Pocahontas star herald., 1926-03-25
ADMITS KILLING OF
LOCAL ROAD WORKER

Walnut Ridge, March 18,-Haunted
by a murder committed nearly a year
and a half ago, silent all these months
while his father-in-law was prosecuted
for the crime, and driven to speak only
when the innocent man was about to
be sentenced to 10 years in the peni-
tentiary, Tom Atkins, aged %, yestcr-
day confessed in open court that he
had killed Tom Scott Of Pocahontas on
October %, 1924.
Atkins dramatic confession, unpre-
cedented in local court annals, came
during the hearing in Third Judicial
Circuit Court this afternoon on the
motion for a new trial for Seymour
Christie, local contractor, who yester-
day was convicted of the murder of
Scott by a jury that fixed his punish
ment at 10 years in the penitentiary.
While the attorneys were address
ing the court, young Atkins rose from
seat at the rear of the court room
and asked if he might speak.
"On what subject Judge Coleman
asked.
'On the case in question" Atkins re-
piled
When he was given permission to
speak, he advanced to the rail, out
wardIy mistaken, and addressed the
court.
81 am the man who shot and killed
Tom Scott" he said in clear, firm
voice that carried 40 every listener in
the courtroom.
After a pause. moment of tense
silence, young Atkins went on in his
even tone:
1T was a case of mistaken identity.
/ tell this now that justice may not
be outraged and that an innocent man
who has been good to me may not
suffer-"
Then Atkins gave detailed account
of the killing. His story follows
A man in Walnut Ridge had paid
marked attentions to Mrs. Atkins. who
formerly was Miss Lou Christie. daughr
ter of Seymour Christie, and Atkins
had warned the man repeatedly to stay
away from his home.
On the night of the murder. Octo-
Der %, 1924, Atkins was walking home
when his wfes admirer, driving an
automobile. nearly ran him down. At
kins hurried to the Christie home,
locked the door behind him, obtained
shotgun, and slipped out Of the win
dow as ear passed the house with an
almost constant blowing of the horn,
Atkins ran toward the ruud with
the double barfeled shotgun cooked,
stumbled over a wire, and both barrels
were fired. Seeing the car stop, he re-
loaded the gun and fred twice, shoot
ing towards the ground both times.
He said he had no intentions of killing
anyone but only wanted to scare the
man who was trying to steal his wife,
and that when he learned he had shot
at two innocent men he replaced the
gun i'm the Christie home and slipped
back to town.
Scott. the driver of the automobile
fired upon, died in a hospital at Jones'
boro a short time later, while his com
panion, Keith Wike, who was serious
ly injured, recovered. Scott was road
worker at Pocahontas.
Atkins said that he never had told
anyone the truth of the occurrence,
but that he spoke today to save his
father-in-law from an unjust sentence.
Judge Coleman accepted the plea of
guilty after talking long and earnest
ly to young Atkins, and sentenced him
10 five years In the penitentiary on the
charge OF second degree murder.
Atkins confession, besides removing
Christie's sentence. takes away the
stigma Of suspicion that had been di-
rooted at his mother-in-law, his wife,
his sisrer-in-law and her husband,
shirpy Farmer, as indictments had
beon returned against all these persons.
Chriufle W. granted TIE rchcar-
! ~, and ~ pvosecutins attorsey then