The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-12-09
SERIOUS CHARGE
Made Against a Prominent citi-
zen of ThomasyilIe, Ga,
WHO is BEING TRIED

1
For Abducting and Attempting q
Criminal Assault Upon a Popular
and Wealthy Young Lady Of the
Same Town-The Case is Shroud-
ed in Mystery.
Thonasville, Ca, Dec. 1.-The
trial of the Hon. W. H. Mitchell,
one OF the most prominent citizens
Of Thomasville for abduction and
criminal assault upon Miss Lucille
Linton, very popular and wealthy
young lady, also Of ThomasYille,
commenced on Monday. It is one OF
the most sensational cases ever tried
in the courts of Georgia on account
Of the extraordinary crimes charged
connected with it. The following IS
the story of the case:
Late ir October Miss Linton re-
ceived telegram supposed to have
been sent by her brother from Moul-
trie, stating that he was coming
across the country to her home.
Later in the afternoon an alleged
negro woman handed Miss Linton
a note saying that her brother had
been the victim of an accident and
was injured and in house about
four miles from Thomasville, and
asking that she come with all pos
siDle haste to him.
Miss Linton left Thomasville In a
buggy, driven by what she supposed
was q negro woman, but whom many
believe was white man In disguise.
Some miles out from the city,
Miss Linton became suspicious and is
said to have demanded that her
driver return to her home. An at
tempt is said to have been made to
smother her with a lap robe or .
blanket and the screams Of the wo-%
man brought to her assistance a
farmer and negro man.
The driver sprang from the bug
sy, and escaped In the woods when
help came, and though posses and
dogs secured the woods, no one was
trailed. It IL said paper found
in the buggy bore the name Ct
William H. Mitchell, who is con-
nected with Miss Linton by NAV
riage. Other discoveries, it is SAID,
were placed at the disposal Of the
grand jury which returned the in
1ictment. It is said Mr.. Mitchell
unhesitatingly admitted that it was
his horse and his rented buggy that
Miss Linton was carried away in
from Thomasville.
It is also known that Mr.. Mitch
ell was energetic in the pursuit Of
the woman" who fed and was
active IN the matter of locating the
alleged assailant.
Mr.. Mitchell has explained that
his horse and buggy had been stolen
from him. He has also admitted
that he was in the locality where
.he assault took place. claiming that
he was looking for thieves who had
been giving him trouble on his
country place in that vicinity.
Other startling discoveries, ad-
missions and circumstances linked
together gave an added mystery to
the case and when all of the circun-
stances are reviewed there is pro-
mise of the unraYeling Of sensation
after sensation.
Following the abduction only
forty-eight hours Mr.. Mitchell, while
seated in his room, was fred upon,
he says, from the outside. The same
bullet penetrated both legs and his
right hand. This chapter added
more interest in the mysterious and
sensational chapter Of the case ana
only more confusing the situation.
Motives Of many kinds have been
| ascribed By interested people who
| have watched the case. Theories
| have been advanced and speculation
has been constant, but probably not
until the verdict is returned in the
case and probably never will the
| whole truth be known.
80 ot N5;ee ,.of,,eoS
to swear out warrant or to take
an active part in the prosecution
only baf1ed the officers all the more.
Then it was that Pinkerton de-
tective was called in upon the case
and it is said to have been due 20
his unceasing efforts that the mys-
terry has been brought before The
courts.
What Miss Linton Says.
| The feature of the first day OF
the trial was the testimony OF Miss
Linton. She told the whole story Of
the trip through the woods and OF
the attempted assault. She said
that supposed negro woma
brought her message supposedly
from her brother-in-law asking her
to come to his house. She got into
the carriage with the supposed ne
| gro woman. Her suspicious became
aroused and finally she was certain
that the woman was man disguised.
| When the solicitor general asked
her if she recognized the man, she
said, Eyes, is was VIII Mitchell y
She said she did not let him know
that she recognized him. She point
| ed a pistol at him, but was unable
to pull the trigger. She fought with
him desperately. He tried to throw
blanket over her face to keep her
cries from being heard, and then
tried bandages. She said she offered
him money and property to take her