Handy, Dandy Georgia County Table

It's been at least three years since I created this Georgia county table. I know the information can be easily found online, but I hated to delete my work. :-) So it now will reside here.

Name:	Named For:	County Seat:	Laid Out:
APPLING	Colonel Daniel Appling	Baxley	1818
ATKINSON	Governor W. Y. Atkinson	Pearson	1917
BACON	Senator A. O. Bacon	Alma	1914
BAKER	Colonel John Baker	Newton	1825
BALDWIN	Abraham Baldwin	Milledgeville	1803
BANKS	Dr. Richard Banks	Homer	1858
BARROW	Chancellor D. C. Barrow	Winder	1914
BARTOW	General Francis S. Bartow	Cartersville	1832
BEN HILL	Benjamin H. Hill	Fitzgerald	1906
BERRIEN	John M. Berrien	Nashville	1856
BIBB	Dr. W. W. Bibb	Macon	1822
BLECKLEY	Logan E. Bleckley	Cochran	1912
BRANTLEY	William Gordon Brantley	Nahunta	1920
BROOKS	Preston S. Brooks	Quitman	1858
BRYAN	Jonathan Bryan	Pembroke	1793
BULLOCH	Archibald Bulloch	Statesboro	1796
BURKE	Edmund Burke	Waynesboro	1777
BUTTS	Captain Sam Butts	Jackson	1825
CALHOUN	John C. Calhoun	Morgan	1854
CAMDEN	Earl of Camden	Woodbine	1777
CANDLER	Governor Allen D. Candler	Metter	1914
CARROLL	Charles Carroll	Carrollton	1826
CATOOSA	An Indian Name	Ringgold	1853
CHARLTON	R. M. Charlton	Folkston	1854
CHATHAM	Earl of Chatham	Savannah	1777
CHATTAHOOCHEE	Chattahoochee River	Cusseta	1854
CHATTOOGA	Chattooga River	Summerville	1838
CHEROKEE	Cherokee Indians	Canton	1831
CLARKE	General Elijah Clarke	Athens	1801
CLAY	Henry Clay	Fort Gaines	1854
CLAYTON	A. S. Clayton	Jonesboro	1858
CLINCH	General Duncan L. Clinch	Homerville	1850
COBB	Senator Thomas W. Cobb	Marietta	1832
COFFEE	General John Coffee	Douglas	1854
COLQUITT	Walter T. Colquitt	Moultrie	1856
COLUMBIA	Christopher Columbus	Appling	1790
COOK	General Philip Cook	Adel	1918
COWETA	Indian Name	Newnan	1826
CRAWFORD	William H. Crawford	Knoxville	1822
CRISP	Charles F. Crisp	Cordele	1905
DADE	Major Francis Dade	Trenton	1837
DAWSON	William C. Dawson	Dawsonville	1857
DECATUR	Stephen Decatur	Bainbridge	1823
DEKALB	Baron De Kalb	Decatur	1822
DODGE	William E. Dodge	Eastman	1870
DOOLY	Colonel John Dooly	Vienna	1821
DOUGHERTY	Charles Dougherty	Albany	1853
DOUGLAS	Stephen A. Douglas	Douglasville	1870
EARLY	Governor Peter Early	Blakely	1818
ECHOLS	Robert M. Echols	Statenville	1858
EFFINGHAM	Lord Effingham	Springfield	1777
ELBERT	Governor Sam Elbert	Elberton	1790
EMANUEL	Governor David Emanuel	Swainsboro	1812
EVANS	General C. A. Evans	Claxton	1914
FANNIN	Colonel J. W. Fannin	Blue Ridge	1854
FAYETTE	General LaFayette	Fayetteville	1821
FLOYD	General John Floyd	Rome	1832
FORSYTH	General John Forsyth	Cumming	1832
FRANKLIN	Benjamin Franklin	Carnesville	1784
FULTON	Robert Fulton	Atlanta	1853
GILMER	Governor George R. Gilmer	Ellijay	1832
GLASCOCK	General Thomas Glascock	Gibson	1857
GLYNN	John Glynn	Brunswick	1777
GORDON	William W. Gordon	Calhoun	1850
GRADY	Henry W. Grady	Cairo	1905
GREENE	General Nathanael Greene	Greensboro	1786
GWINNETT	Governor Button Gwinnett	Lawrenceville	1818
HABERSHAM	Joseph Habersham	Clarkesville	1818
HALL	Governor Lyman Hall	Gainesville	1818
HANCOCK	John Hancock	Sparta	1793
HARALSON	Hugh A. Haralson	Buchanan	1856
HARRIS	Charles Harris	Hamilton	1827
HART	Nancy Hart	Hartwell	1853
HEARD	Governor Stephen Heard	Franklin	1830
HENRY	Patrick Henry	McDonough	1821
HOUSTON	Governor John Houstoun	Perry	1821
IRWIN	Governor Jared Irwin	Ocilla	1818
