The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-01
MAYES DENIES
MURDER CHARGE
Rioting Was Caused by Meth
DDS of Officers in Max
ing Arrest.
OPERATED DANCE HALL
Expresses Fear of Electric
Chair Through False
Testimony,

In a detailed statement written In
his cell in the Hamilton county jail
Sunday, Maurice +. Mayes, colored,
accused of the murder of Mrs. Ber-
tie Lindsey, a well-known Knoxville
woman. and brought here for safe
keeping, denies all connection with
the affair and attributes the rioting
to the methods employed by the po-
lice. Monday morning he declined to
make any further statement, When
visited by a News reporter the pris-
oner was busily engaged in writing 4
letter to a colored deputy sheriff,
with whom he seems well acquainted.
Through the long communication
room runs the fear of death by the
electric chair. He declares that false
statements by policemen who seem
anxious for his conviction may send
him to his death. He asks the friend
to give him the name of a good law
yer and a friend of Gov. Roberts, So
If he is convicted Of the crime which
he declares another committed. he
may have some chance of saving his
life.
Mayes stated that he had incurred
the dislike of policemen while rum
ming a cafe and dance hall. He states
that his place was not closed down
by the authorities but that he closed
of his own accord. He has been ar
rested upon charges of running n
gambling house and of carrying a
pistol.
The statement, written by Mayes in
his cell at the Jail yesterday, is as
follows:
an order that the general public
may know the truth, | submit the
following facts regarding my arrest
and the charge against me of muir
dering Mrs. Lindsey.
"My father and ! were out all OF
Thursday afternoon in a buggy, as
sisting a candidate running fol
mayor. We came to the stable about
s: 80 in the evening. | was down near
Vine and Central avenue talking to
different persons until about 80,
when / started to the Louisville &
Nashville railroad station.
EN- route l met John Kirk a for
mer deputy sheriff. We discussed the
political contest for a few minutes
and then went directly to the Louis
vile & Nashville station, looked into
the colored waiting room, but failed
to find the party [ was looking for.
About two or three blocks from the
station l stopped to ask some colored
girls for a friend, Russell Lyles. ]
came back to the corner OF Vine and
Central and talked to several friends,
among whom We're Arthur Hazan and
A. A. Fielding. I was in this neigh
borhood until II Or 1880.
Later I went south on Central to
John Whitman's restaurant. Finding
the place closed turned back on Cen
trail to Vine street. This was about u.
and l talked a while to two colored
girls and then went to Blaine McGee's
restaurant and ordered some fish.
did not get served. as they had not
the kind Of fish / ordered. | looked for
a chauffeur, Jim Massengill. and found
him two or three doors from the res
taurant ! got into his car and we
drove around a few blocks and came
back to Central avenue. | asked Jim
to take me home. 1t was a few minutes
past IL then, to the best of my knoll
edSe. l went directly home to bed,
The officers woke me about 2:30 or 3,
and ! Immediately opened the door.
When they searched my house / at first
returned to bed and told them to go
as far as they liked.
Some of my dresser drawers were
fastened and L hurriedly unfastened
them. They found a revolver. loaded
all around. The officer noticed 1t had
not been shot and he asked If l didn't
have another revolver. ! told him no.
They looked at my shoes and they
We're not muddy as they claim. They
ordered me to get dressed so I could
go and let some woman identify me.
| was anxious to go and dressed hur-
riedly. l was taken to the scene of the
tragedy in the patrol. The officers
went into the house and brought the
lady out.
"She said was the man. later
asked the officers to bring ner back so
she could see me better. but they re-
fused. l am not the guilty party.
Some one else has committed a
crime l may have to answer for. Some
of the officers in the case are some
what prejudiced against me on account
of unfounded reports. One OF the Of
fcers, Andy White, has cursed me on
a former occasion.
II served as deputy sheriff In my
home county and have a recommended
ton from Sheriff Galloway, commend
ing me on my honorable record as an
officer. The case is one of oppression
and injustice. Had the officers been
honest in their actions, they would
have arrested several suspects filing
the description and kept their arrests
secret. Then they would have allowed
the lady to come in a composed condi-
ton and pick out the guilty party. AS
it is, 1t looks like bad management,
based on oppression and prejudice. |
believe the court will believe me, as I
am telling the truth, II die this very
moment.
IF the case had been handled with
Nynl1l1 have hgpn