The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-15
BOTH SIDES ARR HEARD
WHAT GOVERNOR ATKINSON SAYS ABOUT
HIS WlFE'S TRIAL.
He Claims the Prosecution Was Actuated b,
e--But Camden Somers Tells &,
Very Different Story. As


Glenville, w. Va, Oct. 14.-Gov At
kinson who has hitherto kept still about
the trial Of his wife has made a state
ment of which the following are the
principal points: s
| have hitherto said nothing for pub
LEGATION in this case, except 10. merely
state that / knew the prosecution was
actiElted by malice and hatred. Ii is Il
family quarrel, and the public knows
that they are the most bitter disputes.
i have heard every sentence of the tes;i-
mony given in the case. Independent OF
the law. which, in my Judgment does
not class this case as q probable forgery.
and independent also to the fact that, in
my opinion. it WAS error 70 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, in
deed, all the real testimony upon which
the case hinged had been induced to
testify for a consideration.
/ am led to this conclusion by the de-
meanor of the witnesses while testify
ing on the witness stand and by the fact
fact and circumstances connected with
their testimony, coupled with the furth-
er fact that offers were made to other
witnesses or their representatives to pay
money to them or be given lands with
out the payment of money thereafter.
provided they would testify against the
defendant. Mrs. Atkinson
The evidence brought out in this srial
also shows that Mrs. Atkinson, prior to
her marriage to Judge Camden received
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 a large sum Of money
was paid, and which if paid. il was
promised nothing would be said or pub
lished relative to her; that prior to her
marriage to me another similar anony-
nous letter was sent to her threatening
her with other troubles, including news
paper publications. which would be
thrown across her pathway The de-
mands made in these anonymous black
mailing letters were not acceded to nor
complied with, and the result was that
the vilest of vile of publications appeared
against her in newspapers.
In my honest, unbiased Judgment she
is guilty of no crime whatever, and most
certainly the crime Of aiding and abet-
ting in uttering the forged papers charg-
ed against her in the indictment was in
no sense proven in the trial of this case.
camden Somers made this statement
Tor publication. / have no comments
to make concerning the merits of the
case beyond my former statement re-
Sardlng the matter prior to the present
trial, whereby unscrupulous counsel and
witnesses for the defense. tortured.
twisted, and lied about me. will her..
after studiously avoid giving them even
a shadow of an excuse to resort to simi
lar tactics, when the case again comes
up for hearing.
| have been actuated in this matter
alone by desire to protect the estate
Of my grandfather from the entraps OF
conspiring mercenaries. and to prove to
the world that Judge Camden in his de-
clining years, instead of losing that
sterling sense of justice and love of his
children which had always character
ized the life Of this noble old man, was
the pitiful victim of misplaced conf
dence in those by whom he was sur
rounded in his old age, and that his men,
tai integrity, which he retained until the
last, compelled a resort to demand forg-
ed processes to blacken his fair name and
steal the birthrights Of his children. I
think the world now knows this.