The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-23
FLOGGING STORY IS TOLO BY WOMAN
Mrs. Bertha HoIcombe Of Smyrna, Ga, Relates Her
 Experience With Band

ATLANTA, Ga, Nov. 22.-Trial of the men under indictment for al- legged flogging of Mrs. Bertha Hol- combe, 22-year- old widow, and her escort, S. II. Morton, travelling salesman, is expected to be called next week at Marietta, the county seat of Cobb county, in which the affair is said to have taken place. 1t was indicated today by prosecu- ton officials.
 While Mrs. Holcombe made prepa- rations to leave her home at Smyr- ma about l2 miles from here, and move to Atlanta Morton is held a police headquarters here under SIO0 bond on a charge of violating the state prohibition law.
 Keller Nasty, pitcher for the Fhll- adelphia American league pasepali club, and his brothers, Frank ana Arthur Nasty, three of the men un- der indictment, asserted that they would be able to prove an aupl' which would show, concIuslVely, that their indictment grew out or ploye of the Atlanta Gas Works, also under indictment, was quoted as declaring he could prove an allbl' while the other two accused men, P. C. Cook, an automobile mechanlc residing in Smyrna, and Joe Bram- lett who lives near smyrna, both denied any connection with the Hog ging or any acquaintance with the woman.
 Dozen Men In Group.
 "There were more than a dozen men in the group that seized MT. Morton and myself soon after we stepped off the Marietta car al Smyrna last Friday night about 1O;4o o'clock" declared Mrs. Holcomoe, who is an employe of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph com pany in Atlanta.
 After carrying us out into the country" she continued, "the men got careless and let their masks slip down. l recognized Tom Black and Joe Bramlett. Black did all the the talking and once when some body interrupted he told him to shut up, that he was doing all the talk ing That man replied, You nave already talked too much
 After both MT. Morton and my self had been whipped until we were almost unconscious, was brought back to Smyrna and placed on the front porch of the Nasty home. While I was standing there-it was about 12:30 o'clocl1--Arthur and Frank Hasty came into the front ward carrying a flashlight. l went out and spoke to them and they asked, 'NWhere is he? I didn't re- DIV, anu they dSAcu AlG IL W1hSCu to go home. They carried me to my home"
 Mrs. Holcombe asserted that she gave the solicitor "only the names of those I positively Identified Morton Refuses To Talk.
 Held at police headquarters here, Morton refused to discuss the mat ter beyond admitting that he was the victim. He said he had been warned by Solicitor General Wood of the circuit of which Marietta is part not to discuss the case.
 Solicitor Wood declared that "Cobb coupt ty is confronted by very serious situation, situation as in- siduous, if not more so, as any now prevalent anywhere in the country. I intend to prosecute this flogging case to the full extent of the law, regardless of the utilization of any of the parties concerned
 R. l.. Butler, the father-in-law of Pitcher Hasty, asserted today that both MT. and Mrs. Nasty were at his home on the night of the alleged flogging, and that they talked un- til II o'clock that night about plans for a trip to Macon the next morn ing The couple then retired, he said. while he sat up and wrote letter. The trip to Macon was made as planned, he added. Keller Hasty and his wife are living at the home of Butler, who is a prominent farmer CT and business man.