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

Il charge the Spanish Inausition
fair city of Atlanta"
That is the declaration made by
Miss Atief Benton.
Alleging that John ID. Wood is
guilty of the intimidation of WITT
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 j.
Grossman, on a special hearing at
which officer Wood shall be tried.
A special session of the Police Com
mission will hear the case on Tues
day night Among the 80 or more
witnesses who will be subpenaed by
the prosecution are Chief James l..
Beavers. Chief Jett. half brother of
The accused officer Wood, and Judge
Broyles, who has twice released Mrs.
Southland on charges which We're in
stituted by Wood.
Says Officer Hit Old Man.
Policeman Wood has left no stone
unturned 10 turn us out OF house
and home" said Mrs Southland, re-
lating long story of police perseeu-
ton which dates 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. Jett approached me and
tried to get me to testify for her
brother. Policeman Wood. who was
charged with assault and battery. She
said il ] did not go 10 court and swear
| for John d. Wood that she. Mrs. Jett,
| had a 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 instisated the
| petition against me would be easy to
prove al 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 a
record that would muddy the waters
and discount my testimony against
| Wood.
| Sister Defends Miss Benton.
However, | allowed friends to per
suade me that it was best to move to
avoid unpleasant notoriety Later
| found that these friends were actu-
ated by threats of Detective Holdings
worth TO so advise me. and unwit-
! tingly ] walked INTO their trap and
allowed them to create a record which
| they calculated would be to my dis
| advantage
! indignant with the treatm 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
| viii lead to the expulsion of Wooo
! from the police force.
Wood vented his malice and spleen
| and personal resentment of my sis
| ters unwillingness to be his tool,
| said Miss Benton. who comes to At
lanta with credentials from the lead
ing citizens of Macon, including John
| T. Moore Mayor of Macon John r.
| Ross, Solicitor General; j. j. Cobb
vice president of he Commercial Ma
tional Bank; Hon. Harry Stillwell
Edwards and Judge \. E. Harris, all
Of whom commend her as being a
leader in the uplift work of her com
munitY.
Uplift 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-