Murder of Smith Treadwell
Murray County, Georgia, 1920
In 1921 Verner Vincent was convicted of the 1920 murder of Smith Treadwell and given life, with time on the chain gang for carrying a gun. The verdict was issued Saturday [est. 13 August 1921] in the superior court of Chatsworth, Murray, Georgia. His lawyers planned to appeal.
[Note: The URL leads to a short clipping, but that page has navigation links leading to the full page and issue of the newspaper. The database is also searchable.]
"Conviction of Vincent: Man Who Killed Smith Treadwell Given Life Sentence After His Conviction," /North Georgia Citizen/ (Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia) 1868-1924, Thurs., 18 August 1921, page 1 (digital image 1), Georgia Historic Newspapers, Digital Library of Georgia (GALILEO). https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn85034046/1921-08-18/ed-1/seq-1/print/image_561x817_from_2830,940_to_4455,3303/ (clipping ; page accessed 04 April 2020 by D. K. Pritchett).
[Source]: Smith Treadwell (murder of) in 'Jury Tied in Vincent Case and Deadlock Is Likely...,' /The Bartow Tribune/ (The Cartersville News ; Cartersville, Bartow, Georgia) 1917-1924, 19 August 1920,
(ed. 1), page 1 (digital image 1), [could not find continuation on pg. 8], Georgia Historic Newspapers, Digital Library of Georgia (Galileo). https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053395/1920-08-19/ed-1/seq-1/print/image_613x817_from_4346,1153_to_5200,2292/ (clipping ; page accessed 04 April 2020 by D. K. Pritchett).
The following issue has a description of the incident, in which a party of young people, returning from Cohutta Springs, had an automobile breakdown. They went to Mr. Evans's home to get a ride back to Chatsworth. Verner Vincent, an overnight guest there, gave them a ride. En route to Chatsworth, Vincent stopped at a culvert above Eton to take a drink of whiskey. Treadwell's sister [Thelma Treadwell] was upset and offended and quickly left the car. She later complained to her brother about the incident.
Treadwell confronted Vincent at his work place (an auto garage), and claimed that Vincent had offered his sister whiskey and further insulted her.
Witnesses claim that Treadwell then began shooting, killing Vincent. The defense claims that Vincent reached for a gun. (Those who undressed the body claim to have found a gun on the body).
Character witnesses stood up for the accused; several prominent [Murray County] men are mentioned. The judge (?meaning the defense lawyer, perhaps?) pleaded for the accused on behalf of his wife and seven little children. The jury deadlocked.
[There is much to read between the lines here; without body language, tone of voice, or knowledge of the persons and situation, it is hard to know exactly what happened when Vincent stopped to drink, and to what degree and in what manner he actually insulted or offended Treadwell's sister. She apparently felt threatened or offended, for there seems to be no dispute that she jumped out of the car, refused to get back in it, and later complained to her brother about Vincent's behavior. If Thelma's name is not in this article, I got it from a 1921 article in North Georgia Citizen. Verner Vincent was convicted in 1921.]
[Source]: Smith Treadwell (murder of) in 'Verner Vincent, Freed On Bond, Returns Home,' /The Bartow Tribune/ (The Cartersville News ; Cartersville, Bartow, Georgia) 1917-1924, 26 August 1920,
(ed. 1), page 1 (digital image 1), [cont'd pg. 16], Georgia Historic Newspapers, Digital Library of Georgia (Galileo). https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053395/1920-08-26/ed-1/seq-1/print/image_613x817_from_273,1116_to_949,2017/ (clipping ; page accessed 04 April 2020 by D. K. Pritchett).
Principal names: Smith Treadwell, Verner Vincent, Ora Bell Jones
GA Supreme Court Case, 1922, Google Books: Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, Volume 280, by Georgia. Supreme Court, John Erskine. Harrison Company, 1922 (law reports, digests, etc.)
Date: 29 Oct. 1921
https://books.google.com/books?id=SUMsAQAAMAAJ&lpg=PA280&ots=E6IPz89Ada&dq=georgia%20supreme%20court%201922%20vincent&pg=PA280#v=onepage&q=georgia%20supreme%20court%201922%20vincent&f=false
Verner Vincent was acquitted (self-defense) upon appeal. You can read the details of this case here: https://cite.case.law/ga/153/278/
ReplyDeleteOn Feb 24, 1921, page 1 Chatsworth Times, Vincent's letter from jail (favorite line, "If my friends will suspend judgment until August they will find these gossipers, tattlers and talebearers "conspicuous by their absence.” My experience has taught me that we ought to have a law passed in Georgia forcing every man who poaches on some old woman’s preserve, robbing, her of the blessed privilege of gossiping and tattling in the community, to wear a kimono and bonnet in order that he might be recognized and avoided by all men who wear pants." lol)
"There have been so many conflicting rumors and surmises in regard to the continuance of my case to August term of court I thought it would not be amiss, as a matter of simple justice to myself, to state all the facts.
My trial was set for Wednesday, February 16th. On Thursday prior to this date my wife was taken very seriously ill In fact the attending physicians held out very little hope for her for three or four days. She was not out of danger until the middle of last week. She is now able to be out, but not well by any means.
