Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-09-20

= would have been far different, as the
! results of the testimony brought ou
: in the concluding day of the trial
though fuller and more inclusive thar
| that educed Monday, was far from be-
: ing clear-cut and satisfying to the av-
, erage mind. The second day of the
trial brought out a battle royal be-
= tween the counsel for the defense and
that for the prosecution, with the Te-
suits showing up more Clearly in fav-
or Of the former than the latter. The
testimony Of several of the witnesses
called for the state was literally rid
died by the scathing cross-eXamina-
ton directed at them by the attorneys
for the defense, while the witnesses
for the defense made an exceptionally
good showing for their cause.
The defense scored it's first strong
point when it recalled TO the stand
DR. w. T. Simpson, who has been
family physician for Mr.. and Mrs.
Childers. Notwithstanding the fact
that Maud Childers said on Monday
that he had never had any strychnine
in his home since he left i.dam Sta
ton about 3 years ago, DR.. Simpson said
Childers had told him that he had got
ten strychnine to poison dog since ne
had been in Smithville. 1t was also
brought out that DR.. Simpson was now
unable to find a record of the analysis
Of the stomach of the dead woman,
made by State Chemist Stallings. DR..
Simpson said he had placed the analy-
sis in his safe, which he never kept
locked and that Childers was the only
one, so far as he could recall, who had
seen him place it there.
When questioned concerning the con-
tents of the analysis, the witness said
that the analysis showed the presence
of three and half grains of strychnine
! in the stomach contents, which was
sufficient to kill more than half doz-
en- persons, as a half grain was consid-
cred a very fatal dose for an individ-
ual. Referring to the matter OF the an
alysis of the stomach contents, DIT.
Simpson said that this had been made
at the instance of L. L. Richardson,
! father of Mrs Childers, as Solicitor
Childers and Maud Childers had left
the matter of the decisions concerning
this with Richardson. Maud Childers
paid the fee for the analysis of the
stomach contents, according to the
witness, the amount of this fee being
$1OO
Filled with unusual touches of hu-
man interest was the testimony of So
licitor Zack Childers, of the city court
of Americus, brother of Maud Childers,
who was the first new witness to ap-
pear at the resumption of the hearing
Yesterday morning. At times the wit
ness controlled his emotions with diff
ficulty and was apparently greatly
moved.
In reply to the inquiry as to who had
taken steps to ascertain the cause 9t
Mrs. Childers' death, the witness sald'
with a show of emotion, They were
mostly by me, l guess
It was brought out that the witness
visited DR.. W. T. Simpson, family ply
sician for the Childers, and discussed
with him the difference between sal
hepatica and strychnine. Both agreed
that if was practically impossible TO
make mistake at the mandatory
in placing the drugs in the wrong bot
ties. He took steps at once to have a
post mortem examination made, after
having discussed it with Lee Hays and
T. t. Richardson, relatives of Mrs
Childers, and all having agreed that
, such examination should be made. II
was decided that the results Of the an
a1vsis of the stomach should be ascer-
tained before further steps should be
taken. When it was known thai
, strychnine was in the stomach OF the
= dead woman, then a detective was en-
, gagged by himself to work on the case
t With regard to the contract made BY
himself with the Patterson Detective
Agency Of Atlanta, Solicitor Childerf
q said that it was agreed that the detec
T tive should receive Sc per day to worl
= up the case and to gain all possible in
q formation. Witness said that nj
q brother knew nothing of the detectives
q having been engaged in the case. Th
v detective was instructed to report no
= only to himself but also to Richardson
q Solicitor Childers told of talk witt
d the Ken1 edys, the father and Rober
o Kennedy, at their home, in which tn
: death of Mrs. Childers was discussed
e "Whoever put poison in the sal he
natica lives in this house." said tn
y witness during this conversation.
co1ioi4Or Chi1dprs evDlaiupd tha nav