Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-27
AN INTERESTING PRISONER
WITH A VERY SAD STORY

OF the 123 prisoners who occupy cells at
the Federal prison there is one in whom
| there are many people in Georgia inter-
ested. This man is Charles Clemens, serv-
ing a life sentence for conspiracy in the
| murder Of Captain John c. Forsyth, OF
Telfair county, about ,eight years ago. :
Through the kindness of the warden ana
| other officials at the prison Journal man
was allowed to see Clemens Monday.
Clemens was in the Office of Deputy
Bradford Dawson when seen by a Journal
reporter. In introducing him Deputy
Dawson said:
Charlie Clemens has been a prisoner
under me for eight years. He is a splen-
/ did fellow. Charlie has never given me
nor any of the officials any trouble. He ID
| trusted by US all and 1 have the fullest
confidence in him. / want to say sofne-
| thing nice about him. Charlie is a good
/ boy. He has been faithful and obedient
prisoner and never had to be punished
since his Imprisonment. He would make
a good citizen"
with this introduction the deputy left
the room and the prisoner was allowed to
| converse freely.
Clemens is a handsome young fellow
with dark complexion, dark hair, and
| blue eyes-eyes that show that tears have
! often flowed from them freely in the dark
ness Of the night which envelops his life.
His face is honest and he talks In 4
! straightforward manner.
1T was a brutal murder" said Clemens
in speaking of the crime In which he was
convicted of conspiracy.
There never was a more brutal MUIR
| der God knows 1 had no hand in 1t and
/ had 1 said all that / might have said I
would be free today. Consideration for
| others kept me quiet"
Clemon's lips quivered and his face
| twitched nervously as he spoke. The
details of the murder he said, and the
circumstances leading up to Il would be
clearer to others than himself as time
and imprisonment had played havoc with
J his memory. Clemens, who is the son OF !
J. A. Clemens, a prominent farmer OF
Telfair county, and whose parents,
brother and two sisters still reside in
Telfair county, was at the time of the i
murder Just a few months over q years,
old. He had been brought up on his I
| fathers farm and he was at the time I'M
| teresoed In the lumber business. /
The whole trouble, he says, grew out OF
competition between Luther A. Hall and
| Norman w. Dodge in selling titles to land
| in the surrounding counties. A dispute In !
regard to a title arose and was carried
| into the STATE court, which decided adj
verse to Dodge. On the ground that
Dodge was a resident of New York the
case was appealed to the United States
court and the decision reversed. Hall con-
tinued to sell titles to land and was SEN +
fenced to a term of imprisonment for
contempt Of court. Capt John c. For
syth. who was the agent for Dodge, push
ed the contempt proceedings against Hall
and this led to the ennity which finally
| brought about Captain Forsyth's death.
las for me" said Clemons,. II barely
knew Hall. He was no friend OF mine
and my whole connection with the trag-
| edy was through my friendship for Lam
caster, who was at the time sherif OF
Telfair county Drink and consequent
drifting associated me with the crime,
which heaven knows I would have pre- +
vented if could i
"Of all those connected with the
crime" he said, st alone am a prisoner.
The rest are either dead or have been
given their freedom. Rich Lowney. the
negro who did the shooting. was never
caught Lem Burch, who pointed Captain
Forsyth out to the negro, turned state $
evidence John Lancaster and Louis
Knight, who were only convicted on one
count have served their time. Han dleo
in prison. Wright Lancaster. who with
Hall and me, was sent up for life, was
pardoned on the 9th of last March i 90
not envy any of them their liberty, not
| that, God knows, but do want to be free
myself have not lost hope and believe
/ will yet be pardoned. My friends are
working tor me and Judge Emory Speer
and District Attorney Marion Erwin Pc
titioned President Mckinley for my par
DON I thought once that / was going 70
| be hardened within few weeks but was
I doomed to disappointment.
81 have nothing but kind words Tor
those who are in charge of the prison, but
| If 1 thought there was nothing else for me
well" and he moved nervously IA ms
/ seat-.a fellow would just as well be out
of IT."
Asked IL he was glad to be in Atlanta
near his friends, Clemens said he was glad
to know his family were near him so theyl
! might see him occasionally. and they were
glad. but said he, ut is embarrassing
and 7 would rather see as few people az
posEihIe "