Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-11
INDICTMENT
Of FIELDER
ANDFA|N
ASKED
Attorney Accused of Carrying Gun
and Police Commissioner
of Resort Brawl.


against Attorney Thomas B. Fielder
and Police Commissioner w. F. Fain
under consideration. the vice probe
by the Fulton County Grand Jury took
a sensational turn Tuesday.
Two witnesses told of disorder and
rowdyism in a house at 40 East Harris
Street, in which the Police Commits
sioner was said to have been involved
The disorder. they said, occurred
first just after the Christmas holi-
days. and when a call officer went to
investigate, the Police Commissioner
escaped arrest by getting in telephone
communication with the department.
The witnesses said a repetition of
the orgies occurred in April. with
Commissioner Fain as n participant,
and that although the disorder was OF
an aggravated form. the Commission
err again escaped arrest.
Fielder Witness Missing.
When the Grand Jury began con-
sideration Of the charge against Colo
mel Fielder for carrying concealed
weapons. one witness gave the at
torney a clean bill Of health and the
other and most important one could
not be found.
Circumstances on which the bill OF
indictment vas predicsted transpired
about a week ago in the Grand Jury
waiting room, when hot words passed
between Colonel Fielder and Newport
Lanford, chief Of detectives.
Trouble between the attorney and
the detective was averted by the
timely interference Of friends. Later
the charge was advanced that Colonel
Fielder attempted to draw a weapon
and this morning the Grand Jury be-
gan consideration of blanket indict-
ment to that effect.
DIR. Horace Grant, who stepped be-
tween Fielder and LanfoTd and ended
the threatened fray, was sought as
the principal witness. but when the
Grand Jury wanted him to-day he
was not there. A most rigid search of
all places where he could likely be
found proved fruitless.
Says He Saw No Weapon.
Henry Bellingrath, the one witness
examined by the Grand Jury in the
Fielder case, said he saw no weapon
either before, during or after the al
tercation between Fielder and Ian
ford. He then was asked il some of
Colonel Felders friends had not re-
tired with him to an ante-room and
relieved him of a pistol. and he re-
piled in the negative.
Since DR.. Horace Grant can not be
found, and the only other witness
gives Colonel Fielder a clean bill, II
looks as if no indictment against the
attorney will be returned.
The Grand Jury then plunged into
the vice problem. Carl Hutcheson, a
legal attache OF Colonel Felder's Of
fee. who attacked the competency OF
Chief Of Police Beavers, was the first
witness. He was first questioned
about the house at 95 Spring Street.
The Grand Jury was trying to OBJ
tain new evidence in the case Of Mrs,
n. p. Powell. who was given a four
months sentence. Police Chief Beav
ers charged the courts for many
months blocked his closing Of the
place.
No Specific Accusation.
It also was understood that Hutch
eson gave no evidence against any
particular party, but that he gave
much general information and fur
nished the Grand Jury a list OF wit
nesses who. he said. could aid In
making cases against specific individ
uals
The two witnesses testifylng in the
case Of Police Commissioner Faiu
were J. A. Skaggs. an agent of the
Southern Express Company. and Al
len Young, a real estate man. Both
told similar stories 10 the Grand
Jury.
Just after the Christmas holidays
Skaggs and Young said. they COM
I planned to the Police Commission D;
fight and general disorder in the
house al 40 East Harris Street. chars
ing Police Commissioner Fain with
being a principal While the disor-
der was in progress they testified
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