Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-21
7. r. WatyOn 14rreyted at
Buford for Disorder;
Spends Nigh In Jail
Cancels Speaking Dates and
Returns Home After ApoI-
ogizing to the Hotel Pro-
prietress

a disturbance and used violently OBJ.
scene language at the Merchants
hotel in the presence of the pro
prfetress, Miss Sallie Wiley.
The specific charge against Mr.
Watson was public indecency." The
charge against Mr.. Miller was
point" a revolver" According to a
dozen or more Buford citizens, no.
tel guests, arresting officers and
Miss Wiley, Mr.. Watson was seized
by an unprovoked and seemingly I'M
comfortable fit of frenzy, defying
all efforts to smooth the affair over
and refusing to allow personal
friends and DISTINGUISHED Buford
citizens to furnish bond.
After Mr.. Watson and Mr.. Miller
were released Thursday morning on
bonds of $500 to $1,000, respectively,
furnished by Arthur Brogdon, Bu-
ford supporter of Mr.. Watson, Mr..
Watson and his friends prepared a
written statement. 1t was admitted
in this statement that Mr.. Watson
had taken two drinks of corn whisky
because he was broken down from
the tremendous strain Of his cam
paign. The statement offered
apologies to Miss Sally Wiley, for
sixteen years proprietress of the
Merchants hotel, and both Mr.. Wat
son and former Senator Thomas w.
Hardwick supplemented this with
personal apologies.
The address Mr.. Watson was to
have delivered here this morning
jointly with Mr.. Hardwick was call
ed off and his speeches for the rest
of the week were Cancelled. Accom-
panied by John 1. Kelly, of Law
renceville, his attorney, and William
F. Brandt, of Atlanta, a member of
the Hardwick campaign organiza-
ton, he took the first train for his
home at Thomson.
Hotel Propr1etress' Account
The following account of the dis
turbance last night was furnished
The Journals correspondent by Miss
Sally Wiley, proprietress of the Mer-
chants hotel:
Mr.. Watson and Mr.. Miller ar
rived at the hotel shortly after sup
per time, about o'clock. When he
was given a room, he asked that
supper be sent up, and I sent up a
tray. Later, he returned the tray
with a message complimenting me
on the supper and thanking me for
my trouble He also sent word that
he was not to be disturbed, and re-
quested that his name he removed
from the register so that people
would not look him up. He was very
tired, he said. l did as he requested,
and when ne got long distance call.
| sent message to him, was told
that 1T was not important and told
whoever was calling that Mr. Wat
"A short while later I was sitting
in the dining room talking to Mr..
Winfield Rowe, one of our citizens.
A group of about six travelling men
were in the lobby, playing cards.
II They We're re+ not gambling; they were
looks out on the lobby. Mr.. Watson's
room was right at the head of the
stairs, where they turn, making a
little we'll His room almost over
looks the lobby.
THE. first thing we knew six
pound book hit the wall near where
the men were playing cards. All of
them looked up. Mr.. Watson had
come out of his room and was stand
ing in the hall, looking down on the
lobby He had on his .undercIothes.
he began shouting at the travelling
his rest: He called them names and
cursed them and used some very vile
language. 1 do not know if Mr.. Wat
son saw me or not. I had come out
OF the dining room and was stand
ing near the door.
Trying to stop the disturbance,
I ran upstairs and began asking Mr..
Watson to keep quiet. Mr.. Rowe
went up with me, and so did nv
brother. Mr.. Watson's companion,
Mr.: Miller, had also come into the
hall. He. too. was in his undercloth-
ing.
Marshal Is Called
Mr. Rowe told Mr.. Watson lie
was not for him in politics, but he
would like to protect him and keep
not think Mr.. Watson was quite RAJ
tional, for he cursed back at nv
brother, and threatened him with a
water pitcher he had in his hand. 1
stepped between them, and then Mr..
Watson turned on me and cursed me-
While my brother and Mr. Rowe
were arguing with Mr.. Watson I ran
to the telephone and called the mar
shall.
\ 1.-The marshal and his deputies
Mr M aed o drew OF the p55tp
shals pointed his pistol at Mr.. Mil
Ter and made him give up his gun.
"The officers had some trouble in
getting Mr.. Watson to put on his
clothes. They finally got him dress
put on his clothes. They were try
ing to keep Mr.. Watson quiet, but
it was very. hard to do this. FinaIlN
they took them both away. ~
II have been running the hotel II
for sixteen years, and my reason
Hing the nffiParc fhaf
not think Mr.. Watson had shown
either me or my house the proper
courtesy and it seemed impossible
to control him. He was cursing with
every breath, and when 1 tried to
keep him from throwing. the water
pitcher, he cursed me directly. No
body wanted to arrest him. They
all tried to get him to go back to
his room quietly. Failing in that
they tried to make him go with Mr..
Rowe to his home, or to Mr.. Brog-
don's home. He refused to go and
insisted on going to Jail"
Miss Wiley further stated that the
deputies wanted to search Mr.. Wat
sons room, but that she would not
let let them without a search warrant.
rant later and ransacked the room,
finding, according to Sheriff Shad-
burn, pint bottle containing a
little corn whisky.
Winfield Rowe related to the cor
respondent the same account that
Miss Wiley did.
"Mr. Watson was taken by the Of
ficers from the hotel to my store"
said Mr. Rowe. I'VE asked him to
go to Mr.. Brogdon's home until bond
could be arranged, but he refused
to do so. At my store, we tried to
get him to accept bond, but he in
sisted on getting either liberty or
Jail. He refused to be turned loose
unless he was allowed to go uncon-
ditionally. The officers had no choice
except to take him to Jail, and Mr..
Miller went with him"
Travelling Mans Statement
A. M. Jackson, of Athens, a trav-
cling salesman for the Rowland