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