Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-27
WINS IN
LIBEL SUIT THAT
STIRS JONESBORO
Mrs. Bean Alleged DR.. Atkinson
Referred to Her As "Incarnate
Devil. He Says She Sowed
Dissension'
RAPED CHOIR, MEMBERS,
OFFICERS, HE DECLARES
Said Singers Cracked Voices
Gave Her Nervous Prostitution,
and Criticized An Ice Cream
Festival.

Not in the history of the little city has
Jonesboro had a profounder sensation
than the suit for Islander brought by Mrs
Sadie A. Bean, a member of the Jonesboro
Methodist church, against DR.. j. c. At
kinson, its pastor, of whom she demanded
$4,000 damages.
A jury in the superior court, after being
out an hour and a half. returned "a verdict
early Thursday afternoon IN favor of DR.
Atkinson. Mrs. Bean had no comment to
make. but DR.. Atkinson said he would
give out a statement later.
The trouble. 1t appears, began In Sep
TENDER last when Dr. Atkinson, in a SER
mon, alluded to those persons In his flock
who sowed seeds Of dissension as "dev-
ils inearnate" Mrs. Bean alleged that
the pastor referred to her. He denied this,
but produced witnesses in an effort to
show that Mrs. Bean had been disturb
ing element in the church.
SOME SPICY ALLEGATIONS.
DR.. Atkinson claimed thar Mrs. Bean
had said that the teacher of the Bible
class was ignorant: the Sunday school su-
perintendent was too SLOW, unar the or
ganist was incompetent, that the voices
of the choir were cracked. and that
certain lady member who gave an ice
cream festival, was, to use a slang ex-
preston. not on the Job.
Mrs. Bean made as additional grounds
for damages the claim that DR.. Atkin-
son had given her the option of public
Acknowledgement Of her alleged miscon-
duct. trial or withdrawal from the
church.
Judge L. S. Roam, of the Stone Noun
tain circuit, presided at the trial. Mrs.
Bean was represented by Hugh M. Dor
scy. of Atlanta, and W. L. Wattersou,
and DR.. Atkinson by Reuben r. Arnold,
of Atlanta. and w. NJ. Wright.
PROMINENT PEOPLE TESTIFY.
The trial began Wednesday. Prominent
people of Jonesboro, members OF the
Methodist church, testified, as we'll as
out-of-town pastors, including Rev. J., IL
Eakes, presiding elder or the district, The
court room was crowded to the doors. Tes-
timony and argument took all Of We'd
nesday and part of Thursday, and the
Judge did not charge the jury until II
o'clock Thursday.
Mrs. Bean is native of Illinois, and
had but recently come to Jonesboro. DR..
Atkinson, In his reply to her suit against
him, said that she had been a disturb
ing element in the church. He also said
that she had made complaint against both
the officers and the members of the
were not on speaking terms with her.
DR.. Atkinson said the sermon to which
Mrs. Bean objected so strenuously was
applied to the practice Of sowing dissen-
sion, and not TO Mrs. Bean personally.
Mrs. Bean, however. introduced two wit
nesses Mrs. D. A. DeLoach and Mrs.
w. F. Carnes, who said they considered
that the pastors remarks. in which he
characterized members who sowed seeds
Of dissension as "ncarnate devils" re-
ferred to Mrs. Bean.
PASTOR INTRODUCES WITNESSES.
To controvert this testimony, DIR. Atlxin-
son introduced six witnesses, who consid-
cred that his remarks did not apply specl
fically to Mrs. Bean. They were ]. o.
Hightower, A. Is. Rivers, d. II. Fife, Mrs.
c. ]. White Mrs. r. o. Dean.
Mrs. Bean said that after the objection
able sermon was delivered. DIR. Atkinson
gave her notice that charges of sowing
dissension would be brought against her.
He told her. she says, that three courses
were open to her: she might make
amends by acknowledging her fault, or
stand trial. or withdraw from the church.
So far from being willing to accept these
conditions. Mrs. Bean considered them IL
belous, and brought her action for dam
ages.
DIR. Atkinson replied that various mem
bers OF the church demanded that steps
be taken for her continual dissensions,
and that he was proceeding according to
the law OF the church. He alleged that
Mrs. Bean resigned from the church af-
ter she received his notice, and also in
troduced DIR. Fakes, the presiding elder,
and members OF the church. in an effort
10 show that Mrs. Bean was making COM
plants against officers and members of
the church.
WHAT THEY SAY"
According to this testimony, Mrs. Bean
had said that ]. o. Hightower, the teach
er of the Bible class, was too ignorant for
the place. A. b. Rivers superintendent OF
the Sunday school. was too slow. The or
ganist was incompetent. AS for the choir. /
well, Mrs. Bean az the testimony may he
believed) said the voices of the singers
were cracked, and gave her nervous pros
tration. Mrs. c. ]. White gave an ice
cream festival. Witnesses said that Mrs. |
Bean said Mrs. White didn't know the
A b C's OF an ice cream festival.
Mrs. White came back with the declars-
ton that Mrs. Bean thought that Mrs |
Bean was just the best person in the
church. Attorney Arnold. representing
the pastor. said court house wasn't the |
place to bring a church row, anyhow.
The Jonesboro Methodist church is in
a perfect ferment. and the whole town is
stirred to its depths by the suit.