Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-22
WORKER
CALLS POLICE
|NQU|S|TORS
Miss Benton Demands Punish
ment of Policeman Wood for
Persecution of Sister.

i charge the Spanish Inquisitlon
has privately been re- enacted in the
fair city of Atlanta"
| That is the declaration made BY
Miss Alief Benton.
! Alleging that John d. Wood is
| guilty OF the intimidation of wit
ness, Of police persecution and of
| conduct unbecoming an officer Miss
Benton, William NJ. Southland and his
wife, Elizabeth Southland. have in
' SISTED through their counsel, Colonel
Lewis w. Thomas and Leonard
Grossman, on a special hearing at
which Officer Wood shall be tried.
special session Of the Police Com
mission will hear the case on Tues
day night Among the 35 or more
"ltnesses who will be subpenaed by
the. prosecution are Chief James L.
ltehVers Chief Jett, half brother of
the accused officer Wood and Judge
Broyies, who has twice released Mrs
Southland on charges which were in
stituted by Wood.
Says Officer Hit Old Man.
Policeman Wood has left no stone
unturned to turn us out of house
and home" said Mrs Southland, re-
lating long story OF police persecu-
ton which oates back to April. 1912,
when she saw officer Wood assault
an old man in the street.
Later Officer Wood and his sis
ter, Mrs. Jett, called on me to testify
for the policeman at the trial. | told
them Officer Wood did wrong: he as
saulted an old man without cause.
Mr.. Jett was so years old, and gave
no cause to Officer Wood to assault
him; so | said right out that my tes-
timony could do them no good.
Then Mrs. Jet approached me and
tried to get me to testify for her
brother. Policeman Wood, who was
charged with assault and battery. She
said II did not go to court and swear
for John ID. Wood that she, Mrs. lett
had large family connection in At
lanta, and that she would go to court
and swear lies to put me out of town.
That officer Wood instigated the
petition against me would be easy to
prove at the trial, and then they made
a case against me because | would not
move. OF course, the object of this
as | discovered later, was to create
record that would muddy the waters
and discount my testimony against
Wood.
sister Defends Miss Benton.
However. | allowed friends to per-
suade me that 1t was best to move to
AVOID unpleasant notoriety. Later
round That these friends were actu-
ated by threats of Detective Hollings-
worth to so advise me, and unwir-
tlngly walked INTO their trap and
allowed them to create record which
they calculated would be to my dis
advantage.
indignant with the treatment her
sister has received. Miss Alief Ben
ton mas come to Atlanta and. together
with her counsel, has gone carefully
over the evidence which she believes
VIII lead TO the expulsion OF Wood
from the police force.
Wood vented his malice and spleen
ana PERSONAL resentment of my sis
ters unwilllngness to be his tool,
said Miss Benton, who comes to At
lanta with credentials from the lead
ing cltiZens or Macon, including John
I. Moore. Mayor of Macon; John p.
Ross, solicitor General: j. j. Cobb,
vice president OF The Commercial Ma
tonal Bank; Hon. Harry Stiliwen
Edwards and Judge n. f. Harris. all
OF whom commend her as being
iea"er IN the upllft work of her COM
munlty.
Uplitt Worker Determined.
1T would be folly for me to give