Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-25
BOGUS CONFESSION
Of DORSEY KILLING
ELATES ANDERSON

ceives to be a huge practical joke on
the state prison commission and the
authorities of Fulton and Dawson
counties, James J. Anderson, con-
Wet serving from four to seven
years for highway robbery, was
resting comfortably" in the Fulton
county Jail Saturday night, after
having admitted that his sensational
confession" of the murder Of Char
lie Dorsey, the Atlanta taxicab driv-
err on the night of February o.,
1921, was lie from start to finish.
Anderson. had thrown the county
authorities into q furore Saturday
by declaring unequivocally that he
murdered Charlie Dorsey, as a hired
assassin i the employ Of an At
lanta detective who desired the taxi
cab driven put out of the, way be-
cause Charlie "knew too much"
about the detectives connection
with the ounce ring" which flour
ished in Atlanta about two years
ago.
Charlie Dorsey was killed in his
own taxicab at lonely spot on
South Boulevard, near the Federal
prison. His body was found the
next morning, but the circun.stan-
ces surrounding his death have re-
manned an unsolved mystery to this
day.
Several times the authorities, v 40
have worked necessarily to unrav Il
the mystery, have thought that they
were on the vel re of a solution, but
each time the clue has flickered out.
Friday night the sheriff of Daw-
son county communicated with the
state prison commission, asking per-
mission to bring James J. Anderson,
convic, at the Dawson coun!y
camp, to Atlanta for examination by
the Fulton county authorities. The
permission was granted and Ander-
son arrived here Saturday morning
under guard.
Hair-raising Story
He told a hair-raising tale. APP
parently without concern, he con-
fessed to the murder of Charlie
Dorsey, describing the crime in such
detail, and enlarging upon tho cir
cumstances leading up to the TRACE
dy.
He declared that one night about
three weeks before the taxicab driv.
er was killed, he (Anderson) held
up man on South Forsyth street.
when 1 stuck my pistol in his
face and he threw up his hands, I
saw police badge on the under side
of his coat as it flew back" said An
derson.
II knew he was an officer and
was scared. He says to me you sure
have got nerve, holding up an Off
GER and says Well, here's my gun,
go ahead and arrest me- But he
says to me No, won't arrest you,
I've got more important work for
you to. do
Then he told me he had been
driving the death car for the bun.
co ring, and that Charlie Dorsey,
a taxicab driver, knew all about
it. He wanted. Charlie Dorsey bump
ed off. He told me that if would
kill Charlie, I wouldn't be prosecut-
ed for the hold-up, and that he would
give me $1,000 for the job" a..
II was not long out of the army,
didn't have any work, and 1 was
hard UP, SO I agreed to his PROPOSE
ton. On the night of February 20,
telephoned Charlie Dorsey to come
in his taxicab to place on Chero-
him and when we had driven out
on a dark road toward the federal
prison, shot him through the back
of the head.
1.-THE detective who got me to do
the job didn't pay me but 500 in
stead of the 81 900 he promised me,
and pretty soon afterward was
picked up for highway robbery. L
got a stiff sentence and went on the
CAMP in Worth county. Then I was
gan in Worth county. Then I was
vile, and then to the Dawson coun-
ty gang"
Wanted to Confess
Assistant Solicitor Ed Stephens
and Plennie Miner, an investigator
from the solicitors office, were in
clined to be skeptical as Anderson
unfolded his remarkable story.
When they asked him why he had
made the confession, he said his
conscience troubled him" and he
was Obliged to get it off his chest"
His inquisitors decided to check
up on the story. So, while they
cross-examined him, they sent an
officer to examine the records of
Anderson's arrest and trial on the
highway robbery charge. Pretty
soon the officer came back and re-
ported that the records showed Ans
derson arrested on January 7, 1921,
failed to make S. 900 bond assessed
against him, and remained in the
Fulton county Jail continuously
from that date until April 10, 1921.
when he was tried, convicted and
sentenced to serve from four to
seven years.
That being true, they knew An.
derson could not possibly have
murdered anybody on the night of
February %, 1921, for the reason
that he was in Jail. His alibi was
perfect. .-..- ..
Statement Attacked
So they began a flank attack.
They asked Anderson to describe the
automobile that Charlie Dorsey drove
to his death.
"It was a big closed car" said
Anderson.
This was considerably in error, for
Charlie Dorsey was driving a twin
six Packard touring car with an
open body.
Then Anderson was confronted
with the Jail record in his case. He
broke down completely, wept and
admitted abjectly that his entire
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