The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-02-14
EXCITEMENT over THE
ORPHAN CASE RAMPANT
IN CERTAIN QUARTERS
Man And Wife In Jail Under
Cruelty Charges
Orpans Home at Collins Switch is
Broken up And Grand Jury viii
Probe Charges of Cruelty to For
mer Inmates of the Home.

In Jail in Marietta, are Mrs. Naomi
Campbell and her husband, c. G.
Campbell, under charges of cruelty
to the children at the home at Col
Inns Switch, which M1s. Campbell
founded little more than year ago.
Mrs. Campbell was arrested on last
Friday, and her husband, who has
lost a leg, was arrested on Monday,
having come back here from North
Carolina in response to telegram
from Mrs. Campbell, after her arrest.
Justice B. V. Greer announced a
preliminary hearing for Wednesday,
and quite a number of witnesses ana
spectators assembled at the court
house at the hour appointed, only to
find that the defendants had waved
a hearing, and had been bound over
to the March term of Cobb Superior
Court, under bonds of $1,000 each.
At this time it appears likely that
they will remain in the jail until
March, as no probable bondsman has
appeared.
The home at Collins Switch, which
Mrs. Campbell called the "Undenom-
national Orphans Home" has been
broken up, and the twenty young IN
mates scattered, most of them being
returned to those from whom they
were received into the home.
Several of the children were taken
bv people who expressed wish to
keen them, Mrs. Lula Jay Nelson, OF
222 Campbell street, Marietta, taking
the little 4 year old Marjorie Clarke,
a very bright little girl, who is said to
have been severely burned against
a hot CRATE by two other children
acting under Mrs. Campbell's d.
rection.
Mrs. Campbell claimed that this
was accidental, and not her wish or
order. Some of the other charges
of cruel punishment, such as ruo-
bing red pepper on childs skin to
make it burn, she is reported to nave
acknowledged.
To the charge of whipping severely
some of the children, she said it was
necessary to control them, and de-
Tended her actions by her own in
terpretation of the Bible, claiming
not to be amenable to the CIVIL laws
of the land.
Her assistant a Mrs. Meredith,
who had recently come to the home,
sustained some of the charges made
by the children, Mrs. Campbell as
sorting that Mrs. Meredith was get
ting even" with her, for having re
primanded her for neglect OF her
duty. She admitted her rigid rule
of the children in the statement that
she always gave them what she prom
Used. whether it be candy or whip
ming. Both she and her husband de-
clared that the prosecution was be-
pun with malice, and was being sup
ported with purjury.
Every day since the arrest OF MRS
Campbell reporters from the Atlanta
papers have trailed every phase OF the
case which promised sensation, work
ing themselves, and such others who
believe all they read, up to a high
state of excitement.
The Georgian, on Wednesday, had
proceeded so far with it's trial of the
case that it used the following FLAIR
ing headline "Ten year jail term seen
for Campbells in Orphan case"
The whole atmosphere was full OF
charges which may have had founda-
ton. or may have been the growth
of the excitement.
Far be it from this paper to defend
the Campbells, but certainly it is bet
ter to let the courts try all charges
as provided by law, and panel OF
sworn jurors to hear the sworn evil
dence and declare verdict in &C
cord with their findings.
If the Campbells are "Blue Boards"
let the courts punish them, If they
are innocent, the courts will so find
and do justice by vindicating and
releasing them.
Cobb county gains nothing, nor is
Justice any more surely attained by
the sensational stories of the Atlanta
"sob sisters"