Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-16

means Of dealing adequately with
Today, in a cell in the Fultol
County Tower at Atlanta, Ga, il
Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson, the thire
woman in that State to be sentenced
TO death by hanging.
Mrs. Vinson was convicted June
Of the murder of her husband, DR.
W. D. Vinson. He was shot tt
death in his drug store March 30.
The woman has been sentenced t.
die July 2s, but her attorneys have
asked for new trial.
"I'll never hang" says Mrs. Vim
son. "The sentence doesn't worry
me-"
The official records of Georgia
show that only one white woman has
been hanged there. The execution
occurred just fifty years ago, when
Susan Eberhart was hanged for slay-
ing the wife Of the man she loved.
The exaction Of the death penalty
IN that case aroused storm Of in
dignation through the State and led
to the ousting of the Governor.
" In the only other recorded case OF
b white woman sentenced to death
IN Georgia the sentence was COM
muted to life imprisonment.
Southerners Haze Deep
Respect for Won,ankind I
It Is an ancient tradition that South
erners have a deep and abiding respect
for womankind, and having such 1t is
hard at times to convict woman OF
any crime she may have committed.
DR.. George Vinson, brother of the
slain man, has summed up this feeling
In the following words:
ut is we'll known that in Georgia
Il Is extremely difficult to convict
woman of capital crime, and 1t has
come to be almost unwritten law that
no woman Is to serve more than rev
years in the penitentiary, despite the
fact that she may have been guilty Of
most atrocious murder.
"This condition Is perhaps due to the
fact that the men of the South still, IN
e.large measure, hold to the belief which
they inherited from their forefathers
that women were endowed by their Gre
ator with certain qualities which place
them forever on a higher plane than
men and which entitle them to greater
degree of consideration.
"This is beautiful sentiment which
has long dominated the men of Georgia
and other Southern States in their deal
angs with women, whether politically,
socially or in the administration OF the
criminal law"
Mrs. Vinson herself SCOTS at the idea
pf being hanged.
"I am going to get new trial." she
insists ''and then the peop'e of Atlanta
will learn that ! am not the cold
blooded murderess that they have pic
tured me to be-"
1t was with the same attitude that
she received the verdict of the jury and
The sentence of the Court. Without
trace of emotion, chewing gum and
staring into the face Of the foreman OF
the jury who had in his hands the an
aouncement which would mean death
to her II carried out, she listened to the
words Of death as they fell from the
lips of the juror. When asked If she
had anything to say she shook her head
and continued to chew gum.
The verdict of guilty without rec
fermentation for mercy, coming as
complete surprise to every one inter-
ested in the case, fell like a pail upon
those who had gone to the Fulton
County Superior Court that Saturday
afternoon Of June 3. The scene, tenn
porarily at least, became alive with
startled exclamations and gasps of as
tonishment.
:. The death sentence was given in
dramatic setting. 1t was just after
dark. For almost week the trial had
Deem on. The courtroom was crowded
with curiosity seekers, most of them
women. Sensational developments had
come with each hour. The newspapers
were carrying streamers in every edi-
tlon. The lawyers had been fighting
Tor every inch of ground. Passionate
pleas on both sides had been made by
men whose oratorical talents are known
throughout the State.
=. Almost two hours had passed since
Judge John ID. Humphries had charged
sne me Jpry and ordered its retirement.
me whole atmosphere was charged
With suppressed excitement.