Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-25
TEN YEARS
|NPR|SDN|S
SEN TENC
KILLED HUSBAND
Atlanta Worn an'S Case Puz
zIed Jury twenty-five
Hours = Verdict Not a
Surprise

Mrs. Stella Fem Abbott, SUR
rounded by friends and membersvof
her family, sat in Judge John D.
HUMPHREYS court Monda.' -447"rinE
and heard herself sentenced to ten
years in the state prison at Mill
ledgeville because she shot and killed
her husband, John Henry Abbott, on
the night of January 81.
She came into the court room
few minutes before o'clock in tho
knowledge that she would be ser-
fenced to serve between one and
twenty years. the penalty provided
under the verdict of manslaughter
returned Sunday afternoon.
At ten minutes after nine she was
leaving the court room. almost car
ried by her brother-in-law, Guy
Reese and Mrs. Edna Rives. a
friend who had been with her since
the trial started last Wednesday,
morning.
The only sound she made. audible
beyond the immediate circle of her
friends, was an exclamation that
combined low moan and a stifIed
At 9 o'clock Monday morning Judge
HUMPHREYS mounted the bench and
announced that unless there was
some objection interposed by counsel
he would impose sentence on Mrs.
Abbott Attorneys Reuben r. Arnold
and Edmund w. Martin indicated that
there was no legal reason why SEN
tence should not be passed 4
Mrs. Abbott had been half carried
into the court loom by her relatives
and an attendant court official. She
showed signs of tremendous nervous
strain and gave evidences of having
passed sleepless night at the Fulr
ton county Tower. She sat at the
table with her counsel and around
her were ner father, two little sons
her sister and her brother-fn-faT
Guy. Reece, and her father, L. FL
Fem. r..
Sentence Is pronounced
She made no statement before
sentence was passed upon her arc
remained seated as Judge HUMPHREYS
began to speak from the '>o1ch a
Mrs. Abbott you have been faith
fully represented said the judge,
and I have endeavored to give you
fair and impartial trial"
Il shall Geal with the case as it.
came from the jury. 1t is not my
purpose to impose the extreme. pen-
penalty OF one year.
Mrs. Abbott, 1 sentence you to-
serve. in the state penintentiary--
o. ne state farm is r'y recommen.
dation-the term of ten years
The defendant was immediately
taken from the courtroom by hers
relatives. having shown no emotion
except for brief muffled exclama-lt
ton as Judge HUMPHREYS began to-.
deliver the sentence of the court,
A motion for q new trial has beer
filed by Mrs. Abbott's attorneys and
Judge Humphries will hear argu-
ments on Saturday, March Is.
Grounds for Appeal
1t was announced by counsel for
the defense that all the grounds 70
be named in the motion for a new
trial would not be indicated until
they had examined the full record in
the case as prepared by the Official
court stenographer.
They declared. however. that one
ground for the motion would be that
portion of Judge Humphries charge
to the ury in which he indicated that
Mrs. Abbott could not create a con-
dition and then take advantage of IT,
Judge HUMPHREYS meant by this
that Mrs. Abbott could not cause her
husband to become afraid of her by
threatening him and producing pfs-
toll and then, when he was moved to
act to prevent what he thought was
an attempt on his life. shoot him and
claim Self-defenSe. -