Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-01
DISMISSAL Of SIX
ENDS TRIALS FOR
SMYRNA FLOGG|NC
BY DUNBAR HAIR
(Staff Correspondent of The JOurnaD

MARIETTA. Ca, Nov. 29.-Five
men indicted along with Parks c..
Cook, Of Smyrna, who was acquitted
late Wednesday afternoon on the
charge that he participated in the
alleged flogging of Mrs. Bertha Hol
combe, young Smyrna widow. and
her escort, S. H. Morton, on the
night of November 16, will not be
called upon to face trial.
True bills against Kellar Hasty,
pitcher for the Philadelphia Ameri-
can league baseball team; Frank
and Arthur Hasty, his brothers;
Tom Black and Joe Bramlet, were
ordered mol pressed shortly after the
jury had returned a verdict of mot
guilty. in Cooks case.
Immediately after the trial of
Cook had been completed and the
verdict of the jury announced, So
licitor General John Wood moved
that the other indictments be mol
pressed, and Judge D. w. Blair
granted the motion.
Besides the indictment on Which
Cook was tried, he and the other
five were indicted for assault and
cling of Morton, for rioting in CON-
Holcombe and for rioting in connec-
ton With the flogging Of Morton.
Similar indictments to the assault
and battery Indictment, in connec-
ton with the flogging of Mrs. Hol-
Combe upon which Cook was found
not guilty, had been returned against
his alleged confederates. All the
bills were ordered mol pressed, So
licitOr Wood stating that he had
presented all his evidence at the
trial just past.
| The jury acquitted Cook after de-
liberatinG only short time, the case
going to the jury about o'clock
| Wednesday afternoon. Cook took
the stand Wednesday noon and made
| q sweeping denial of the charges
against him, declaring that he spent
the night of November 16 at home
with his wife and children and that
he never struck lady in his life.
Cooks Statement
Cooks statement to the jury, in
part, follows:
Gentlemen, I tell you I never in
my life belonged to any organization
except the Baptist church. [ have
never had a mask over my face, and
1 have never struck lady"
Il said my prayers at $50 o'clock
that light, and l never left the house
until 6:45 the next day when L went
to catch a car for Atlanta.
Gentlemen, 1 tell you I never
heard of any one being whipped I'M
til the next day when they locked me
up in Atlanta. l thought at first
that some one had stolen my auto
mobile and had got into trouble. Then
1 found out that they wanted me
/ in connection with the whipping of
! this woman and her companion,
Gentlemen, 1 take an oath that
Mrs Holcombe did not see me. In
the chiefs office at Atlanta they ask
ed Mrs. Holcombe if she recognized
me as one of the men who whipped
her. She said she did, but gentle
men, l told her L beg your pardon
Miss Bertha, you have got the wrong
man."
Gentlemen, She said that 7 said
she was pretty. [ did not and God
is my witness that 1 did not.
As to Automobile
"She said l offered to give her an
automobile. Gentlemen, l did not.
l offered to sell her a car-part cash
and part on time; and told her that
| for good measure and because / need
ed the money that [ would throw in
my old car. That's what she's talk
ing about
"Gentlemen, she testified she rec
oGnized me when I raised by mask
to wipe away the tears. She could
not. for L was home with my wife
and little children. In all my life, 1
never hit but one man and that was
in Athens, Ga, on a street car. But,
gentlemen, I never struck a lady.
Gentlemen, all 1 ask is justice.
I am a man with a wife and seven
children who pays his honest debts
and has a reputation for sobriety,
clean living and good character. You
have heard character witnesses tell
Of my character, but there is more