Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-09-21
No MOTIVE CLEARLY SHOWN
At HEARING Of KENNEDY
SOME SIDELIGHTS UPON INTERESTING
FEATURES OF THE CASE And THE
EVIDENCE AS DEVELOPED AT LEES
BURG.
BY Frank Il. Long.
Motive for Crime Not Shown.

A feature of the recent preliminary
hearing OF Robert Kennedy at Leesburg
on the charge of having poisoned Mrs.
Maud Childers, was the fact that 40
motive for the crime was clearly
shown. In fact, only slight attempts
We're made to connect and relate facts
and circumstances at times so as to
educe a motive for the crime.
This is explained by the fact that the
supposition is that neither the prose-
cution nor the defense wished to show
its hand fully at the committal hear
ing, which in no way could be regard
ed as possessing finality. Both pros
ecution and defense claim that they
will be able to show a motive clearly
at the trial of the case in the superior
court later.
TO have brought out all evidence in the
case at the preliminary hearing would
have served, of course especially in
the case of the defense to weaken it's
cause, as the opposing side in such in
stance would have gained knowledge
of how the other would conduct the
case at the trial in the higher court
later. For this reason, unsatisfying
as it may seem to many but necessary
and imperative as it doubtless seems
to the legal mind, the preliminary
hearing was at best but little more
than legal sparring bout, from which
plans could be formed for more effec-
tive attack and defense later.
Several motives have been suggest
ed with reference to the crime, some
of which were touched upon with
some clearness at the hearing. Jeal-
ousy, the desire of a husband to rid
himself of his wife, suicide, or acct
dent, have been advanced either as
motives or explanations of the deed
| by various people, but the counsel in
! the case dealt, of course, only with the
first two of these causes as enumerat-
ed
The evidence as given seemed to bar
| the probability of accident, as there
was apparently no other medicine in
the room except the sal hepatica. No
evidence was introduced to lend color
to the theory of suicide, either, as Il
| is known that the dead woman was Of
an unusually amiable and optimistic
| temperament, one who would least be
expected to end her life by self-de-
struction, even though it be taken for
granted that her married life had been
a disappointment, hardly a hint of
which was brought out in the evidence.
Not a reference was made at the trial
to any insurance on the life of Mrs
ChilderS, though many rumors have
been current concerning this.
So a process of elimination, such as
the foregoing would bring one back
inevitably to the theory of murder,
though the establishing of a motive
seems to have been difficult, as no very
tangible cause could be assigned. AMI
interesting feature of the case is the
fact that as soon as the death of Mrs.
Childers occurred, the popular mind
almost Immediately seized upon the
i'oa that there had been foul play.
Almost instinctively the impression
@prang up that Mrs. Childers had been
murdered. No one thought of suspect
ing that she had committed suicide. No
one very familiar with the case today
believes that it is an instance of any
thing Ot'@~ than murder.
Popular Sentiment With Kennedy.
Any one present on either day of the
/ trial could not fail to have been i'm
pressed by the fact that popular SEN
timent is very largely with Kennedy
The people in the court room manifest
ed the fact that they championed Ken
nedy's cause, both by their actions,
when they showed pleasure because Of
the effective cross-eXamination MAIN
tanned BY the defense with the Wit
nesses for the state, and by whispered
words.
An example of the expressions IF
popular sentiment was shown when
Petri, the private detective secured by
Solicitor Childers, had finished the
giving of his testimony amid appar-
ent discontinue, finally asked that he
be permitted to leave the ROOM Many
of the spectators Uttered and giggled
frequently at the replies made by the
detective while he was being subject
ed to a gruelling cross-examination by