Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-28
COMMISSION SENT ]
To PROBE SHOOTING
OF PROH| AGENTS
West Point Youths Exoner-
ated at Hearing Before
Magistrate Troup Grand
Jury TO Get Case Monday

Jul y III OGl OdSG WUIlUQy
A joint commission representing
TIL efederal prohibition department
and the United States district at
torney for the northern district OF
Georgia, left Atlanta Friday after
noon for West Point, Ga, to make
full, further and impartial investi-
cation of the shooting affray of last
Tuesday night in which prohibi-
ton agent was fatally wounded, an
other was seriously hurt and an
occupant of the automobile which
they were attempting to halt and
search was shot. They will seek ass
sistance of West Point officials in
making the inquiry.
Decision to make a further inves.
tigation was reached shortly after
noon Friday at a conference between
Fred e. Dismuke, federal prohibition {
agent in" the state, and Clint w.
Hager, United States district attor-
ney at which possible government
action against one or more of the
trio of West Point youths who clash
ed with the officers, was considered.
Following the conference, Mr.. Hager
issued a statement in which he ask
ed the public "to hold up judgment
until the further investigation Is
made"
The Commission
J. w. Powell, legal adviser for the
prohibition department in Georgia,
A. G. Sowell, government agent, who
made preliminary investigation OF
the ARRAY, and L. T. Nichols, secre-
tary to the district attorney, make
up the personnel of the Investigate
ing commission.
Shortly before their departure
Director D.smuke sent telegram
to Phil Lanier, mayor of West Point,
requesting him to cooperate with
the commission which has been In
The shooting occurred on the West
FointChipley highway, when Agent
Grady Cobb and Special Deputy J..
! Gordon Andrews, of LAGRANGE, ac-
cording to Agent Cobb's story. at
tempted to stop the automobile in
which the youths were riding, in
the belief that the car contained
whisky. In the battle that followed.
Andrews was fatally wounded, Cobb
was shot in the arm, and A. S. Ham
by, an occupant of the other car
received q scalp wound Handy,
Frank Jones and Roy Williams de-
clared there was no liquor in their
automobile, and their statement ~
verified. Handy swore out war
rants against Cobb, lobe Emory and
others who he said took part IN the
shooting, charging them with as
sault with intent to murder.
1t was intimated Friday that
steps might be taken by the govern
ment to remove the cases against
Cobb and others to the local division
of United States district court TOE
the northern district of Georgia. The
action can be taken on the ground
that the cases grew out of an action
of a, federal officer in the line OF
duty" it was said.
THREE WEST POINT BOYS
A
WEST POINT, Ga, July "a.
S. Handy, Frank Jones and Roy
Williams were exonerated OF
charges of murder in connection with
the death Of J. Gordon Andrews,
federal prohibition agent, and the
wounding of J. G. Cobb, another
agent, Tuesday near LAGRANGE, at a
preliminary hearing before Magis-
trate Lee Hardy here late Thursday
Handy was slightly wounded in the
gan battle with the officers, who sus'
pected the three youths were liquor
runners. They were returning hons
from church festival.
sworn out by Phil Lanier, mayor or
West Point under whose direction a
fund was raised for the boys de-
tense and to push the prosecution OF
the federal agents.
Bob Davidson was the principal
witness at the hearing. He told how
HI eI
after midnight Tuesday night and
shouted for help. When he got to
the scene, / Cobb, Andrews and an
other man were crawling out from
under the car which overturned
when the driver, Andrews, was shot.
Mr.. Davidson said that he was con-
WINGED the boys did not know that
it was officers who were attempting
to stop them, but that they thought
they were being held up by high
W3Ymen.
An interesting feature of the tes-
timony was to the effect that Roy
Williams fired only twice during the
encounter. He said that he fire.
only twice, and there were only two
empty chambers in his revolver. Cobb
was shot in the hand and Andrews
was shot three times, in the Shout
der chest and abdomen Testimony
indicated that the agents fired quite
number of times as they pursued
the car in which the boys were flee
ing, Handy being the only man 10
be hit.
Troup county grand jury will con.
vene Monday, and the cases against
the agents will be pressed then. Ac-
cording to Mayor Lanier, the prose