Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-03
FINAL PLEA FOR
N'NAUCHTON s
LIFE MADE
Prison Board Asked to Urge
Governor Brown to Extend
CIemenCy to Slayer.

Arorneys for DR.. w. ]. McNaughton'
.,.,c+od Two years ago of the murder
:, r,rad Flanders, in Emanuel county,
,eored before the prison commission
"f5 and asked that body to recon-
- ,tcHaughton to the governor for
.vo,utive clemency, at least to the eA-
,or4 of asking that his death sentence
=. conmuted to life imprisonment.
Tho theory of the McNaughton at
...,o,.s ia that the arsenic found in
t,,andars' stomach after his death, al
,agod 10 have been administered to him
49, mr. McNaughton. in conspiracy with
r,ardars' wife, entered his stomach
af,or death. in the process of embalm-
ing,
Colonel Frank Saffold, of Swainsboro,
snneared for McNaughton, and adj
dressed the commission for two hours
mr. more vehemently asserting Nc
Naughton's innocence, and declaring
that his case, having been lost in all
the courts on technical grounds, and
not now capable Of legal redress in the
courts was particularly a case for eX
ecutive interference.
Physicians Give Opinions.
Saffold undertook to show to the
commission that the embalming fluid
used on McNaughton contained a heavy
percentage Of arsenic, and that for
hours after death the deceased's mouth
was kept filled with cotton saturated
with this fluid
A mass of letters from reputable ply
sicians were presented to show that
there was at least a reasonable doubt
that the death of Flanders was caused
by arseniCal poisoning.
1t was pointed out that whereas Nc
Naughton and Flanders wife originally
we're indicted jointly for the murder of
Flanders, and too great friendship
alleged between them, Mrs. Flanders
never has been brought to trial, but
now is out on a $4,000 bond.
Saffold vehemently declared that if
Mrs Flanders ever were put on trial,
she would be cleared, and that her trial
would clear McNaughton. For this rea-
son. he pleaded that McNaughtons ex-
ecution now would be peculiarly obrox-
ious to the administration of exact JUS
tce.
Doomed Man Denies Using Drug.
saffold declared that feeling III
Emanuel county was unduly high
against McNaughton at the time of the
trial, and that he went into court orig
inalN condemned man, to all intents
and purposes.
McNaughton treated Flanders through
h'S last sickness for acute nephritis,
and testimony was introduced to show
tAat IN this disease arsenic frequently
Is used. McNaughton. however stout
~ maintained that he never used it in
Inc case OF Flanders. and that he would
not say So even to save his life.
Ihls famous case has been through
every court of Georgia and throesh the
FEDERAL courts, At every point Nc
Naughton has lost on technical grounds
notwithstanding the fact that he was
convicted on purely circumstantial evil
dence.
ono Of the justices of the supreme
court III Georgia that reviewed Nc
Naughtons case twice-former Justice
horace n. Holden--presented his petit
uoh to the prison commission today,
asking that McNaughton be extended
executive cIemency, as there was some
oouot as to the facts of the case, what
ever the real letter Of the law may be
as applied to it.
Inc hearing is being continued this
ol'eInoon, and it likely will be several
Jays before the commission renders a
decision.