Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-15
DEALS IN PARDONS, LIQUOR, OIL
AND PRIZE FIGHT FILM CHARGED
TOHARRYDA UGHERTYBY WITNESS

III UE-HlH III dIhE-
As HOLY OFFERING
: TAMPA, Fla, March 13.-Con.
fined in separate parts of the Hills
borough county Jail, Mrs. j. Z. Win
chester and her daughter, John Eva.
told a reporter today the story of
the killing of Mr. Winchester near
Seffner, Fla, village ten miles
east of here. The women are
charged with murder, and We're
placed in separate cells at the girls
request, after she expressed fear
that her mother would harm her.
They were arrested at Seffne"
early this morning by Sheriff w. c..
Spencer. The girl, short, stout and
authenticated told the facts with
out emotion, but frequently express.
ed regret and deep love for her ia
Their.
"Mv name is John Eva. I am
sixteen years old" she said, land
am in the ninth senior grade at
school at Seffner.
Mother had heard OF a healing
man at St Petersburg who was
holding a revival. My father had
been sick since we came to Florida,
so mother thought the man at st.
Petersburg could heal father. This
mans name is Richie.
Il had a friend named Robert
Summerall at Brandon. He took us
to st. Petersburg Sunday. My par
ents stayed, but Robert and l came
back home Sunday night. Mother
and daddy stayed until Wednesday,.
THE man healed daddy and moth
er was so happy that at times she
shouted. Yesterday afternoon she
was worse, and daddy had a physi-
clan come to see her. He gave her
hypodermic. She objected, but
daddy held her arm. 1t quieted her
About 1880 last night daddy got up
out of bed. Mother also got up, and
began screaming: The devil has got
to get out of here. She called dad
dy the devil, and said he was the
meanest man on earth
StOmped His 30 Minutes
"She said we had to put him out
and that | would surely die if
didn't help. We took him outside and
he fell to the ground. He was very
weak and 1 believe he had another
stroke. Mother called me then and
[ went back to the house, leaving
daddy-lYing on the ground. Mother
repeated that we must get rid of
him or be lost. She said we must
tear down the house and she took
to breaking everything up. She said
| had to do it or she would throw me
out
After we broke things up she
said she would burn the house if
necessary. She said 1 must fall out
the second story window or Jesus
would never love me again. SO 1
fell out"
At this point the girl showed a
deep cut on her ankle caused by the
fall.
Mother said we would have to
go to daddy" she continued, Daddy
was lying there grooming. She said
if 1 didn't stomp him to death she
would kill me. SO 1 got on him and
stomped him until the breath left
him and mother still called him the
Devil. l stomped my father fully
thirty minutes. After l had killed
him we dragged him to the house.
Then we walked to Brandon. and
continued to Roberts house where
told him what happened. We came
home in his car. The officers came
at daylight and we were brought
here"
DEAD MAN WAS FORMERLY
GASTONIA GARAGE HEAD
GASTONIA, y. c., Marcy 13.--J.
e. Winchester, who was killed at
Seffner Fla, last night and whose
wife and daughter are held at
Tampa as slayers, LEFT Gastonia for
Florida last November, according to
his son, Charlton w. Winchester
who left today for Tampa to take
charge of affairs there. MIR. Win
chester formerly was in the garage
business here.
Another daughter of the dead man,
Miss Blanche Winchester, lives here.
MIR. Winchester said that he and
his sister received a telegram from
Sheriff c. NJ. Spencer at Tampa
sta ting that their father had been
killed but giving no particulars. He
said he could assign no cause for
the killing other than that his sis
ter's mind had become unbalanced
because of religious mania. Her
health was good and her mind al
ways had appeared normal before
she left here, he said.
The dead man operated a garage
in Gastonia for several years. He
and his family attended the Main
Street Methodist Episcopal church
here and the dead man was a mem
Der of the church orchestra. He was
known fere as a quiet, hard-working
man.