On Saturday prior to date set for my trial little girl, Montine, age 8 years, was seized with an acute attack of bronchitis attended by high fever, 103.5 degrees, and she was still very sick when I left home the following Tuesday afternoon, the day t before date for trial.
At this time my brother, L S. Vincent, of Fairmount, had two children dangerously ill with ‘flu.” He was also not well himself, and is now confined to his bed with “flu.”
My sister-in-law, Howard Starr’s, wife, of Fairmount, died on Monday afternoon of court week, her funeral being held the following Wednesday, the day set for my trial.
My mother is old, and she was not strong enough to make the trip to Chatsworth in inclement weather.
For practically a week previous to date set for trial I had very little sleep and very little rest, as I was compelled to sit up with and wait on sick folks. I was therefore not in physical condition to endure the strain of a strenuous trial. In addition to this I was forced to be away from Chatsworth several days before court and therefore could not confer with my attorneys and prepare my case for trial 1 am human, and being human, I would naturally want my loved ones by my side when I go into a trial of such a serious nature.
I came to Chatsworth Tuesday night, February 15th, with affidavits by reputable physicians setting forth the above stated facts in support of a motion for continuance to August term the judge refused to allow these to be read, but they were stated in part by Judge Morris in open court when my case was called Wednesday morning. I felt all along that Judge Tarver would grant the continuance on this showing but to make certain of it I absented myself from Chatsworth and the jurisdiction of this court on Tuesday night. February 15, with a view to forfeiting my bond for this term of court, which I had a perfect right to do. After events proved the wisdom of this course as the court would most certainly have forced me into trial had I remained in Chatsworth. It is a matter of record that the sheriff of Murray county telephoned the sheriff of Bartow county to arrest me if he could find me in Cartersville. It is also a matter of record that Messrs. Bagley and Cox, Murray county deputies, were sent to Cartersville to apprehend me if possible.
I am now in jail in Chatsworth, and as far as I know will be here until the August term of court, or practically six months by my calendar. (cont...)
(Vincent's letter continued from previous comment)
ReplyDeleteI feel that the ends of justice would have been served equally as well it my bond had been continued in force to August court, but Judge Tarver saw it differently and I bow to his mandate cheerfully and gracefully I would have preferred to have been on the outside in order that I might earn bread and meat for my wife and babies.- I am not a rich man and my family is absolutely dependent upon my earnings for daily sustenance, Suppose I will be compelled to trust their fate to providence until all these things are cleared up.
In looking backward, I still think that under the same circumstances and conditions any sane and reasonable man would have acted just as I did, and I have no apologies to make to any one.
In view of the fact that there have been some misstatements and false reports circulated about this continuance I think it a matter of simple justice to me that the people of Murray county know all the facts. In this connection I want to ask that my friends withhold judgment on any reports or insinuations they may hear until the case is called in the court house next August and the sworn testimony is all in. There seems to be a concerted action on the part of my enemies to spread inimical propaganda from one end of Murray county to the other. Of course, this is done for no other purpose except to influence public opinion against me as they would not dare attempt to drag this kind of old woman’s gossip into the courthouse and have the light of day turned on it. If my friends will suspend judgment until August they will find these gossipers, tattlers and talebearers "conspicuous by their absence.” My experience has taught me that we ought to have a law passed in Georgia forcing every man who poaches on some old woman’s preserve, robbing, her of the blessed privilege of gossiping and tattling in the community, to wear a kimono and bonnet in order that he might be recognized and avoided by all men who wear pants.
All I ask is that all the facts and all the evidence in my case be brought out, submitted to a fair and impartial jury, and I am willing to abide the result. I will not be satisfied with less and the state should ask for no more. The law of the state guarantees this to its humblest citizen, and I should not be made the victim of prejudice, perjury, and false propaganda. Neither should the state seek to hide vital evidence, but rather should they insist that all facts be known in order that justice be done. To illustrate the depths to which humanity will sink I have in mind a man who was drawn on my jury last August and with his hand on the holy book and with a solemn oath on his lips, in the presence of his Maker, he swore that there was no bias or prejudice resting on his mind either for or against me, when I knew he was the prime mover in the attempt last May "to organize a mob to lynch me. I, of course, struck him, and after I did so he assisted the state all he could in prosecuting me. Men of his stripe ought to be in the penitentiary instead of in the jury box in a white man’s country.
Instances of this kind, however, are exceptions and no the rule in Murray county. Ninety per cent of the people in this North Georgia country of ours are pure Anglo-Saxon and are possessed of an innate sense of justice and fair play. None of us can help a yellow cur getting mixed up in the breed once in awhile.
With the citizens of Murray county, I regret the expense my case is entailing on the county, but I cannot feel that I am in the least to blame. No one can charge me with hanging the jury last August and forcing a mistrial. The responsibility rests elsewhere."
Interestingly, I see on this blog there is a marriage record for Margaret Trammell Pomeroy, my 1C5R, which means she was a cousin of Verner Vincent's wife.
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