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
