The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-24
PENDLEY'S FULL CONFESSION.
DE kALn COUNTY CONVICT TELLS
HOW HE BILLED PONDER.

He and BankSton went Into Stei-
nau.S Place to Rob the safe-I6en-
tilted Bnnk~ton. Who Denied He
Had Anything 90 DO With lin
junction against Secretary of state
DismiSsct-ConSent Decree in the
prison Farm Injunction Case.
Atlanta. Feb. 2g- Anotheg chapter in the
Ponder murder case which became sen
sauon SEES erday through the confession
OF one John Penaloy. convict in the De
ka.5 eouu,v chaiu-saae, that he commit
tel ths mysterious c..me, was wdtten to-
d..
Ihis was dusy signed confession from
tie man, giving Che minute detaiis of the
murder. Yesterday when the first iEuma-
ton of the confession gained currency,
Fend,ey was regarded with Incredibly II
was thought that he was either going crazy
or that hes had some hidden purpose IN
posing as the assassin Of The murdered po-
hceman.
His signed confession corroborated by
other facts. has put a different light upon
the case to-day. and he police DO not hes
itate 10 say they believe in It's truth.
George Bankston, the man who Pendley
claims got him to help rob the Steinau
safe and who also shot al Ponder, was
taken out to Decatur and was instantly
identified by Pendley. though Bankston
declared he had never seen Pendley be-
fore.
Says He Killed Ponder.
Pendley's confession begins with long
rehearsal of his acquaintance with Banks
ton, who gave him money to buy a pistol
before the robbery was attempted De-
scribing the killing of the policeman, the
man says:
Ponder came in at the front door while
me and Bankston were in the store. The
safe door was unlocked when I went in
with Bankston. If he got any papers out
of the safe, I do not know, but 1 don't
think he did, for he did not have time
before Ponder came in.
HE said, Who's there?' This was my
first attempt at burglary. I was excited.
Bankston whispered to me that the back
door was open, but 1t was too late to run.
Ponder shot two or three times. He was
the first TO shoot.
Il stopped over and shot at Ponder. 1
shot TO hit him. He fell when 1 shot,
either the first or the second time. 1 think
/ shot twice-maybe it was only once.
"At the back door Bankston turned and
shot twice at Ponder, who was trying to
stagger to his feet. l ran all the way
from Atlanta to Poplar Springs and took
a car for Decatur. l knocked around De-
catur about the court house square until
after midnight, when l went TO the Jail
and talked with mother, who was in there
for selling whisky. l climbed up on top
of the high fence that surrounds the jail
and talked with her through the window.
l told her was in great trouble, but did
not tell her that had killed Ponder. She
had enough already to worry her.
Afraid to Give His Name.
THE day after the shooting, 1 went to
Atlanta, and that night got arrested for
sleeping in car box. / put up 1915 col
lateral in cash and gave my name as John
Caldwell, because l was afraid to give my
right name. l felt like everyb body knew
had killed Ponder. l forfeited the 49, rs,
as l was afraid TO go back to the station
house, and went to Lithonia and began
running a blind tiger. l am in here now
charge against mother, too.
II was arrested in Lithonia Oct. is last
year l was convicted and sentenced Jan.
3, this year, and was brought here the
same day. My sentence is nine months
Il know / am liable TO hang, but / want
to tell the truth. l can't sleep and I cant
get over the fact that l have killed a man.
have been in the penitentary for forgery
and twice in the gang for selling whisky,
m done hip I
went into Steinaus store with Bankston
and killed Ponder. l never meant to kill
nobody when l went in, but Bankston told
me to shoot anybody who came in, and
shot and took good aim. l am satisfied
that 1t was my shot that killed Ponder.
He fell the second shot, and / could not
have missed him. The pistol / killed Pom
der with was pawned by mother at
shop in Lithonia. She got $500 on it,
VIII he Consent Decree.
Judge Emory Speer will hear the prison
farm injunction case at Macon tomorrow,
and the outlook Is that he will grant
consent decree holding that the location
of the state prison near Milledgeville will
not contaminate that citys water supply
as is alleged in the bill of injunction
filed by the water works company
The report of DIR. James B. Baird and
DIR. VIM o. Daniel who were selected by
the prison commissioners ana the city of
Milledgeville to give an expert medical
opinion upon the effect of the water if any,
was completed to-day. The report finds
that there will be no pollution of the water
whatever, and as both sides have agreed
TO abide by this report the consent de-
cree Is predicted.
The Injunction Dismissed.
The case of the incorporation of the Tiff
ton, Townsville and Gulf Railway Com
pany against the secretary of state was
dismissed by Judge Gambler in Fulton
superior court to-day. This dismissal
was not opposed by the plaintiffs who OBJ
tanned an injunction against the Georgia
Northern Railway Company from Judge
Bansell of Townsville last Monday by
which the defendants are enjoined from
building any railroad over the line pro
jected by the Triton. Thomasville and Gulf
Railway Co, and from any further pro-
ceedings toward building the projected ex-
tension of the Georgia Northern. The in
junction against the secretary Of state APP
pears to have been merely for the purpose
of gaining time to begin action against the
Georgia Northern Co before Judge Han