Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-22
WOMAN RELATES
STORY Of KILLING
Of ERNEST BROWN

:
Over the protest Of her attorney.
Mrs. Eula Putnam, aged %, in a
cell in the DeKalb county Jail, Fri
day night told court officials the
whole story of how Homer Thomp-
son, as whose wife she said she
posed, shot and killed Ernest Brown
near Wesley Chapel, Tuesday. She
declared Thompson shot the young
farmer, who was to have been mar
ried in less than a week, absolutely
without provocation."
Mrs. Putnam, who is a decided
blonde and rather pretty, was arrest
ed Friday afternoon at the home
Of her father, James Barlow, near
Norcross. She declared she went
Immediately to her fathers home
after Brown was killed and had since
been hiding OUT from the officers.
Mrs. Putnam admitted she was not
the wife of Thompson.
After DeKalb superior court adj
journed early Friday night. Solicit
tor General A. NJ. Brand, Sheriff
]. A. McCurdy, B. H. Burgess, at
torney for Mrs. Putnam, and Will
liam Schley Howard, attorney for
relatives Of the dead man, went to
t Jail and ques+t med the young
woman.
At first she was reticent, but soon
began to talk freely. Frequently her
attorney stopped her with the re-
mark that this is not the proper
time or place to discuss this" but
she continued her story.
Sent for Brown
Yes, l sent for Brown to meet
me, and after we were together, we
started walking down the road. He
put his arm around me. Then he
pressed me to him and tried to kiss
me. l objected when he tried to
pull me to side of the road. Then
he took my hand and we were talk
ing in low tone when L heard some
one coming.
81 told Brown to look out but
it was too late, for that very minute
Thompson came up, and without
a word he drew his pistol and fired
Brown fell on the side of the road
and Thompson walked on back to-
closely.
and leave me, and he said, wait
minute Then he made Peterson,
a farm hand, get my coat, and we
got in the car and rode off. We
rode away. That's all I know
about it."
Mrs. Putnam said Thompson put
her out of the car near her fathers
cover" She admitted he gave her
many more instructions but would
motor rather was not allowed by
her attorney to--divulge- them.
No Clue to whereabouts
If Mrs. Putnam knew where
tell the. officers. Solicitor Brand
drilled her for an hour on this
point, but she remained obdurate.
Sheriff McCurdy said he had 9TH
err information as to the whereabouts
of the man, and expected to have him
hours. Until Thompson is taken into
custody, officials said Mrs. Putnam
will be held without bond.
Mrs Putnam declared the first
place she and Thompson went in the
automobile after the shooting was to
the home of Thompson's father. They
remained there more than an hour.
she said, during which time Thomp-
sons aged father pleaded with him
to surrender instead of attempting to
escape.
'He did not promise his father,
and he put me out of the car soon
after we left his fathers without
telling me exactly what his plans
were" she declared.
Mrs. Putnam admitted she was for
merly the wife of Otto Putnam, who
vas killed a year ago in fight on
Decatur street in Atlanta.
She denied that she had frequent
ly been in Ernest Browns company,
or that any improper relations had
ever existed between them. Thomp-
son, with whom she said she was liv-
ing as his wife, KNEW young Brown
quite we'll and the two were friends
as far as she knew, she said.
She said she believed jealousy on
the part Of Thompson when he found
her in the road with Brown caus-
ed him 70 fire the fatal shot. She
reiterated, however, that it was fired
without cause"
notwithstanding Mrs. Putnam's
statement, the DeKalb authorities are
still working on the theory that
Browns death was the result of a
plot carefully planned by Thomp
son and the Putnam woman, it be-
came known Saturday.