The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-07-21
SIX ARRAIGNED
FOR MURDERS
Alleged SlAyers Of Carter ChiIdren
Placed on Trial at ValdoSta.
MOST SENSATIONAL CASE
J. 6. Rawlings, HS Three SOuS and
Two Negroes Face Jsry. Intense
Interest Manifested.

One Of the most sensational trial.
ever held in the southern section o
Georgia came up at a special tern
OF the superior court at Valdosta OF
Monday, Judge Mitchell Of Thomas
vile presiding.
The case Is that against Milton
Jesse and Leonard Rawlings, as al
legged principals; All Moore, colored
as an alleged accessory. and J. O.
Rawlings, the father OF the boys, and
Frank Turner, q negro preacher, "a
alleged instigators Of the crime. Above
all these, however, stands J. @. Raw
lings, who Is charged With being the
arch instigatOF In the murder OF wa.
lie and Carrie Carter, Is and 1S.year.
old children OF Mr.. and Mrs. w. l..
Carter Of the Hahira district.
In charging tho grand jury Judge
Mitchell called attention to the tact
that II was the FIRST special term
OF court ever held in the district He
also spoke in commentator of tie
law-ablding spirit OF the section OF
the state.
The story OF the killing and the
facts surrounding II almost stagher
human belief There were many cir.
cum stan es in the case, 1t is claimed,
that pointed 10 the Rawlings as the
InStigatoFs Of the crime. even before
the statement OF the Carriers or the
confession OF All Moore had been
made.
There had been a feud existing be-
tween Rawlings and Carter for a mum.
Der OF years. The bitterness had been
inherited by Rawlings children, and
It Is charged they did what they could
on every occasion TO make It unpleas-
ant for the children 81 Carter.
Both men had been ministers OF the
gOspe'. and Carter had been a member
OF the y e.lodist conference. Both
had very good farms. and Rawlings
was confidently aNove the average
farmer in BIS property holdings,
A Gre summary OF the tragedy ia
~ tollors:
On the night Of the 18th OF June
asst, just three days after J @. Raw.
liugs was put un!er n peace bond
Of $1,000. on warraR. sworn out
by Carter, the dog In Clrter's yard
began to bark, and his three oil Test
children. q 10y and two girls. started
into the yard to look AZ er a sick
calf, which they thought was being
mOlCstcd, The fitAor ca led them
back. and the Cldcst eirl returned 10
the house.
Willc aad Carrie ran through tho
garden sac and gro nd the smoke.
hose, lax tow 'rd crack in tho
fcncc, where they o. pected TO go
through. As they approa he'd the
crack the Cssoss n, standing ~ tho
shade ~ peach treo, fret upon the
bow md thcn upon the girl. Tho girl
dropped dead. while the 10y. after
seeing thA' she was nd, crawlci to
tho house and reported what had han.
pongd,
The Hss1splns thea romolncd about |
-" house all nIRht long until yearly |
day, trying To hrrn the place and thus !
destroy the evidences OF their crime |
Garter. however. Rad small rife and |
n gun on the inside Of the house. and |
by constantly firing no rife through |
tho cracks on different sides OF the |
house. kept them from carrying out |
their purpose, About day his Oldest |
daughter informed nolghbors Of what |
had happened and the news OF tho |
tragedy spread liRe wildHrc
The disclosures since then have |
been startling In the extreme. A |
dozen people were found. II Ia claim. |
Cd, who couid testify that Rawlings
had tried To employ them to set FIRE |
to Carriers house and then XIII the
family as each member tried TO cs.
cope,