TERRIBLE REVENGE CHARGED AGAINST JEALOUS HUSBAND Angered by Wife's Friendship for Crippled Man, J. H. Crutchfield Is Accused of At tempting to Maim Her. TRAGEDY HAS SHOCKED ATLANTA, GA. Both Principals Belonged to the Best Society of the Southern City —Mrs. Crutchfield Long Considered One of the Most Beautiful Women of That Section —Public Sentiment Entirely With Her. Atlanta.—"Revenge!" This is said to tiavo been J. H. Crntchfield's one word ■when he fired the two shots, says the New York World. His wife fell, and he dropped the re volver to the porch. Both shots had hit, but if he intended, as they charge, to cripple both legs "to match that man," lie was but partly successful. The right leg has been amputated above the knee. "That man" knew his wife, and "that man" had lost his legs in a railway -accident. Further than that it was nothing. No one dare say a word against Mrs. Crutchfield. She has al ways been a favorite in Atlanta society —handsome, clever, vivacious. The Crutchflelds have long been among, the best known people in At lanta, Ga. It had to be so, because Mrs. Crutchfield was considered the handsomest young matron in Atlanta, and southern gallantry still exists. She came from Columbia, S. C., and there she married young Crutchfield 14 years ago. He was a rising young cotton oil broker then; to-day he is accounted well-to-do. Mrs. Crutchfield did not •ponie of a wealthy family—in fact, her face was all the fortune she brought her husband, but that was enough. There has never been a better dressed young matron in all the south than young Mrs. Crutchfield. She had a figure and complexion to set off her beauty, too, and the beautiful clothes bought by her devoted husband. It was dinner and dance and drive all the time. "There goes the handsome Mrs. Crutchfield!" could be heard in At lanta any day. Made Crutchfield Jealous. The chivalrous southerners liked to bear her called that, because she really was. But Crutchfield resented this •compliment to his beautiful wife. He didn't like the drives and the dinners and the dances. He had an idea that his wife should stay at home more and look out for Loudette and Paul, their two little boys. Mrs. Crutchfield could not see things in his light. They quarreled; they separated. Then Atlanta society learned for the .flrst time that everything in the Crutchfield home was uot as it should feave been. There were Vvorce pro ceedings. The moment the news was Mr 3. Mr 3. Crutchfleld called at all the newspaper offlces in Atlanta and aaid: "You have published an account of my divorce proceedings. It was all right and —all wrong. We have made •p. There is nothing in these charges •—nothing." Under the law there is what is %nown as a peace warrant. Crutcfe, field was brought to court upon one. He was charged with striking his hand some wife. "I did it because <?f a letter," he swore. "I took it from her bosom my self. It was from a man in this town. I did strike her. I struck her several times. I dragged her out on the veran da, and I pitched her out into the yard. I thought I had killed her. And that- is the only time I ever struck her." The case was dismissed. Mr. and Mrs. Crutchfield left the courtroom arm-in-arm, apparently the happiest of couples. For months they lived together in seeming mutual re gard. They were seen out together of ten, as devoted as two young lovers might well be. Then like a thunder bolt out of a clear sky came a second suit for divorce. This is still pending. Enter "The Man." Mrs. Crutchfield took her two little sons and went to live at No. 300 South Pryor street, Atlanta. It was then that "the man" entered their lives. He was a splendid specimen of manhood —tall, good-looking, athletic, debonair. He was clever and entertaining and the handsome young Mrs. Crutchfield was plainly interested —more than that, not at all. Then came the accident. This friend of the family was a rail road man. He fell between the cars I and both bis legs had to be amputated Jto save h'.s life. Mrs. Crutchfield was deeply moved by his misfortune and she tried to help him as he lay in the hospital, doomed to be a cripple for life. And that aroused the husband to his fury. Mrs. Crutchfield had been to see "Zaza" at the matinee. Her husband had to her new home to wait for | her. He had to wait two hours. Then ; Mrs. Crutchfield said a merry "Good ; night" to some of her friends who had been to the theater with her and ran I up the stoop. "Is that you, Sallie?" asked Crutch field. "Yes," answered his wife, without a thought, of what was to come. There was a shot; then another. The handsome young wife fell prone ' ;rad unconscious. Two bullets from her husband's rifle had hit her in the right leg. "I wanted to hit you once in each leg," yelled Crutchfleld. "Then you would have bnen like that man." He was right. So she would have been. Full Revenge Frustrated. Had tne husband's aim been as true on the second shot as it was on the ftrst Mrs. Crutchfleld would have loat CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 1906. both limbs. Rut. by a merciful mis shot both bullets hit the sanio limb. The 11-year-old boy, Loudette, heard