The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-09-21
HOME GETS HARD JOLT
In Testimony of Former Stewardess,
Who Also ROuts Character AsSas-
sins In Plain Statement.


Mrs. Belle Reid, former .stewardess,
was the star witness at the Thursday
morning session Of the Joint legisla-
tive investigating committee at At
lanta, which is probing into past and
present conditions at the Georgia Sol
diers' Home. She was on the stand
for probably an hour, during which
time she wept copiously, denied Wig
orously the charges that have been
made against her and swore that prior
to her employment at The home CON
ditions were awful
While Mrs. Reid was introduced by
the trustees in rebuttal, her testimony
was quite as damaging as any that
has yet been offered. She swore that
when she accepted employment at the
home the place, from cellar to garrett,
was filthy, roo filthy to be described.
The dining room and kitchen, She said
were vile with stencil, while many OF
the sleeping rooms were SO filthy that
the negress who cleaned them was
forced to wear a eamphOr saturated
towel over her face.
In her effort to vindicate herself,
Mrs. Reid gave the home the worst
black eye it has received since the
investigation was begun.
There were maggots in the dining
room, maggots in the kitchen, mag.
COTS in the freplaces, maggots and
filth everywhere, when / took charge
as stewardess," declared Mrs. Reid,
to the establishment of committeeman
and trustees alike, "and the stencil
was sickening," she added.
Il made enemies, yes, I made
number Of enemies" continued the
woman, ''I was in position to incur
the enmity of some of the grumblers,
when l inaugurated plan for con
trolling them In the dining room"
With show Of spirit and flashing
eyes, Mrs. Reid admitted having car
RED a pistol during some of the time
she occupied the position of steward
ess, and she continued a detailed
justification of arming herself.
'I carried pistol because 1 was
being constantly thrown with unruly,
impudent and drunken negroes in the
kitchen" said Mrs. Reid, "and 1 used
it. TO good advantage too. I used it
for bluff and it workeA.
"The negroes in the kitchen were
disorderly, and one had threatened
to kill another I flashed my pistol
and warned them that l would kill
the first one who gave me any jaw,
and I would have done it too. l
would have put ball through one
of them in minute"
Continuing Mrs Reid also modestly
admitted that she carried the pistol
on trips to and from home to the city.
She said she was afraid of an in
mate named Moses, with whom she
had had trouble at the home.
When Judge Freeman, prior to turn
ing the witness over to counsel for
the petitioners, invited her to make
such statements as she cared to make,
the woman broke down completely,
and it was some time before she could
continue
Her eyes brimful of tears and her
body shaking with emotion, Mrs.
Reds recital was pathetic She said
she had been hurt by the notoriety
given her through the Investigation,
and wept copiously when she referred
to the charges that have been made
against her character.
Mrs. Reid touched the hearts of her
hearers when she referred to her ia
ther, Confederate soldier, and her
only brother, also a Confederate sol
der, who died in the saddle, while
fghting the common foe Of the south.
She spoke feelingly of the good name
and fine character Of her people, and
called upon the committee to decide
if she had or could ever do anything
that would besmirch the fair name OF
her family.