The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-02-25
SAYS WADE WAS KILLED IN A
ROOM WHERE THERE WAS AN
OTHER MAN AND A WOMAN.
WAS EMPLOYED AT HOUSE;
HEARD SCUFFLE And SHOT
Statement by Inmate of State Refor.
matory May Lead to New Develop
ments in Famous Murder Case.
Says Chapman Was Not There.

A news dispatch from Americas
says that city and Sumter county are
excited and stirred over the latest de-
velopments in the celebrated Wade
Chapman murder Casa statement
made by negro boy, who is an in
I mate of the state reformatOry at Mil
ledgeville, when he was thought to
be near death from an attack Of
pneumonia.
According to the story of this boy,
whose name is Shellman Johnson,
DR.. c. K. Chapman and w. I. John
son, serving life terms in the peni-
tertiary for the murder of Walter
Wade, a Sumter county farmer, were
not present when the murder Occurr-
ed.
The negro, who is about Is years
of age, was stricken with pneumonia
at the reformatory, and was under
the treatment of DR.. W. j. McNaugh-
ton. Believing that he was going to
die the boy said that he wanted to
make Statement about the Ameri-
Gus murder, and asserted that DR..
Chapman was not present when the
crime occurred, and was innocent.
|
told him to the warden, which result
ed in Superintendent Smith, of the
reformatory, arranging to have the
statement taken in writing.
Dying" Statement.
| A well-known Milledgeville attor-
ney who has practiced law more than
80 years and participated in many
noted criminal trials was sent for to
take what the prison authorities, the
! physicians and also the negro thought
was a dying declaration.
The negro stated that Wade was
killed in house run by Lois Reeves,
and that he was employed there and
was in the house when Wade was
killed. He swore that Wade, an
| other man and woman were engag-
ed IN quarrel in room, and that
! the woman ran into another room,
secured a pistol, returned and shut
the door. He heard some scuffling
and then the report of the pistol,
which fired the fatal shot. These
three persons were the only ones in
the room.
After discussion by those present
the body of Wade was put in a gray
auIomoDlle and taken away.
Mopped Up Blood.
The next morning, the negro de-
clared, he mOpped up the blood on
the floor in the room where the kill
ing had occurred.
The prominent lawyer who took
this dying" declaration was much
impressed with the truth and sinceri-
ty of the statement.
The negro has almost completely
recovered from the illness, and is will
ing to reiterate what he thought was
his dying declaration. He says he
was run away from Americas soon
after the murder, and went to Ma
con, from where he Was sent to the
reformatory.
Messrs. Wallis and Fort, counsel
for DIR. Chapman, decline at this time
to make public any statement.
Main Witness Arrested.
DR.. Chapman and Warren John
son, the latter of whom was at the
time special agent for the Central
railroad, were convicted chiefly
on the testimony of Mrs. Yearly
Howell, who swore that she was in
an automobile with them three miles
from town, with Wade driving and
on the front seat with Chapman's
son, when the doctor pulled a pistol
and fired a bullet that went in the
back of the head. She swore that
Johnson said, "Kill him, damn him,
or give me the gun" No motive for
the killing was ever proved. Mrs.
Howell was afterwards arrested in
Columbus for living illicitly with the
detective who worked up the case for
the state. This detective was employ
ed by relatives of Walter Wade.
The Sumter grand jury met yes
terday morning and it is possible that
an inquiry may be instituted, but
this is not certain. julie FELTON,, of
Montezuma, who assisted the state
in the prosecution, is now solicitor
general
A very large part of the people
in Americas have no faith in She'll
man Johnson's statement. Sheriff
Harvey say the negro boy visited DR..
Chapman several times during Chap
mans incarceration in the Sumter
county Jail and the two held
lengthy conferences at that time.
The negro is described by Sheriff
Harvey as a most worthless and I'M
reliable character.
Relatives of Wade Vigilant.
Relatives of Wade, who have al
ready expended large sum in the
prosecution of the case, and who en-
ployed the detective who first secur-
ed a confession from Mrs. Howell,
have not relaxed their vigilance since
the conviction of DIR. Chapman and
Warren |. Johnson. They are pre-
pared, it is stated, to prosecute the
remaining defendants most vigorous
ly, and are in daily touch with Mrs.
Howell, who is reported to be at the
home of her parents near Preston in
Webster county. John Etheride. Hen
nv Harp, Walter johnson and Charles
K. Chapman, jr., are the remaining
defendants, and all Of these are at
present at liberty on hail.