the shots. He started down to this door to let his mother in. He had just opened it when me first shot was fired. He jumped on the back of his father as the second bullet was sent on its errand of vengeance and fought with him to keep him from firing again. Crutehfield started to gel away. The boy clung to him. "Don't you shoot again!" screamed little Loudette, trying to get between the revolver and his mother. The boy couldn't save his mother's limb, but he did save her life by spoil ing his father's aim. Crutehfield ran down the steps. "If you follow me I'll fix you, too!" he yelled, in his rage. "I was afraid," said the boy, as he tells it now, "and Iran back to my mother. I saw him hit her once before and I tried to stop him this time." Crutehfield was arrested at once and hurried to the police station. Detective Lockhart says he declared: "It was an accident. I had the gun in my hand and she grabbed at it. In the scuffle it went off and shot her in the leg. It is a repeating Winchester, and the explosion of one cartridge load ed it again and this caused the second shot. "I went to my home to look for the man who had ruined it. I did not mean to shoot Sallie, and I hope she will get well." Over at the hospital Mrs. Crutehfield said: "It was not an accident, and if they don't lock him up he will finish the job if he ever meets me again." Gave Crutehfield Privileges. And here is the strange part of the whole proceeding: Crutehfield was not treated like the ordinary criminal. In fact, he had the liberty of the city. He was not locked in a cell, but was permitted to engage a special police man at his own expense to accompany him about town, "buying" for his friends in the clubs and cafes, and at- Struck Her Several Times. tending to his own business as a cot ton oil broker. Meanwhile the wife that he had maimed was fighting for her life at the Grady hospital. Gangrene had set in. Her life hung in the balance. The sur geons shook their heads. It was a toss-up whether the wounded woman would live or die. Public sentiment was with the wife. So Crutchfield's privileges were cur tailed and he was sent to jail—the "Tower." Hut. even here he was not locked in a cell, and there is likelihood of a police investigation as to why he was not. Instead, Crutehfield was assigned to a sunny room. He has fitted it up as a combination library and sitting-room— this man who had his awful vengeance. There his stenographers report to him every day. He dictates his letters and cleana up his day's business, and after that he reads and smokes at case. He has been allowed a big graphophone, and he has 100 odd records of the latest songs and marches. "I Had Rather Be on the Outside Looking In Than on the Inside Look ing Out" is the favorite tune with Crutehfield, and the other prisoners along his corridor enjoy it as much as does he. "Rather suggestive, eh?" is the salu tation given to callers when they enter while this song is being played, and he usually switches to another tune, "A- Lookin' Out." Plays Suggestive Tune. The latest of his collection has just arrived. It is from"The Spring Chicken" and Is entitled "They Sold Me a Lemon in the Garden of Love, Where They Told Me the Peaches Grew." The climax came the other day when the surgeons said that Mrs. Crutch field would get well, and that her hus band could apply for bail. He at once decided to celebrate. "Call up the best caterer in town," he ordered of his jailers. "Have a 'possum supper, and plenty of ale and cider." They had it in the jail all right. The news of the feast to come was pub lished in the afternoon papers, and two women admirers of the man who had his "vengeance" sent big frosted cakes as an addition to the repast. When supper time came a largo table was brought into Crutchfield's room and the prisoner-guests and sev eral outsiders filed in for the fun and feasting. The man who had his ven geance did the honors. Dr. O. H. Snyder, charged with sell ing liquor on Sunday, was the first guest to arrive. He was followed by Ernest Naylor, charged with being a participant in j the riot on that eventful Saturday night in Atlanta when 10 negroes were killed. J. F. Clemmons, held on the same charge, followed. Night Jailer Walter Johnson came next, to give an official tone to the party. John Dorsey, "the best trusty in Georgia," in charge of the jail laun dry, next in importance, took his place. Three Ohio business men, two from Dayton and one from Springfield, who had made business appointments with Crutehfield before he was arrested, ar rived in Atlanta that day, and hearing Shot to Maim Her. of his plight, called at his jail room, at tended to the business under consid eration and remained to enjoy the sup per with their host. One "Turned Down" Plate. Crutehfield made the ninth member of the party, and insisted on "turning down" an empty plate. Whether this was a tribute to his wife or some visitor who tfld not arrive is not known. While the revelry was ot its height Mrs. Crutehfield was moaning on her couch in the hospital. She will soon be out now, crippled for life. Crutch field was asked if he had not intended to cripple her in exactly the wav ho did. "No," said he,"l didn't. I never said that, but 1 do know a friend who has tast both his legs. You just call up the hospital where they took him and see if she didn't go there and nurse him when he was hurt." And that is where this case of latter day revenge stands now. There will bo two trials—a criminal one for felon ious assault and another for divorce. Much that will startle will be brought out then. 