Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-21
.IPL|FT WORKER
CALLS POLICE
|NQU|S|T0RS
Hiss Benton Demands Punish
ment of Policeman Wood for
Persecution Of Sister.

81 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
suiItv of the Intimidation Of wit
mess. of police persecution and Of
|conduct unbecoming an officer, Miss
BENTON, William M. Southland and his
Wife Elizabeth Southland, have In
sisted, through their counsel, Colonel
Lewis w. Thomas and Leonard j.
E-ossman on a special hearing at
which officer Wood shall be tried.
suecial session of the Police Com
mission will hear the case on Tues
|5ay night. Among the So or more
witnesses who will be subpenaed by
line prosecution are Chief James l..
beavers, Chief Jett, half-brother OF
|, the accused officer Wood, and Judge
IRroyles. who has twice released Mrs.
|southard on charges which were In
sHtuted by Wood.
Saws Officer Hit Old Man.
Policeman Wood has left no stone
|,,nturned 10 turn us out of house
Land home" said Mrs. Southland, re-
Hating long story Of police persecu-
I'ion which dates back to April, 1912,
when she saw officer Wood assault
Ian old man in the street.
~ alter officer Wood and his sis
,er Mrs. Jet, called on me to testify
for the policeman at the trial. l told
Them officer Wood did wrong; he as
sauIted an old man without cause.
Mr. Jett was so years old, and gave
no cause to officer Wood to assault
him: so I said right out that my tes-
|imony could do them no good.
Then Mrs. Jett approached me and
Tried TO get me to testify for her
brother Policeman Wood, who was
charged with assault and battery. She
said if | did not go to court and swear
for John ID. Wood that she, Mrs. Jett,
had Il large family connection in At
ANITA. and that she would go to court
and swear lies to put me out of town.
THAT officer Wood instigated the
|relition against me would be easy to
nrnve at the trial, and then they made
q
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-
suaGe me that it was best to move to
|avoid unpleasant notoriety. Later,
found that these friends were actu-
ated by threats of Detective Hollings-
worth to so advise me, and unwit-
tinglv | 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 has come to Atlanta and, together
with her counsel, has gone carefully
over the evidence which she believes
will lead to the expulsion of Wood
from the police force.
Wood vented his malice and spleen
and personal resentment of my sis
ter's unwilingnesS to be his tool,
said Miss Benton, who comes to At
lanta with credentials from the lead
ling citizens of Macon, including John
T. Moore, Mayor of Macon; John P.
Ross, Solicitor General; ]. j. Cobb,
vice president of The Commercial Ma
tional Bank; Hon. Harry Stillwell
Edwards and Judge n E. Harris, all
Of whom commend her as being a
eader in the uplift work Of her COM
munity.
UpIift Worker Determined.
1T would be folly for me to give
my life TO the helping of the needy in
Macon and disregard the persecution
of my sister by an Atlanta police
man who has used his official posi-
non as a club to intimidate her con-
tinuously and repeatedly, though
every charge he has ever preferred
against her has been dismissed said
Miss Benton: II have full confidence
in the rase my counsel have pre-
pared" she said. Colonel Lewis has
been hard at work for some weeks,
land has not only compiled the charg-
which should turn out Policeman
Wood from the police department,
Ing. but he has also worked up
case which officer Wood will not hear
the end of, even after his expulsion.
Attorney Leonard j. Grossman, as
seclated with Brown & Randolph,
Parker & Scott, has been gathering
evidence which points to the guilt of
the accused officer, and we expect
hVely time on Tuesday night when
the high officials of the police de-
partment will be compelled to either
90 on record as indorsing police
persecution or else make an exam
PIE Of the man whom the evidence
S1o"s has bounded one family out