Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-09-26

as her husband. He was on the best
of terms with our family. He sent a
part of the househould goods which
they had to my fathers house after my
sisters death. We have never been
treated better by anybody than we
have been by Maud"
When questioned concerning the ne
haviour of Childers at the death of his
wife, Mrs. Hays said: Il never beg
ged Maud to go into to see her. | did
say, however, How would she feel,
Maud if she knew you hadn't been N
to see herr He went into the room
at once, almost before l had finished
saying the words. When l uncovered
my sisters lips, he was overcome and
walked out of the room. l knew that
he felt deeply grieved, though he was
not the kind of man to show it,"
In like manner, also, testified L. D.
Hays, husband of the sister OF Mrs.
Childers. He testified that both Maud
and Solicitor Childers had asked for
the chemical analysis of the stomach
to be made. In this particular, Mr.
Hays testified in direct contradiction
to testimony given by DR.. w. T. Simp-
son that he had not expressed his
opinion as to the death of Mrs. Chill
ders being caused by poison, prior 20
that time. According to Mr.. Hays,
there was no suggestion that the mar
ried life of Mr.. and Mrs. Childers was
not of the happiest kind. "They We're
as happy as married people ever get
to be-"
Mr. Hays also further corroboratad
the statements made by Mr.. Richard
son, the father of Mrs. Childers, that
Childers had always been and still was
on the best of terms with the Ricn-
ardson family. Childers, said Mr.
Hays, enjoys the confidence of the
Richardson's now more than ever.
Though asked to do so by w. F. Me
Afee, the witness said that he refused
to contribute to the fund that was rails
ed to hire a detective to get up evil
dence against Childers. He said that
Childers had told him where he might
find his (Childer's) personal papers.
Witness saw no reason for Childers'
having told him this, except that he
seemed to fear at that time that he
would be lynched. Mr.. Hays special
ly emphasized the fact that the fund
to which he had been asked to con-
tribute was being raised especially to-
prosecute Maud Childers.
Mack Tracy, the chauffeur who drove
Childers from Leesburg to Smithville
on the day of his wife's death in re-
sponse to the telephone message sent
him, was placed on the stand during
the trial. 1t was brought out that
Tracy is a very rapid driver, and
Tracy admitted that he drove at a
speed of about 35 or 40 miles per hour
on the trip with Childers. He also
admitted that though Childers had ask
ed him not to drive so fast that he
never thought of Childers as having
reference to anything other than his
being afraid that the car was going
too fast for personal safety. In this
connection it was brought out also that
the roads were rather rough and that
Tracy had barely missed running into
tree in the early part of the trip.
Robert Kennedy, when called to the
stand, testified to practically the same
things that his mother had said, hav-
ing told of arising late and of stay
ing down town throughout the morn
ing until his return about noon.
NJ. ]. Richardson, Jr., brother )t
Mrs. Childers, said that C. A. Grant,
another witness, had talked a great
deal about prosecuting Maud Childers
and seemed very much interested N
the matte~, though he didn't know why
Among others named by Richardson
as having been included in the num-
Der who met at Salter's livery stables
and held meetings directed against
Childers and who tried to raise funds
to have him prosecuted were w. F.
McAfee, c., A. Grant, John Salter, Lu-
cius Richardson, T. B. Rhodes, Pete
Sims, and Wade Turner.
A witness whose testimony YVES
completely riddled by the defense was
C. 4. Grant, who admitted that he had
been a friend of Maud Childers until
he has come near having a difficulty
with him recently. Grant was tne
only witness to state that he believed
that Mr.. and Mrs. Childers were not
happily married. He weakened so IN
his statement concerning this, how
ever, that he practically admitted that
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