'But. no matter who wins or loses, all Atlanta is saying, "What a ven geance!" SURELY WAS A MEAN MAN. In Presence of Hospitable Friends He Bought and Drank Aione. "The meanest man 1 ever knew lived down in Texas and I worked for him," said the old-time reporter. "He owned the paper and he was a banker, lie sides. On top of that he had real es tate strung around town till reporters on the opposition didn't know when they were trespassing and when they weren't. "One afternoon, as we boys were starting out to gather up the day's troubles and bad dropped into a friend's place to take the taste out of our mouths the city editor and the managing editor came in right after us and we all lined up. There had been one round and everybody was tryng to tell his best story and won dering who would buy next when there was a gasp from 'Officer' Her rick, who 'did' police, and we fol lowed his eyes to tlw? front door. Who should be coming in all alone but the old man himself—and him a deacon! Nobody had ever heard of him being in a saloon before and it didn't seem to bode much ??ood. The in. e. was the first man to get his breath, as was right, seeing his position, him being closer to the old man than any of us, and he sung out tolerably cheerfully: "How do you do, Mr. Campbell. We were just about to take something. Will you join us?" "The old man sidled up to the bar without saying a word, much to our astonishment, though you could see he wasn't used to it. "'1 believe I'll take a little beer, boys,' he said, and we nearly fell over. What an unbending! "Well, we all took what we wanted and the old man sipped his beer and smacked his lips. There was more conversation while the bar man pol ished the rosewood, and finally the old man spoke up again, smacking his lips, and says: " 'That beer tasted pretty good. 1 believe I'll have another.' "And with that he laid a nickel very carefully on the bar and gave it a little push. One lone, lorn nickel. We glanced at each other out of the tails of our eyes and said nothing. The 'old man' drank his beer slowly. We? Why, we looked on." Started on Lowest Rung. Oren Root, a nephew of the seer* tary of stak>, while scarcely over :>i years of age, was recently appointee vice-president of the Metropolit-at Street Railroad Company of Nov York. Root started at the bottom o' the ladder. He began with a construe tion gang as a laborer and 'ater, be fore going Into the offices of the com pany, he acted as motorman and fot , several months rang up f;irea. Dying in Poverty and Want. MINSTREL WHO GAVE LAVISHLY NOW PENNILESS. Generous Acts of "Billy" Williams Remembered by Friends—How He Aided the South During Fever Plague. Chicago.—A pathetic story conies from Topeka, a story of the most fas cinating human interest, of unselfish deeds, of thoughtfulness of others, of brilliant success and sad twilight hours. The man is one who in the hey-day of his prosperity gave freely of his fortune for the cause of kindll . ness and for the wiping away of tears. To-day, with two of his chil dren, broken in health, very close upon 'the verge of a last resting place, he is waiting patiently in poverty and dis tress for the one clear call. The man is "Billy" Williams, once the minstrel king. Born in Dublin, the son of a success ful and wealthy physicial, he ran away I from home, came to New Orleans, and in time took up his chosen profession. He was an intimate of Dan Rice, the famous clown and acrobat; of Jim Hayes, the dancer; of George Thomp son, who wrote "Old Black Joe," and of many other famous men of that lime, and with them Billy Williams | sang and laughed and danced himself into the hearts of countless thou sands. But great, as was his art, it was far exceeded by his generosity. His benefactions aggregated more than SIOO,OOO. When the dark days of the fever plague smote all the southland, he gave $21,000 to the city of Mem phis alone, and to another district he sent 5)00 barrels of flour, costing $5,- 000. He inherited a fortune of $85,- 000 from his father's estate, and with what lavish hand he gave of it is written down only in the remembrance of the recording angel. When in New Orleans, the jilague was at its worst, and children were being buried in trenches for lack of coffins, he purchased and brought to the city 00 coffins for the little ones whose hearts were so much like his own. It is doubtful whether in his whole career there came to him a single cry for assistance that was not answered promptly. Pope Leo XIII., deeply impressed by these acts of almost unparalleled goodness of TOMBS BUILT ABOVE New Orleans Cemetery That Suggests Old World Scene. New Orleans.