Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-12-02

his bad hip and bent spine were caus-
ed by kick from his father when he
was baby.
Two years later a girl, Clara Belle,
was born.
Bessie's life has been given to those
children. When her husband failed to
provide she went ragged to clothe
them and hungry to feed them Wake
field kept the purse strings. He would
bring home a steak, and eat it all him
self. He let little Georges feet freeze
for lack of shoes, when he had money.
They lived in a cellar in Bristol.
Then came Jas. Plew. He wanted
Bessie and saw that the way to her
heart was through her children. So
Plew was kind to George and Cora. H.
gave them candy and food and bought
them clothes. He played with them,
as their father had never done.
Was Grateful to PIew and COndOned
His Offenses.
If Bessie knew that Plew had Il
penitentiary record and that he had
deserted his wife, she condoned the
offense. For she was grateful to him.
And Plew-like most of the famous
"Juke" family Of criminals and detec-
tives to which he belongs-had power
over the women.
Plew wanted a housekeeper, when
his paramour left him alone with a
baby. He asked for Bessie. And, with
her husbands consent, she went and
kept his house and cared for the child
until it died, and for Plew's three
year-old son. Wakefield took his
meals there for a while, then sold out
his household goods and disappeared.
After a few months Wakefield re-
turned. Bessie and the children wett
back to live with him, and Plew was a
frequent visitor. But now Plew and
Wakefield had frequent quarrels.
Plew APPARENTLY wanted Bessie for him
self and schemed to get her.
One Sunday early in July, Plew
came to the Wakefield home with
revolver and handkerchief satuerat-
ed with chloroform.
The facts regarding that dreadful
evening are vague Bessie had been
alarmed by Plew's wild talk, and had
taken his revolver and hid it. Later
when he demanded it she gave it to
him again. Plew always had power
over the simple, yielding girl. Az
Cuaintances say that she would jump
to obey him.
There was quarrel between the
men, they left the house. Afterwards
Wakefeld's body was found twelve
miles away.
COnfesses to Murder and Implicats
Woman
When Plew was arrested he told a
strange story of that night, confessing
that he killed Wakefield and declaring
that Bessie had helped.
Bessie was arrested. The coroner
forced a confession from her when
she had no lawyer or friend present
and when she did not realize the in
eliminating nature of her hysterisal
admission. People who knew her well
say that Bessie Is the suggestible
type that can be made to admit al
most anything. She has ever sine g
protested that she is innocent.
She was convicted on first-degree
murder on the strength Of Plew's ac-
cusation and this alleged confession.
The judge held to the letter of the
law. The jury-not segrated during
the trial--was swayed by public opin-
ion, which had demanded her death
During the four months between
Bessie's arrest and conviction not a
single man, woman or child visited
her in jail, not even her own father
and mother. Every mans hand was
against her.
The sentence, ITO be hanged by thu
neck until dead, between sunrise and
ssunset on March 4, 1914 shocked thu