The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-10
FLANAGAN'S FOURTH ESCAPE.
THE INSANITY PLEA HAS At LAST
PROVEN SUCCESSFUL.

Cases Ont Ot tOurt-Niiuit"u' '"'
Conyer's County DefauIter, in Fui-
toa Comfy JaiI-SOuthern Mutual
Left out.
Atlanta. Ga Jan. ct seems almost
certain that Edward c. Flanagan, the
DeNalb county murderer who has been
four different times placed on uial for his
life, will escape the gaEows after all
Three times Flanagan has escaped by
mistrial, and reversal of the lower court
by the Supreme Court. after conviction
To-day. when the fourth trial began he
cheated death by circumstances which
practically means that ne viii go 90 the
state lunatic asylum instead of the peni-
Tertiary or galows His case was given
this turn by reason of the sworn testimony
of Dr. j. L. Mcdaniel. the county physi-
clan, who has been watching him closely
for months.
DR. Mcdaniel on two former trials tes-
titled that he believed Flanagan sane
man and responsible for his crime. To-
day he testified directly the opposite, de-
claring that the man has been going rapid
ly into a state of dementia for several
months past. end is now mentally incapa-
BILE of trial for his life.
This testimony put an entirely new
phase on the case. ana resulted in the APP
pointment of a committee of physicians
by the court TO examine the prisoner, up
on which report he was granted a contiu-
uance until such time as his mental con-
dition justifes a trial for the henious
murders which dyed his hands.
Looked Like "a Benst.
Flanagan was brought into the court
room al Decatur at the opening of court
this morning. His personal appearance
was repulsive and pity inspiring in the ex-
treme. He scarcely resembled a human
being There was more of the wild beast
in his haggard, unkempt appearance than
anything else, though he manifested no
disposition toward violence. He was the
covering beast at bay. He noticed no one
and gave no intelligent sign that he appre-
ciated what was going on.
With the prisoner in such a condition it
was not hard 10 believe that he was in
sane although Judge Gambler, at the out
set, overruled a motion to remand him on
a plea of insanity entered by his counsel,
Col d w Rountree. Judge Gambler also
overruled motion for a change of venue.
Considerable testimony was introduced
on this line but The court finally held
that he believed the prisoner was not only
mentally as fit TO undergo trial as he ha'i
ever been, but also that he could get
fair trial in DeKalb county, the county
in which his crime was committed. The
continuance was not granted until after
the regular trial had been ordered.
FIanagan's Crime.
of Mrs. George w. Allen and Miss Ruth
Slack, at the home of Mr.. George Allen,
where the prisoner was a bOarder 1t oe-
CURED on the last day of December, 1896
The killing, which was apparently unpro-
Voked, caused great deal of excitement,
and a lynching was feared. Flanagan
was moved to Fulton county Jail to es-
cape the mob and has been kept here
most of the time. On his first trial the
military had to be called out to protect
him. line being thrown out around the
court house.
Insanity has been the plea from the
first though always overruled, the three
former trials being upon the main issue
of murder. There have been many col
lateral features of the case, all combined
making il as one OF the most noted in the
criminal annals of the state
The PeOnagc Cases.
Judge William T. Newman. presiding in
the United States District Court, to-day
disposed of a case that has attracted a
good deal of attention throug hout the
state and incidentally became the subject
of scare heads" 80. some of the yellow
newspap ers of the East.
1t was the peonage case from Oglethorpe
county William Eberhart and Albert Boy
kin, two well known and highly respected
farmers of chat county, having been in
s.4.x hold
voluntary servitude AT the time of the
indictments it was reported that the men
thus confined were both whites and ne
groes.
According to the story. Eberhart ard
Boykin took these unfortunates into Gus
tody under pretense of executing the laws
of the state, and then compelled them TO
work for them without pay in fulfnment
of the alleged penalties of the laws which
they pretended to execute.
1t now turns Out, however, that the mon
involved were all negroes, and if there was
any offense committed against them. il
was not such as would bring the Offenders
under the jurisdiction of the federal courts.
hence Judge Newman dismissed the in
dictments against Eberhart and Boykin to
day. He held that their offense. If any
should be tried in the state court, and il
there is TO be any further prosecution
which seems doubtful, it viii have to take
place there.
The friends of the defendants. who are
reported to stand wei in their county, de
clare that there was no real foundation
for the original stories and indictments
and therefore nothing further is likely tc
come of the matter
Armand Brought Back.
S. Lafayette Armand the Conyers mer
chant who skipped from that town severa
weeks ago, under a financial cloud. wa
landed behind the bars of Fulton county
Jail this morning. He was arrested in Tu
lane, Cal, at the instance of I.angstor
d Woodson, wholesale grocers of thi.
city, who offered a reward for him.
As soon as he was caught CITY De,ec
tive Hewitt was pat aboard a train an,
sent out to the Pacific slope to bring Al
mand back 20 Georgia. Before he arrived
at Tulane, Armand had secured his re
lease upon writ of haboas corpus. bu
was later arrested again and held until m,
arrival Of the Atlanta officer
Armand was met at the depot when h,
arrived here by his father, who is one %