Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-24
WOMAN FLOGGED
ON HER Barred BACK
BY MASKED GANG
Mrs. HoIcombe Asserts She
Is Positive Six Indicted
Were Involved = Hasty
Brothers Claim AIbis

More than a dozen men were in
the group which last Friday night is
alleged to have fiogged Mrs. Bertha
22-year-old widow, and her
escort, S. II. Morton, a travelling
man, almost to the point of insensi
bility, according to the statement
Thursday of the woman victim as
she prepared to leave her home at
Smyrna. about twelve miles from
here, and take up her residence in
Atlanta
Meanwhile, the other victim of tho
hogSing was held at police head
quarters in Atlanta under $10o bond
on a charge of violating the state
prohibition law, having been ar.
rested Wednesday night on charges
of being drunk and possessing
whisky, while the six men under in
dictment at Marietta in connection
with the fogsing prepared to de-
mand an early trial and fight their
cases vigorously.
Kellar Hasty, pitcher for the
Philadelphia American league base
ball club, and one of the six men
indicted, asserted that he and his
brothers. Frank and Arthur Hasty,
would be able to prove an alibi
their indictment grew out of mis-
taken identity. Tom Black, employe
Of the Atlanta Gas works, also under
Indictment. was quoted as declaring
that he also could prove an alibi,
while the other two accused men,
p. c.. Cook, an automobile mechanic
residing in Smyrna and Joe Bran-
lett, who lives near Smyrna, both
denied any connection with the fog
ging or any acquaintance with the
woman.
Woman Tells of FlOgging
There were more than a dozen
men in the group that seized Mr..
Morton. and myself soon after we
stepped off the Marietta trolley at
Smyrna last Friday night about
1915 o'clock" asserted Mrs. Hol-
combe, who is an employee of the
Southern Bell Telephone and Tele'
graph company, in Atlanta.
after carrying us out into the
country, the men got careless and
let their masks slip down. L recog-
nized Tom Black and Joe Bramlett.
Black did all the talking and once
when somebody interrupted him, he
told them to shut up, that he was
piled, You have already talked too
much
after both Mr. Morton and N.Y.
self had been whipped until we were
almost unconscious, I was brought
back to Smyrna and placed on the
front porch Of the Hasty home.
While was standing there-it was
about 1880 o'clock, Arthur and
Frank Hasty came into the front
yard carrying flashlight. I went
OFT aid spoke to them and they
asked: Where is hep L didn't reply
and they asked me if 1 wanted to
go home. They carried ME to my
home.
Later, Mr.. Morton came there about
o'clock in the morning, stating
that he had walked to Marietta and
caught a taXicab back to my house.
He spent the remainder Of the night
there and then left. 1 have known
him about seven months and had
been going with him for the last two
weeks, since he came back from Den
yer. I gave the solicitor only the
names Of those I positively identi-
fed"
Morton Declines to Talk
Held at police headquarters, Nor
ton refused to discuss the fiogging
beyond admitting that .e was the
victim. He said he had been warned
by Solicitor General John Wood, of
the Blue Ridge circuit, not to dis
miss the case. The solicitor, like
wise, was disinclined to discuss the
affair Thursday morning beyond
stating that the cases probably
would be placed on trial next week.
Cobb county is confronted by a
very serious situation" declared the
solicitor, "a situation that is as in
sidious, if not more so, than any
now prevalent anywhere in the
country. I intend to prosecute this
aogging case to the full extent Of
the law, regardless of the utilization
Of any of the parties concerned"
r. E. Butler, the father-in-law of
Pitcher Hasty, asserted Thursday
that both Mr.. and Mrs. Hasty were
at his home on the night of the al
legged flogging, and that they talked
until II o'clock that night about
plans to make a trip to Macon the
next morning. The couple then re-
tired, he said, while he sat up and
wrote a letter. The trip to Macon
came off as planned, he stated.
All Declare Innocence
The other Hasty brothers declare
they were at a picture show in Ma
rietta on the evening of November
16 until about II o'clock, and that
after the show they escorted the
young ladies to their home in
Smyrna, reaching there about 1880
o'clock.
Black and Bramlett were in con
sultation Thursday morning with
Attorney Lindley w. Camp, at Ma
rietta. These two men deny any
connection with the affair, declaring
that they know nothing Of the fog.
glng and that they are not acouaint.
ed with the woman victim.
Indictments Create Stir
The grand jury action in return
ing the indictments against the six
nen was the first news made putlic
of the f1ogging and the disclosure
created q sensation both IN Marietta
and in Smyrna, which is eight miles
from the Cobb county seat. The in
dlcted men made bond within an
hour after their arrest. Cook was
taken in custody in Atlanta and
turned over to Sheriff Swanson, OF
CoGb county.
Keller Hasty is the son-in-law OF
r. E. Butler, a well-known Cobb
county farmer and business man.
having married Miss Wilmer Butler
last spring while his baseball team
was IN Atlanta for an exhibition
game. Mr.. and Mrs. Hasty reside
with the Buffers during the off sea-