Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-12-18
.BAILIFF FOUND DEAD;
MURDER SUSPECTED
Lanlady of Lodging House Is
Held by Coroner's Jury.
STORY OF THOSE IN THE HOUSE
Police Beive Dodgen Was Killed in
House and His Body Thrown Upon
Porch-Coroner's Jury Secures Sen
sational Evidence from Witnesses.

Atlanta, Dec. 17.-The dead body
Of John G Dodgen, a bailiff, who
lived at 121 West Pine street, was
discovered early Sunday morning on
the rear porch of a lodging house at
501a Marietta street, with a bullet
hole in the back of his head.
That foul murder has been COM
mitted is confidently believed by the
police and detectives, who alleged
that there is evidence to show that
Dodgen was murdered inside the
house and his body thrown out upon
the porch to mislead the officers of
the law.
Mrs. Willie Stamper, who occupied
the house, is under arrest, and she
admits that she fired one shot through
a closed door to prevent an intruder
from forcing his way into the hall
and that Dodgen was killed by the
shot as he stood on the outside.
Tive other women, Mrs. Bessie B d.
Carr, of Is Bush street, and Addie
Goss, Of 55 Tennelle street, were
also taken into custody, as they were
in the house at the time of the shoot
ing.
Robert A. Jordan, who was also in
the house, and who admitted that he
knew something of the killing, was
held by the police for the coroner's
inquest, which took placeA Sunday af-
ternOOn.
All four of these people were or
dered held for further investigation
by the grand jury.
Outside Of the three women and
Jordan there were only two witness
es who could throw any light on the
affair, and their evidence was contra
dictOry in several particulars
According to the story told by the
inmates of the house, Dodgen and
probably other men went to the rear
door which opens on a porch from
which leads flight of stairs to the
street. The lodging house is on a
second floor over a vacant store. The
women say that when an effort was
made by the man or men on the out
side to break down the door, Mrs
StampeT called out to them to desist
giving a warning that if they did not
she would shoot. AS they continued
to beat upon the door she secured a
pistol and fired one shot through the
closed door.
They thought they heard men run
ming away and not believing that any
body was hurt they went to bed, and
knew nothing of the dead man on
the porch until Sunday morning
when they were notified by a negro
cook.
The theory Of the police is that the
man was murdered in the house, and
they base this on the testimony of
the special railroad officer who heard
two shots, and saw the flash of the
second, and of a negro who thought
he heard three shots, and discovered
a man running from the house.
Besides this the officers say that
there had been blood freshly washed
from the floor of one of the rooms .
and a woman's garment was found
which bore unmistakable evidences OF
blood.
If the theory of the officers of the
law is true, then the killing occurred
in the following way:
Dodgen went to the house to see
one of the women. He was refused
n J,,4
There occurred a fight of some kind
in the middle room and Dodgen was
shot in the back of the head. The
dying man was dragged to the rear
door and thrown out upon the porch
where he soon died. The officers
believe that this. was the shot seen
by a special railroad officer who was
a witness at the inquest.