Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-20
DR.. ]. C. SACCUS 0F
HARLEM SOUGHT FOR
DOUBLE POISONING
Wilkes Jury Orders Him Held
for Death of Former Wife
and Former Husband of
His Present Wife

WASHINGTON, Ca, June 10
Charging DR.. J. G. Saggus, a prac'
ticing physician and former resident
Of Wilkes county, with the double
murder of his first wife and the
husband of his present wife, coro'
ner's jury here today developed a
tremendous sensation in the investl-
CATION of the death several months
ago of Charles w. Willbanks and
Mrs. J. G. Saggus.
Warrants charging murder have
been issued and will be served i'm
mediately, according to the county
authorities. DR.. Saggus is now a
resident Of Harlem, Ga, having. re-
moved from Wilkes county soon aft
er his marriage to the present Mrs.
Saggus.
1--WE, the jury, find that Mrs. Sag
gus and Mr.. Willbanks came to their
death by poison administered by DR..
Saggus,' the verdict of the coroner's
jury. The findings were returned
after an investigation lasting for
several hours and conducted by So
licitor General Marion Felts.
First Wife's Death
The first Mrs. Saggus died Novem-
Der %, 1921. Witnesses testified this
morning that on the day of her death
she was apparently in good health
and was seen cooking dinner. She
was stricken suddenly, according t"
these witnesses and lived only few
minutes after neighbors arrived. A
physician testified that DR.. Saggus
told him his wife died of neuralgia
of the heart. Several neighbors de-
clared to the coroner's jury that the
woman suffered several commissions
and that her head was drawn back
at an angle to her body. This con-
dition indicated strychnine poisoning
according to medical witnesses.
Mr.. Willbanks died on February
8, 1922. He had been subject to
asthmatic trouble for some months,
it was testified, and on the day of
his death suffered a severe attack.
L. Saggus; who had beer treating
him, gave him several hypodermic
injections, according to witnesses,
although Mr.. Wiilbanks protested
that he could stand no more of
that treatment. a.t'
Immediately after the last hypo-
dermic injection Mr.. Willbanks went
into a series of commissions which
resulted in death, according to testi-
mony before the coroner's jury.
In April DR.. Saggus and Mrs.
Willbanks took out a marriage
license in Wilkes county, but went
to Augusta to be married. They
have never returned to this section,
but have been living a. Harlem, Ga
Home Burned
Witnesses testified that DR.. Sag
gus carried a $4,000 insurance policy
on the life of his first wife and that
Mr.. Willbanks carried a policy of
approximately 1000 on his own
life, payable to Mrs. Willbanks. The
policy on the life of Mrs. Saggus
was payable to her husband, accord
ing to witnesses, who also testified
that DR.. Saggus coll ted 800 in
surance when his home was burned
shortly after the death of his wife.
DR.. Saggus, who is about 35 years
old, was born and reared in Tall
aferro county, but some years ago
moved to Wilkes county and began
the practise of medicine. His home
was about nine miles from Washing
ton. His first wife was a sister of
r. E. Walker, of Atlanta, who has
been assisting in the investigation
of the case, while DR.. J. M. Hawkins.
head of the Methodist orphans home
at Decatur, Ca, a brother-in-law of
Mr.. Willbanks, has also been aiding
the prosecution.
Mrs. ~Saggus was about So years
old, while Mr.. Willbanks was OF
approximately the same age. There
are three small children in the Sag
gus family and one in the Willbanks
. family. 1t is understood that all the
children are now with DR.. Saggus
and his wife in Harlem.
Mr.. and Mrs. Willbanks several
years ago were employed at the De-
catur Orphans home, but left tina:
institution to move to Wilkes county
almost ten years ago. The Will
banks home is within 800 yards OF
the Saggus home.
WY