Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-13
POLICE ALLEGE
. "PEEPlNG TOM"
USED A GIMLET

MACON, Ga, Nov. ME. L.
Wardlow, public accountant, of At
lanta, in the employ of Wolff &
Co. who was arrested Thurs
day night on the charge of defacing
hotel property following complaints
of the Dempsey, Lanier and Macon
hotels that Wardlow had bored holes
in the doors to many rooms of each
place, was released Friday morning.
He was bound over to the superior
court on bond Of 500, charged with
eavesdropping. Prominent citizens
of Macon testified Wardlow suffered
shell shock while in the British army
during the war and after Wardlow
! said he was going away for treat
ment, the solicitor general of the SUI
perior court agreed to nolle pross the
case.
The arrest followed complaint
made Thursday afternoon by a Wom-
an guest of Hotel Dempsey that
Wardlow had entered her room with
out permission and had Immediately
| left. Detectives were called by the
vestigating, the detectives found
holes bored in the doors of Ward
| lows room leading into other guests
rooms. Some of the holes, which
were bored by gimlet, were cover
ed with a thin coating of chewing
gum, which was transparent, the de-
tectives stated. Upon examining the
doors across the hall from the room
occupied by Wardlow holes were
also found in the doors of two rooms
The accountant returned to the
room shortly after the detectives had
completed their investigation. They
asked him if he was the party Dor
| ing holes. He readily admitted to
the detectives that it was he, they
said, but offered no explanation for
this peculiar action.
In the police court H. w. Evans,
Of the Lanier, hotel, testified that on
Wednesday night Wardlow register
| ed at his hotel Investigation Of
the room occupied by the accountant
revealed that holes had been bored
in the doors of his room.
T. B. Burke, of the Dinkler hotel,
said in the police court that Wardlow
lad entered a room of. a woman and
| left a note there which reads as fol-
lows: "Be sure to see me before
you go to- A blank space was lef,
after the word "to" which should
have designated the place. 1t was
rooms at this hotel. The one he oc-
cupied at first and the one he chang
ed to later. Wardlow in police court,
said that he did not know why he
acted so peculiarly at the hotel He
said that he had no motive in doing
1t, and could not account for his ac-
| lions.
Luther Williams, banker, testified
in his behalf. He said that Ward
low was an expert accountant and
had been here on numerous occasions
to do auditing work for local con-
Germs. He gave as his opinion that
Wardlow was suffering from a nerv-
Gus strain. He said that the ac-
countant was shell shocked during
the war and that this. no doubt, had
great effect on his mental condition
at times.
| Louis Rossignol, proprietor of the
Macon hotel. said that the account
ant had registered at his hotel on
numerous occasions, perhaps a month
altogether during the last summer.
He further stated that Wardlow had
always paid his bills promptly, and
that he had many times cashed the
latter's personal checks. He said
that the accountant did a consider
able amount of night work and this
fact, combined with the shell shock
Ireceived during the war, probably was
the cause of his having acted so pc
culiarly. Mr.. Rossignol stated.
Wardlow served four years in the
iEnglish army and was placed in a