Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-19
NJ DOWELL FEARED
RETURN TODECATUR,
) WITNESS DECLARES
State Intimates Boy Slew
Parents to Get Money
for Broadway Life 4.

the witness stand today h *. u.
Payne, est. Petersburg insurance
man, as having shown great agita-
ton when he was told that his ia
Their planned to return to Decatur,
Ga, and buy a newspaper. Mr..
Payne and Mr.. Mcdowell shared
office space together, the latter deal
ing in real estate.
This point was developed during
testimony of Mr.. Payne regarding
| the delivery of an insurance policy
, to the elder Mcdowell for $1,000,
carrying a double indemnity clause
in case of accidental or violent
death.
Mr.. Payne testified that following
a talk with the boys father, he told
agent and had written the applica-
ton for the fathers policy, that his
father told him he had received an
offer for his home, intended to sell
it and return to Decatur and buy
newspaper because he knew that
, business, but did not know much
about real estate.
- The janitor of the building in
which Mr.. Payne had an office testi-
fed that he had seen Mcdowell re-
| turn to the insurance office about y
o'clock Oh the night of the killings,
and he later found, when cleaning
the office, pieces of paper from which
heart-shaped portions had been cut.
That the state is attempting to
Mcdowell that will send him to the
electric chair for the murder of his
mother in an effort to obtain money
to defray expenses OF Il life in the
White-lIgnt district of New York was
indicated in arguments on the all.
instability of testimony.
Wanted Broadway Apartment
M. }. Kelly, st. Petersburg plumb
Ell, testified that While he owned
grocery store in the Sunshine City,
| Mcdowell often came to his place OF
business and talked of his ambitions.
The youth told him, the former
grocer testified, that it was his de-
sire to go abroad, and later to take
up life in bachelor apartment on
Broadway in New York. Mcdowell.
in these conversations, the witness
stated would complain OF the lack
of funds to defray expenses of such
a life, but admitted that the only
way to obtain it was by honest ct.
forts.
Defense counsel strongly objected
70 n1y af hA tae, 4
Kelly, but was oVerruled and the
testimony was allowed to go to the
Jury for what it is worth" by Judge
Mullen, who stated that he would
later rule it out if the state failed
to show its materially.
The state will attempt to show"
declared the special assistant states
attorney, that a craving for money
and life on the white way OF
New York was the motive behind
the crime"
Under cross-examination Kelly said
only one of the conversations with
Mcdowell took place in front of his
j grocery store. Replying to ques-
ton of defense counsel, Kelly said he
never noticed anything peculiar about
Mcdowell; that he appeared to be a
devoted and obedient son.
Pastor Testifies
T.. r. Poulson, pastor of the First
Baptist church of st. Petersburg.
testified the McDowelrs were mem.
bers of his church. The defendant
came to his home about 2 a. m.
following the crime, and seemed
horror stricken, but showed, it
seemed to him, genuine grief. The
boy told him he couldn't believe i'm
Cod hpna11c.a IF fha haIinf Of ~ hn
that God would punish persons
guilty of crime.
The minister's description of con-
versations with Mcdowell tailed
with those of other witnesses us to
details of scenes surrounding the
crime. The boy did not appear to
him to be a religious fanatic, but
he had 3conversed with him regard
ing so-called modernism. He did not
regard the boys views regarding re.
ligion as peculiar.
A confession of Mcdowell, in
which he admitted killing his father
and mother and burning his sisters
in Decatur, was placed in evidence
ID. c. Wilkerson, st. Petersburg
notary public, declared on the wit
ness stand in response to questions
from Judge M. A. McMullen, during
the absence of the jury, that the
confession was voluntarily and free
ly made and signed by the youth.
The court ruled, however. that un-
less the state could show the ma.
teriality of that part of the confes.
sion relating to the sisters that sec-
ton would be later stricken from
| the records.
Only that portion Of the confession
relating to the staying of the mother
and father by the boy was admitted
as evidence in the first trial
The court room was half filled
with women and girls and smaller
number of men who listened atten-
lively to the testimony.
Twenty witnesses were sworn for
the state. The number that will APP
pear for the defense was not STATED.
Drug Addict.
Testimony that Mcdowell had
/ been a drug addict prior to his con-
finement was introduced during tse
afternoon SESSION OF court Or. r..
Lambdin, st. Petersburg physician.
testified that during an examination
of Mcdowell last Sunday at the re-
quest<Of the states attorney, the de-
PENDANT told him he had been taking
drugs, getting them by forging
names of physicians to prescriptions.
DR.. o. NJ. Knox, of st. Petersburg,
repudiated signature purported to
have been his to a prescription call
| ing for a narcotic.
Neighbor Describes Tragedy
! w. l.. Stone, a neighbor of the Nc
| Dowells, in st. Petersburg, was the
first witness called by the state.
! Young Mcdowell watched indiffer-
Continued on Page s, Column 81