The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-09-19
PROMINENT PEOPLE IN JAIL
NORTH GEORGIA COUNTY STIRR-
ED OVER SENSATIONAL CASE.
Minister of the Gospel and Six 9th
ers, Including Girl and Wealthy
Men, Held on Ugly Charges.

wealthy T6SlueuIS Ol SudtlOoSo NOuH
ty, one of them a young woman and
one a venerable Methodist preacher,
are held in Jail at Summerville with
out bond because of their efforts to
settle out of court ugly charges
against two of the number. The
county has been shaken to its very
center by the dramatic events of Sat
urday and Sunday, resulting in the
above action taken by Judge Moses
Wright of the Rome judicial circuit.
The people held in jail without
bond are William Bagley, Rev. NJ.
Mulkey Hill, w. H. Dempsey, Wash
ington Reynolds, his son, Benjamin.
Reynolds; William Hayes and his
wife, and Ethel Bagley Hayes. All
of them are charged vita contempt
OF court, in that by the use of money
and intimidation they endeavored to
get witnesses to leave the jurisdic-
ton of the court All of them are
under Indictment for compounding
felony.
Young Hayes is charged with Sc
duction, is alleged victim being the
daughter of Washington Reynolds
Bagley is charged with rape, rela-
tive claiming that she had been fore
| ed to submit to his advances against
her will.
Judge CritiCises Minister.
i Judge Wright in ordering the sew
en- held in Jail without bond was
Especially severe in his remarks to
Rev. W. NJ Hull, a minister of the
Methodist church, aged 60 years,
who serves a circuit of prosperous
country churches in Floyd and Chat
tooga counties. With tears stream
| ing down his cheeks the old preacher
assured the Judge that he had not
intended any Wrong-doing and had
only endeavored to act as peace-mak-
er. He begged piteously for bond and
said that members of his churches
would, if necessary, furnish $780,
600 bond to keep him from going to
Jail. The Judge replied:
81 cannot conceive how you ever
twisted the statement, Blessed is the
! peacemaker,' so that it would mean
the same thing as blessed is the man
who procures witnesses to sign an
affidavit that they will never appear
in obedience to the mandate of the
court and in this way discharge
man charged with the heinous Of
Tense of rape and another charged
with the crime of seducing pure,
innocent girl If the Bible meant
! that We we're to have this kind OF
peacemakers, and they grew numer-
Gus enough, it would turn this coun-
try over to the uncOnvicted rapists,
murderers and seduoers of innocent
girls. Mr.. Sheriff, take these men to
Jail until further orders from the
| court"
Several Families Involved.
The trouble out Of which the stir
ring events grew started several
months ago when young VIII Hayes,
a prosperous farmer, was charged
with the ruin of the daughter of
Washington Reynolds, neighboring
farmer of the Lyerly neighborhood.
He made promises of marriage and
reformation, it is alleged, but mar
ried Ethel, the daughter of William
Bagley, one of the leading men Of
the county, farmer, merchant, dea-
con in the Baptist church and officer
in the Masonic lodge. Then Rey-
nolds had young Hayes jailed on the
old warrant, and his father-in-law,
Bagley, refused to go on his bond.
Hayes wife then told the horrible
story against her father in retalia-
ton and he was arrested, but gave
$4,000 bond.
Thus matters stood at the last
term of court, but it seemed impossi
BILE to get the cases to trial. because
of lack of witnesses. Stories were
afoat as to bribery and corruption Of
! jurors and witnesses, and Solicitor
General w. H. Ennis determined to
probe the matter to the bottom.
Trade Alleged.
The showing made by the solicitor
general in court was that trade had
been engineered by the Rev. Mr.. Hill,
whereby Washington Reynolds was
to receive $3.50 for dropping the
prosecution of the seduction charges
against Hayes. and Mrs. Hayes was
not to appear against her father,
Bagley, to testify as to his alleged at
tack upon a member of his family.
All parties concerned, it is declared,
went to the home of William D.
Hawkins, a justice of the peace, and
there signed agreements as above.
The prominence of the parties in
volved, the fact that one of them is
minister, and Bagley a man OF
wealth, the activity of the solicitor
general and the stern refusal of the
Judge to admit any Of the accused to
bond have all combined to create a
tremendous sensation throughout
this judicial circuit.
THE COTTON MARKET.