Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-01
.SAGCUS To DEMAND
/ IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, Ga, June 30
DR.. J. G. Saggus, former Wilkes
county physician, who is held in jail
here on a charge of poisoning both
his first wife and Mr.. Charles w.
Wilbanks, husband Of his present
wife, will be given a preliminary
hearing Saturday at O'Clock, II
was stated today. The hearing will
be conducted by Justice of the Peace
Harry Smith.
DR.. Edgar Everhart, a chemist,
Of Atlanta, who made an anlysis OF
the vital organs of Willbanks and
the former Mrs. Saggus, reported
late yesterday that "a minute guam.
tity" Of poison, so small that it could
not be weighed, was found in the
case of Williams, and no trace at
all in that of the woman.
Chemists Report
The report of DR.. Everhart was
freceived in Washington at o'clock
Wednesday afternoon by Superior
Court Clerk Frank E. Galloway, and
the findings were given out to
County Physician A. w. Simpson
and attorneys for DR.. j. G. Saggus
Immediately.
The report of the chemist follows:
''F'. E. Galloway,
CLERK Superior Court,
Washington, Ga.
Dear Sir: On the tWenty-first
| instant I received from DR.. A. w.
Simpson, the brain, stomach, liver
and kidneys said to have come from
the body of Mrs. Mary Walker Sag
gus. These viscera l subjected to
a thorough analysis for the detec.
ton of poisons. In every test, OBJ
tanned negative results. There was
no poison in the body. This analysis
included the search for all inorganic
poison, as well as organic. Especial
search was made for strychnine, but
none was present.
"On the twenty-third instant 1 re.
ceived the brain, spinal cord, stom-
aCE, kidneys and liver Of Mr.. Will
banks from DR.. Simpson, and l sub.
| jected these various organs to the
same tests previously mentioned.
The spinal cord contained minute
traces of strychnine. The brain con-
tanned the same, barely enough to
recognize. The stomach, liver and
kidneys were finely ground and thor
oughly mixed. In aliquot parts of
this mixture, larger amount of
strychnine was found, but in guam.
titles too small to weigh accurately.
1t is impossible to say how much
strychnine was in all the organs
but I guess it was less than one
tenth of a grain. Besides strych-
r.ne, no other poison was present.
yours truly,
EDGAR EVERHART, PHI. D."
DIR. Saggus' Statement
Immediately after the findings of
the chemist were made public here
your correspondent interviewed DR..
SaSgus in his cell in Wilkes county
Jail. The news of the findings Of
the chemist had already been con-
yeyed to him, and he was in fine
spirits. When asked for a state
merit, unlike on previous occasions
he was ready to talk. and his attor-
neys did not object.
Il feel very grateful to the people
| of Wilkes county and those in my
comparatively new home in Co1un.
bia county, for their loyalty and
friendship during the past trying
days. want to express to all Of
them my heartfelt gratitude.
'As to the findings of DIR. Ever
hart" said DR.. Saggus, "they were
nothing more than 1 expected. When
| I heard Monday week ago of the
| action of the coroner's jury, i'm
| me diately fastened to Washington
yFIlI
mistake could be corrected. If l
| had not, been sure that an examina-
ii IN of the bodies of my dead wife
and Of Wilbanks would vindicate me,
| instead of fastening to Washington
would have FASTENED in another
dire ction.'
Concluding, DR.. Saggus wished to
thank the. newspapers for the con-
sideration they all had shown him,
He said he knew it was the business
OF newspapers to print the news,
and that good many lies had been
printed about him and his family
but he did not hold the papers re-
sponsible for them, but on the other
hand was grateful for the fair treat
ment he had received at their hands
SAGGUS' COUNSEL HALTS
AUGUSTA EXAMINATION
AUGUSTA, Ca, June 29.-Exam
nation by DR.. C. H. Maryott, OF
Augusta, of portions of the vital
organs Of Mrs. Mary Walker Saggus
and Charles w. Wilbanks, first wife
and neighbor, respectively, of DR.
j. G. Saggus, who is held at Wash
ington, Ca, charged with their
deaths, has been held up until fur
Their notice" by orders of the counse
for the defense, according to state
ments made today by DR.. Maryott.
DIR. Maryott stated he had re
ceived a request from r. G. Norman
counsel for the accused physician
not to begin the analysis until fur
Their notice. DR.. Maryott stated he
did not know the reason for the post
| ponement. 1t il understood, how
ever, that counsel for the defense
decided to first await the report OF
DR.. Edgar Everhart, of Atlanta, wht
was employed to make similar ex
animation at~tha instance, it is un
derstood, of the solicitor general o.
the Wilkes court.
Whether the result of the analyst:
made by DIR. Everhart, which showed
no poison traces IN the viscera of the
first Mrs. Saggus and only very
minute traces IN the viscera o.
Charles M. Wi!panks, will be talSer
by the defense 2s sufficient proof t.
refute the poison charges, is no
known at this time.
re. Norman, of Norman & Nor
man, counsel for DIR. Saggus, stated
this morning over the telephone that
DR.. Maryott would not make any
analysis for the defense, "as there
is now no necessity"
THE purpose of having NJ. Mar,
yott make ananalysis," cont.nu dMr
rman, twas to get checx on the
report of DR.. Eberhart, not that we
had any doubt to the accuracy
| Ct his findings, but because We did