Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-09-26
cOMMITTAL JUDGE HELD MAUD CH|LDERS
YESTERDAY ON CHARGE OF WIFE.NURDER

admitted that he had written imme
diately to the state chemist to fine
out if he had received the package
Later he telegraphed to the state
chemist to turn the package over Sc
DR.. Eyerhardt in Atlanta. So disturb
| ed was he by what Kennedy had saiC
that DR.. Simpson admitted further thai
le had come to Americus to consul,
| With Mr.. Dykes and Mr. DOdson reld.
tive 20 the matter. DR.. Simpson add ed
MS testimony to that of many others in
| saying that Mr.. and Mrs. Childers were
as happy married couple as could be
found, so far as he could tell. Mrs
Childers, he said, was exceptionally
cheerful and happy in disposition
while she seemed to be in normal
health at the time he had last seer
her. He knew of no domestic discord
in the Childers family.
The defense brought out by cross ex-
animation of the witness that he had
been present when Solicitor Childers
had said Immediately: I'll spend all
the money have or find out the truth
about this thing. "WelI, | guess mine
will go first" Maud Childers is report
ed by DR.. Simpson to have said. DR.
Simpson also said that Maud Childers
had aided him in every way in carry
ing on the analysis and in other de-
tails of the work of investigating the
cause of his wife's death.
Mrs. John Kennedy, mother of Rob
ert Kennedy, was also an interesting
witness. In the beginning of her tes,
timOny she denied that she had had
any strychnine in her house, and she
also said that she did not know that
Mrs. Childers was taking sal hepatiea
until noon of the day of her death.
Her son, Robert, she said, had left
the hotel early in the day and had
remained away throughout the entire
morning. She said that Robert had
not cared for breakfast that morning,
and had gone away down town as soon
as he had gotten up. He had not come
back to the hotel until after noon,
when he came in response to a tele-
phone call from her to bring home
some ice. In ten or twelve days he
had left for Heard county to go to
work at turpentine still there. He
had been asked for long time before
the death of Mrs. Childers to go TO
Heard county, but he had not done
so until soon after her death occur
red. She said he had gone away on
account of his health, she herself hav-
ing asked that he do it. She said she
wanted him to go to Florida for this
purpose. He had not returned to the
hotel on the day in question until
Mrs. Childers was dead.
The married life of Mr.. and Mrs.
Childers was pleasant, so far as she
knew, though she mentioned one III
stance of where he had stayed out 1t
night until l o'clock. Mrs. Childers
had asked her to send Mr.. Kennedy
after Childers, whereupon Mr.. Ken
nedy failed to return. This humorous
touch brought laugh from the au-
dience. She said the general report
was that the pair was most happily
married, and that they were more like
sweethearts than husband and wife.
She also said, however, that when
Childers came to the hotel on the day
of the death of his wife that he did not
inquire about her, nor did she see him
go into her room.
Some of the most interesting testi,
mopy in the trial was introduced wheI
the defense began it's effort to prove
that Childers and his wife had alw W!
LIVED together happily as man anr
wife. In order to prove this point, R
J. Ri hardson, the father of Mrs. Chill
d. was called upon among Other!
to testify.
Maud had my consent to marry III!
daughter" said Mr.. Richardson, in CIV
ing his testimony on the stand. ''Thei
married life appeared to me to be yer!
happy. They were both loving and af
fectionate, and both seemed to be hap
py. l had the greatest confidence il
him during her life time, and l still
have thorough confidence in him. The.
visited US often at our home whcI
she was alive, and he has been to Sc,
us for a good part of the time sine,
Et died"
Another witness who testified strong
ly in favor of Childers in his relation
to his wife and her family, was Mrs
L. D. Hays, sister of the dead wo
man. 'If Maud Childers ever mis-
treated my sister, 1 don't know t
She was as happy as a woman coul