The age-herald., 1901-03-06
MUCH SYMPATHY
 FOR THE FOOTE'S It is Generally Believed That
 They Are Not Guilty A LETTER FROM ATLANTA Their Former Neiehbors Give Them an Excellent Name-Reported
 That Hoke Smith VIII Ap-
 pear In Their Defense.
A LETTER FROM ALLAN "A

General sympathy Is manifested throughout the city for Arthur Foote, the 19year-old boy. and Charles Foote his father, who are in the county jail charged with the murder of Mrs. Foote, at Besse- mer, some days ago. Many persons have expressed doubts as to the guilt of the son and husband of the dead woman, be- cause of the unnaturalness of the crime which was one of the most heinous in the history of the county.
 Great sympathy Is also felt in Atlanta where the Foote's formerly lived, and where they were evidently held in high regard, judging by the expressions of their neighbors and friends.
 A Letter from Atlanta.
 The following letter from that city was received yesterday:
 Atlanta, Ga, March 5, 1901. To the Editor of The Age-HeraId, Bir-
 mlnoham, Ala:
 1t Is shocking In the extreme to have learned of the death of Mrs. Charles Foote of Bessemer, but late of our city, and we as her friends, as we'll as of the entire family, mourn her loss and srleve for her as dead. But now comes an occurrence far more revoltine, If possible, than that of mourning over the dead, and that Is the effort that Is being made to fasten the terrible crime upon the all ready bereaved and heart-broken hus- band and son, thus making 1t living trouble, that is a menace to the men tai life of other members of the once happy family. We beg of you to pub fish in your valuable paper our sol emn protest against the possible the ory of such an unnatural act. Know ing the family long and we'll and Iiv- ing near and in close proximity as neighbors to the Foote's, we feel sure we know something of the relations of life, maternal and paternal, exIsting in that home, and we positively and unhesltatingly assert that we have never heard of any breach of any kind and more quiet and orderly family we have never known. 1t ls true that Mr. Charles A. Foote was temporarily separated from his family for time, but only In a business way, and then his wife was In regular communica- ton with him.
 Arthur Foote, the son, we know to be an honest, clever, good-n atured boy and always very fond and devoted to his mother and sisters.
 We do not thInk that one solitary | person that knows the family could for one moment accept such a theory, and names could be brought out by | hundreds of persons who would spurn such sentiment, and indeed such a sentiment does not exist in Atlanta. What object could they have had In perpetrating such an awful deed? She had nothing of any value that they might by her death become possessors | or beneficlarles of. She had no In- surance on her life, save $119 in the Metropolitan, and that would scarcely pay the funeral expenses. The idea that she had an insurance of $40oo and large bank account Is absolutely false. She was no burden to them, but was the sole dependence to take care of the domestic affairs of the home, while husband and son were contentedly plying their vocation, earning an honest living.
 We, the undersigned citizens of At Ianta and neighbors to them, and none of us related, either by blood or marriage, to the family, and have no interest in them, except that of fra ternal love and admiration of all low CTS of law and order.
 T. J. Smith, Mrs. T. J. Smith, Mrs A. L. Tidwell Mrs. M. Bush, Mrs. w B. Patman, Mir. w. B. Patman, Mrs M. Fleming, Wm. SandmIer, Mrs. R A. Sandmier, Mrs. Addie Berkhart Thomas Howard, Mrs. Louise Howard Mrs. R. E. McNabb, Norma McNabb Daisy McNabb, Lula McNabb, J. A Williams, Charles j. Burton, J. c Smith, Wm. Terry and wife.
 The preliminary trial of the Foote's wil take place Monday morning before Jus tice William Jackson at Bessmer, and il Is understood that Hon. Hoke Smith ot Atlanta will appear in their defense