—The accompanying picture suggests a scene in the Old World, instead of one of that most THE NEW ORLEANS CEMETERY. Interesting of places, the old St. Louis | cemetery in New Orleans. As the j city was originally built on low ground, with massive levees rising on j every side to prevent luadation when j IS THE YOUNGEST EDITOR. Only Nine Years Old, Yet He Pub lishes a Newspaper. Lexington, Ky.—Tho youngest ed itor in the United States, if not ia the world, is Thomas Overstreet Davis, "TOMMY" DAVIS. (This Nine-Year-Old Kentucky Boy Issues His Paper Regularly.) and he is nine years old. He is the son of tt. Lee Davis, a newspaper man. When school closed in June for the summer vacation young Davis told his father ho wanted to learn to set type. His father humored him and made arrangements at a local job office for tho boy to be given a case to "play with." But the boy was deadly in earnest, and every morning he would goto the shop and stick type. Before his father knew that he had even learned the "case" he surprised him one day when he cme home to dinner by flashing a copy of the "Lex ington News," which he had gotten heart, had struck a mortal of gold, suitably inscribed, and this the aged minstrel wears to this day. Then his health broke. Physicians ordered'him west, in 1900 he went to Denver, and for several years conduct ed there a theatrical school anrt ex change. At last his old trouble re turned with double malignity. Mis fortunes showered upon him. His wife lies between life and death in a St, Louis hospital. Five children are with her, and they have scarcely the neces sities of life. Do you think this is the end of Rllly Williams? No. Kind friends are try ing to do something for him, and sure "BILLY" WILLIAMS. (Generous Minstrel Man Who Is Dp ing in Want at Topeka, Kan.) ly an All-Wise Spirit will see to it that the man who gave so freely of his own for others will not be permit ted to come to his last hour of un happiness and want. Prate of your stately buildings erected in the name of charity, won der at your glorious facades and halls dedicated to the cause of learning, ac claim the multi-millionaire who gives a tithe of what is his for the dissem ination of knowledge and the perpetu ation of his name—but think with pulsing heart and with eyes clouded with tears of love upon the minstrel, Billy Williams, and the golden deeds of such a life. "For the end of that man is peace." the floods come, the tombs were built above ground. Consequently they are like nothing seen in other parts of the country. What the beautiful Pere la Chaise is to Paris the old St. Louis cemetery is to New Orleans. Its tombs are ar ranged in tiers above ground, many of them beautifully ornamented and carved, looking like stone cabinets in some vast treasure garden. Within these tombs lie the most aristocratic dead of Ixmisiana, repre senting many old-time French fam ilies of that historic city. The photo graph shows a section of wall thickly lined with single vaults. Most of the inscriptions are more than a century old. Vines have grown up, almost concealing the quaint French inscrip tions of love and consolation. Wreaths of immortelles garland others. A small shrine of the Virgin is at an other, and in places vases of faded flowers are the tributes of the last feast day. Virginia creepers hang in festoons over the sealed and barrecl I doors guarding the dead. Along the ; walks are vases still luxuriant with [ flowers and vines of a century's plant- I ing. out with his own hands, writing the locals, personals, society, setting the type and "kicking off" the paper on a small job press. It contained news of the street upon which he lived The boy gets out the paper regularly. It is a two-column folio. It has 200 sub scribers. Oddities in Stamps. The largest postage stamp ever is sued measured four by two inches, and was the old United States five cent stamp for packages of newspa pers. The quarter-shilling stamp of Mecklenburg-Scliwerin, Issued in 185 G. is the smallest postage stamp ever produced, being less than one-fourth the size of the British penny stamp. There are 13,000 different kinds of postage stamps issued in the various countries of the world. Some of thesa are made only for collectors by coun tries wishing to make money easily. Project Large Glove Factory. A dispatch from Gloversville, N. Y., states that two members of the firm of Pownes Brothers & Co., of England, have recently been there looking over suitable sites to establish a branch glove factory in that city. It is stated that this English firm intends to estab lish the largest glove plant in Glovers ville, which now has 150 factories. Fownes Brothers & Co. recently built a silk glove factory fit Amsterdam, N. Y. The firm was established in Lon don in the year 1777. Horse's Artificial Foot. The veterinary profession is much interested in a surgical operation which has been accomplished by Prof. Udrlski, one of the staff of the veter inary school at Bucharest. Having amputated a horse's limb at the fet lock joint, after several failures he succeeded in fitting a leather boot or artificial limb that enabled the animal to walk about and take exercise. 9
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers