Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-04
ABBEV|LLE BUZzES
WITH RUMORS ABOUT
SHEPARD MYSTERY
]. A, Turner Wife and Son,
Former Tenants on Cults
Farnl Expected to Give
Sensational Testimony
BY ed II. BRADLEY
(StafS Correspondent Of The Journal

(StafS Correspondent Of The Journal)
ABBEVILLE, Ga, Dec 3.-De-
veiopments here today indicated that
Solicitor General CARROTS Office in
developing the prosecutions side Of
the Shepard mystery attaches much
Importance to the statements much
J. Peterson, former tenant on the
Cults farm on the outskirts of this
city, relative to conversations he
claims to have had with Mrs. Cults
on the day news Of Mr.. Shepard's
death in Macon reached the Cults
household. Peterson is understood to
have given statements of startling
solicitors office to gather af1davits
and other data bearing on the case.
Peterson, who lived on the Cults
farm for several years. says that he
is going to repeat his statements on
the stand when called upon, and he
understands that the state attaches
great Importance to the trend of his
testimony, which, he says. will con-
sist principally of the remarks made
to him by Mrs. Cults when Mrs.
Shepard (now Mrs. Elmer) having
heard that her husband had died in
q Macon hospital, became wrought
up" over the news.
Taken in connection with the testi-
mony to be given by Mr.. and Mrs.
j. A. Turner and their son, John Tur-
ner, the evidence to be given by Pc
terson Is considered by the authori-
ties as materially strengthening the
case against Mrs. Cults, Mrs. F. e.
Elmer, former wife of the dead man;
Mrs. lone Henry, sister of Mrs. Ell
mer, and Ernest Hopson, son of Mrs.
Elmer by her first marriage. All
four of these persons are now in
custody, Mrs. Elmer and Mrs. Cults
in the Bibb county Jail; Mrs. Henry
under guard at her home in Perry,
and Ernest Hopson in the Houston
county Jail, at Perry.
Peterson says that he was en-
ployed on the Cults farm in the same
capacity as the Turner's, and that
Mrs. Cults had no hesitancy in MAX
ing statements concerning her pri-
vate affairs, both business and per-
sonal.
That Mrs. Alice Crandall, of Fort
Valley, came to Abbeville to see Mrs.
Cults after Mr.. Shepard's death and
prior to the inauguration of the in
vestigation by the state, was state
ment also made by Peterson. Dis
patches from Fort Valley have stated
that Mrs. Crandall was sent for by
Mrs. Cults some weeks after Mr..
told her the story Of the circum-
stances surrounding his sudden de-
mise. Peterson says that Mrs. Cults
did actually send for Mrs. Crandall,
and that the latter came to Abbeville
on several occasions. although he
the two women.
1t is a fact. however, that Solicitor
General Charles H. Garrett, of the
vestigation of the case very soon
after Mrs Crandall's conferences
with Mrs. Cults, Nresulting in the eX-
humation of the body and the analy-
sis of the viscera by chemists and
pathologists.
These experts testified at the cor
oner's inquest that they found BIZ
chloride of mercury in Mr.. Shop
ards vital organs.
The four arrests followed within
forty-eight hours. 1t also develops
that RMS. Cults, after the death of
Mr.. Shepard and after the Turner's
had been evicted from the Cults
farm following the shooting affair
in which Turner shot John H. Hop
son, son of Mrs. Elmer, gave the
Turner's a fine thoroughbred bulldog
which they had expressed the de-
sire to own, but which Mrs. Cults
had steadfastly refused to give
them. They say she met them in the
the dog There had been hard feel
ings between the Turner's and Mrs.
Cults as the result of the shooting
of John Hopson. 1t was the shoot
ing that brought Mr.. Shepard to Abb
beville a few days before his fatal
illness.
The opinion is generally express
ed here that the trial Of the four
defendants will take place in the
Wilcox superior court. It is pointed
out that evidence is to be given in
ted it was committed in this county,
thus giving the Wilcox superior
court jurisdiction in the case.
BY ED n. BRADLEY
(Staff Correspondent of The Journal.)
ABBEVILLE, Ga, Dec. 2-That
some of the most important evidence
supporting the prosecution in the
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