today by the defense
who testified to having seen Owens
with 5000 about two years prior to the
date of the first receipt. A majority
of witnesses upon cross examination
stated that Owens is a man of limit
ed means.
Owens himself took the stand this
afternoon. In his testimony in chief
he stated that he had in 1879 been en-
ployed by Judge Camden as agent in
the sale of land, that he made a bona
CdnlQSn,
and that the receipts for the purchase
money which the prosecution claims
that Mrs. Atkinson forged are genuine
bear true date and were written at the
dictation of Judge Camden and given
to defendant for purchase money &C
tually paid in cash and labor. The
cross-eXamination of Owens is in prog
ress. The state claims that there are
flaws in Ovens statement which they
Will be able to show to the jury.
A person convicted of the crime
charged against Mrs. Atkinson NAV be
sent to Jail for five years. When the
sentence is imposed and confirmed by
the highest court to which an appeal
may be taken, there is only one power
that can save the prisoner from jail
mat is the power of the governor If
Mrs. Atkinson shall be convicted it will
lie with her husband to say whether
she shall go to jail or not
The specific acts charged against Mrs.
Atkinson are the forgery of the name
Of the late Judge G. D. Camden to two
receipts given to J. P. Owens and mem
oranda concerning the sale of land to
Owens by Judge Camden. Fhe receipts
were signed &c. D. Camden, for Mrs.
G. D. Camden" and the defense is that
.
Camden, now Mrs. Atkinson, was au-
thoriZcG to sign the papers,
REMARKABLE WOMAN.
Even before her Indictment Mrs. Al
hinsOn was the most remarkable wom-
an in West Virginia. The governor is
her third husband. AS a poor and OBJ
scure girl she married in 1875 DR.. Ed
ward Davis, a man of prominent fam
lily. He drank I've for whisky one dark
night and died. In 1888 the widow mar
ried Judge Gideon Draper Camden, the
most prominent member of the famous
Camden family, that numbers senators,
governors and millionaires in it's list
of nOtables. She was then thirty-eight,
handsome, Vivacious, and lively-just
the sort OF woman to attract a mil
liOnaire WidOWer of seventy-five, and
that he was attracted and that the
widow was not without business sense
are proved by a marriage contract that
gave her 100000 for marrying him and
caring for him in his old age and also
by the will that gave her all of his
estate except a few $500 legacies to his
children and grandchildren.
A formal protest against the probat-
ing of the will was filed by Martha NJ.
Sommers, Dora E. Ramsburg, daugh-
terS of the deceased, and other rela-
tives. This protest was filed by their
attorney, Nathan Golf, now judge of
the United States circuit court After
q hearing the court ordered that the
instrument in question should be re-
corded ''as the true last will and tesla
ment of G. d. Camden, deceased sub
sequent litigation resulted in a COM
promise whereby the widow was to re-
ceive sos, 600
When the children of the judge re-
of taL
discovered there had been considerable
waste in the outlying lands. One JOS
hua P. Owens, OF Gilmer county, they
discovered, had stripped the timber
from valuable tract and sold it to
Scott Withers. The Camden heirs be-
gan suit against Withers for the money
and against Owens for trespass
In answer Owens filed four receipts
for money in the handwriting of Myra
Fl. Camden, aggregating about 81 800.
in full payment of 213 acres, the land
On which he had cut timber The four
receipts bore the respective dates 1889,
1854, 1885 1856, but a careful examina-
ton Of the late Judge Camden's papers
disclosed no memorandum of such sales,
nor did his bank books indicate the re-
ceipt of any such sums of money. An
expert examination of the receipts filed
by Owens disclosed, it is claimed that
ChSE pul po- leu ~ ne Written
at different times, embracing a period
of four years, two of them had in real
ity been written on two pieces of the
same sheet of paper and at the same
time.
Judge Camden's children and grand
children then laid the matter before the
grand jury and the indictment of Mrs.
Atkinson followed. The trial began
just a week ago, and the most intense
interest has centered in it. The testi-
mcny for the prosecution has been
stfong.
Mrs. Atkinson has been cheerful dur
ing the trial. She seems to be sure Of
her acquittal, and calmly bids her
friends to wait for her side of the case
before passing individual judgment