The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-06-03
COpPEDGE GRANTED
CHANGE OF VENUE
COUNSEL HAVE NOT AGREED ON
COUNTY WHERE CASE WILL GO
TO TRlAL-MANY PROMINENT
CITIZENS TESTIFY AT THE
HEARING.

III The CrlSp county jail since Apr1
15 on a charge of assault with intent
to rape, alleged to have been commit
ed on young woman of this city,
was granted change of venue by
Judge D. A. r. Crum in Crisp superior
court Thursday morning. Judge Crum
based his decision on the ground that
the defendant could not obtain a fair
and impartial trial in Crisp county. ,
The nearing of application for
change of venue was attended by a
large number of spectators. Solicitor
General J. B. Wall, Judge E. F. Stro-
Aer and O. T. Cover were counsel
). "a The state. Jim Dodgen, of Fitzger,
aid and j. T. Jeter Of Cordele, repre-
sented the defense.
Many prominent citizens, among
them Sheriff Ward and Chief of Pc
lice Sheppard, were introduced in the
case by both sides and cross examin-
ed. Counsel submitted the case to
Judge Crum for decision without ar
gument.
Counsel in the case have not agreed
on the county in which the case will
go to trial. This matter could be de-
cided between counsel for the defense
and Solicitor Wall, though the solicit
tor would probably notify the mem
bers of counsel for the prosecution
here, though late Saturday they had
received no word from him. In event
OF failure of counsel to agree On the
county for trial of the case, this mat
ter will be determined by Judge Crum
Coppedge and Mrs. C. L. Green, for
mer housekeeper at the hotel where
the crime is alleged to have been com.
mited, were indicted by the grand jury
during the early part of their session
Mrs. Green was indicted as princi
pal in the alleged crime. She has made
no motion for change OF venue, prob
ably awaiting the outcome of Cop
pedge's case, and the change of venue
has no effect on her case.
Practically all of the witnesses in
troduced both for the state and de
PENDANT, testified that in their opinion
he could secure fair and i'm
partial trial in this county, that there
had been no threats of violence, so far
as they knew and that they felt con
fident that no violence would be done
the prisoner in event his case came
to trial in this county. Mrs. Coppedge
mother of the defendant, and ]. B
Coppedge, brothep who live at Way
cross, testified on behalf of the de
tense. ]. B. Coppedge stated that or
the night of Wednesday, May 16, wher
an attempted marriage between his
brother and the girl in the case waf
attempted at the county Jail and frus
trated by relatives of the girl, he was
advised by a policeman that he had
better leave the city
Rev. Walter Anthony, Sheriff Ward
C. ]. Shipp, Chief of Police Sheppard
w. H. Malone, the magistrate, who as
sessed the bond in Coppedge's case
Mayor Jones, j. w. Cannon, Judge U
v. Whipple, ]. ]. Williams, A. F
Churchwell, L. A. Parker, Max E
Land, ]. Slade, Fred Harder, M. M
Fakes, j. A. Littlejohn, clerk superior
court, Hugh Lasseter, were among the
witnesses examined. All stated that
they felt confident that the defendan'
could secure a fair and impartial trial
in this county.
Judge Crum stated in making his de
cision that this was not like the or
binary case, that the charge is hei
neous in the mind of every right think
ing man, that it is charge recognized
as the easiest to prefer and hardes
to defend, because such crimes us
ually take place in secluded places
that it is charge that arouses in
dignation. and that people thereby
act their minds set against one sc
charged to the extent that frequently
although they may think they are i'm
martial they really are not and &c
into the jury box believing that the
man is guilty and requiring evidence
on his part to disprove that belief
Judge Crum, in addressing the coun
y sell said in part, that he didn't thini
that the movant had made out case
nm The question of violence that woulf
authorize. or at least require change
Of venue. However, he stated, he was
not unmindful of rulings of the Su
nreme court on that subject in severa
cases. one of which he cited as the
Amor Biyins case from this county
and others in the case of Graham and
Kennedy.
"The Supreme court of our state
hoe said that an impartial jury has
No bias, leaning, or inclination to-
yards or against the accused. The
question of whether the jury is per
fectlv impartial means whether he is
nerfectly perpendicular between the