Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-09-27
Second HEARING CLOSED
WITH NO MOTIVE proved
Lack Of Motive Was Specially Mentioned By
Judge Crossland--. Other Observations Made
On Various Phases Of The Childers Case
Recently Heard At Leesburg.
No Proof of Motive.

Lack of sufficient proof of motiv,
was a strong characteristic of the tria
OF Childers Monday, just as the same
condition had proven true of the tria
of Kennedy a week before.
Presums bly, the prosecution wished
to show what Mr.. and Mrs. Childers
were unhappy in their married life Il
so, they failed completely iii their 2f-
fort, as only one witness out of the
large number questioned in this par
ticular said that the Childers were 9th
er than ideally happy as man and wife
If there was another motive toward
which the prosecution was working, il
diG not come out with any more clear
ness in the evidence give nby the wit
nesses for the prosecution. The ques-
ton of life insurance, whether il
would prove tangible motive or not
has never been introduced by the at
torneys opposed to Childers in eth
er of the two hearings that have 80
far been held.
AS regards the motive which the de
fense endeavOred to touch upon Mon,
day, a different path was followed
Monday from that taken previously.
When Kennedy was tried, the prosecu-
ton endeavored to show that Kennedy
was a suitor of Mrs. Childers prior 20
her marriage with Childers. That Ken
nedy was a suitor of Miss Richardson
vas completely disproved at that time,
as no suspicion of such a thing was
shown. On the other hand, it was
clearly proven that the friendship be-
tween tne two was that of much
oldeE~Boman for mere boy,-a spir-
it of comradeship rather than what
is termed love.
Having abandoned the idea of try
ing to prove that the motive for tn
killing of Mrs. Childers was to be
found in the spirit of jealousy nurtur
ed in the breast of Kennedy on ac-
count of the fact that Childers had
married her, the attorneys for Child
ers on Monday seized upon a new
theory and showed it as clearly as
they could under the handicap of a
preliminary trial This theory IS, in
brief, that the death of Mrs. Childers
came as the result of a conspiracy,
though the personnel of the conspir-
ators and their compelling motive was
hardly more than touched upon.
This motive, when it is developed, 1t
is alleged, will be amplified along the
line that Mrs. Childers met her death
as the result of her pronounced opin-
ions and her firm stand against the
Illicit sale of whiskey in Smithville.
In this particular rumors and reports
have it that Mrs. Childers said to John
Kennedy, the proprietor of the Simp-I
son Hotel where she boarded, that un-
less he ceased selling whiskey there
at his blind tiger" stand she would
report him to officers of the law.
Whether this statement can be proved
or not is a matter of exceptional inter-
e st,as, if it is proved, it may afford a
tangible clew to the solving OF the mys
terry as to who is responsible for the
death of Mrs. Childers. This theory
would indicate that more than one
person is responsible for the death OF
Mrs. Childers.
The defense spent much time, now
ever, in trying to ascertain from Wit
nesses summoned by the prosecution
the names of those who, it is alleged
contributed to the fund to hire Detec-
tive Moore to ferret out evidence
against Childers and to retain Attor-
ney J. r. Wilkerson, of Dawson, 10
conduct the prosecution CT Chllders'
The endeavor was to show that these
men. MANY of the names of whom were
given, had been accusLolheu " Ho'N
ing meetings at Salter's livery stable
in Smithville for the purpose Oh rals-
y ing the funds needed in carrying out
their plans and in discussing methods
20 prosecute Childers. Every eHorl
vas made, also, to show that these
men are connected with the Illicit sale
of whiskey in Smithville and are
known as the "whiskey element -
at town. If this line OF PROOF :
'ried out by the attorneys for Cnli'
s-g, the trial of the case in the sape-
7 court of Lee county in November
is fair to develop some sensatioha
mone and tobring about shaIl
sst between the prohibition an(