Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-24
WANTS MITCHELL
TO WEAR STRIPES.
Victim of kidnapping Plot in
Thomasville Opposes Any Re-
duction in Court Sentence
in Famous Case.

Miss Lucille Linton, of Thomasville,
whose escape from William H. Mitchell's
well-laid plans to kidnap her severa;
months ago. thrilled the whole state with
sensational interest, writing TO The Jour-
hay from her temporary home in the
mountains of north Georgia, emphatically
declares that the time has come when
the public should know her attitude in the
fight being waged by Mitchell and his
friends for a Communication of the chain
gang sentence to fine.
The letter from Miss Linton comes as
the result of the petition being circulated
to be presented to the governor and the
prison commission later on asking that
Mitchell be permI>eed to- satisfy the sem
tence of the Thomas superior court which
passed upon the question of his guilt in
the case by the payment of a fine.
Miss Linton. it will be remembered, was
decoyed from her home III Tnomasville,
by Will Mitchell, her relatives and menu
Der of one of the most aristocratic and
wealthy families of the state, who hao
disguised himself as a negro woman and
carried what he declared to be a note
written by her brother, alleging he had
been the victim of serious runaway acct
dent and was lying at = country house
!, three miles from Thomasville, suffering
with broken leg.
READ LIKE FICTION.
The story Of Miss Lintons deception,
her discovery, her wild screams and sub
sequent rescue. followed later by the ar
lest, trial and conviction OF VIII Mitchell
furnished the public the most sensational
story of many years.
Mitchell was sentenced by Judge Roam.
! presiding at the trial, to pay fine OK
$500 and serve u months in the changing.
Then came the futile fight through the
higher court and now there is pending .
campaign for communication.
II wish you would emphatically deny
that or any member of my family are
willing for W. H. Mitchells sentence be-
ing reduced to a fine. Please emphasize
the fact that / made a mistake II any
thing of being too lenient IN the begin
ming. I sent for the male members of
his family at the time or the horrible
tragedy and agreed to assist in suppress
ing the terrible facts in order to save his
family and mine from humiliation provid-
ed he would confess, then leave the coun-
try permanently or go to an asylum II
he cOntended that he was crazy.
WAS FORCED TO ACT.
Miss Linton declares that the attitude
of Mitchell was such that in order to save
herself and vindicate her fair name 1t be-
came necessary TO prove him guilty in
order to establish her own innocence and
for this purpose alone she entered even
unwiIlingly into a court trial. The result
of this trial is still supjecv or frequent
eminent on the part of the public.
Writing from her mountain retreat Ia
E.orth Georgia. Miss Linton declares that
she is still enduring the horror OF the
terrible drama which mysterious and un-
fortunate fate has webbed about her and
even now she realizes she must speak.
though she regrets the occasion and hesi-
tates to again attract pubic attention to
her sorrow.
'.My silence at this time would make
me a target for public criticism" she
writes. land in my own heart, God
knows, l have suffered enough"
Referring to the effort being made to
escape the chain-gang sentence, Miss LIN
ton asks:
''TVil a fine, the mere payment Of mon
ey, be any punishment to the gloved hand
at my throat and the horrible gleam In
my captor's eye? For the protection OF
the women of Georgia 1 ask: should this
sentence be commuted?"
NO VINDICTIVE MOTIVE.
Miss Linton concludes her letter with
the frank statement that she is not
prompted by vindictiveness; that she ID
not lighting for vengeance, but Is prompt
ed solely because she cannot afford as the
innocent and unwilling victim Of diaboli-
cal plot to remain silent any longer.
The application for a Communication OF
the chain-gang sentence will be heard at
the state capitol on August 81.
In concluding, Miss Linton states that
she is breaking her long silence without
comforting with her brother or counsel,
acting solely upon her womanly instinct
that an expression from her at this time
is simple justice to herself.