JACKSON	Governor James Jackson	Jefferson	1796
JASPER	Sergeant Jasper	Monticello	1807
JEFF DAVIS	Jefferson Davis	Hazlehurst	1905
JEFFERSON	Thomas Jefferson	Louisville	1796
JENKINS	Governor Charles J. Jenkins	Millen	1905
JOHNSON	Governor H. V. Johnson	Wrightsville	1858
JONES	Honorable James Jones	Gray	1807
LAMAR	L. Q. C. Lamar	Barnesville	1920
LANIER	Sidney Lanier	Lakeland	1919
LAURENS	Colonel John Laurens	Dublin	1807
LEE	Richard H. Lee	Leesburg	1826
LIBERTY	Midway Puritans	Hinesville	1777
LINCOLN	General Benjamin Lincoln	Lincolnton	1796
LONG	Dr. Crawford W. Long	Ludowici	1920
LOWNDES	William J. Lowndes	Valdosta	1825
LUMPKIN	Governor Wilson Lumpkin	Dahlonega	1832
MCDUFFIE	George McDuffie	Thomson	1870
MCINTOSH	McIntosh Family	Darien	1793
MACON	Nathaniel Macon	Oglethorpe	1837
MADISON	James Madison	Danielsville	1811
MARION	General Francis Marion	Buena Vista	1827
MERIWETHER	General David Meriwether	Greenville	1827
MILLER	Andrew J. Miller	Colquitt	1856
MITCHELL	General Henry Mitchell	Camilla	1857
MONROE	James Monroe	Forsyth	1821
MONTGOMERY	General Richard Montgomery	Mt. Vernon	1793
MORGAN	General Daniel Morgan	Madison	1807
MURRAY	Thomas W. Murray	Chatsworth	1832
MUSCOGEE	Muscogee Indians	Columbus	1826
NEWTON	Sergeant John Newton	Covington	1821
OCONEE	Oconee River	Watkinsville	1875
OGLETHORPE	General James E. Oglethorpe	Lexingon	1793
PAULDING	John Paulding	Dallas	1832
PEACH	Georgia Peach	Fort Valley	1924
PICKENS	General Andrew Pickens	Jasper	1853
PIERCE	Franklin Pierce	Blackshear	1857
PIKE	Zebulon M. Pike	Zebulon	1822
POLK	James K. Polk	Cedartown	1851
PULASKI	County Pulaski	Hawkinsville	1808
PUTNAM	Israel Putnam	Eatonton	1807
QUITMAN	General John A. Quitman	Georgetown	1858
RABUN	Governor William Rabun	Clayton	1819
RANDOLPH	John Randolph	Cuthbert	1828
RICHMOND	Duke of Richmond	Augusta	1777
ROCKDALE	Rockdale Church	Conyers	1870
SCHLEY	Governor William Schley	Ellaville	1857
SCREVEN	General James Screven	Sylvania	1793
SEMINOLE	Seminole Indians	Donalsonville	1920
SPALDING	Thomas Spalding	Griffin	1851
STEPHENS	Governor Alex H. Stephens	Toccoa	1905
STEWART	General Daniel Stewart	Lumpkin	1830
SUMTER	General Thomas Sumter	Americus	1831
TALBOT	Governor Matthew Talbot	Talbotton	1827
TALIAFERRO	Colonel Benjamin Taliaferro	Crawfordville	1825
TATTNALL	Josiah Tattnall	Reidsville	1801
TAYLOR	Zachary Taylor	Butler	1852
TELFAIR	Governor Edward Telfair	McRae	1807
TERRELL	Dr. William Terrell	Dawson	1856
THOMAS	General Jett Thomas	Thomasville	1825
TIFT	Nelson Tift	Tifton	1905
TOOMBS	General Robert Toombs	Lyons	1905
TOWNS	Governor George N. Towns	Hiawassee	1856
TREUTLEN	Governor John A. Treutlen	Soperton	1917
TROUP	Governor George M. Troup	LaGrange	1826
TURNER	Henry G. Turner	Ashburn	1905
TWIGGS	General John Twiggs	Jeffersonville	1809
UNION	The Federal Union	Blairsville	1832
UPSON	Stephen Upson	Thomaston	1824
WALKER	Major Freeman Walker	LaFayette	1833
WALTON	Governor George Walton	Monroe	1818
WARE	Nicholas Ware	Waycross	1824
WARREN	General Joseph Warren	Warrenton	1793
WASHINGTON	George Washington	Sandersville	1784
WAYNE	General Anthony Wayne	Jesup	1803
WEBSTER	Daniel Webster	Preston	1853
WHEELER	General Joseph E. Wheeler	Alamo	1912
WHITE	Colonel John White	Cleveland	1857
WHITFIELD	Reverand George Whitfield	Dalton	1851
WILCOX	Captain John Wilcox	Abbeville	1857
WILKES	John Wilkes	Washington	1777
WILKINSON	General James Wilkinson	Irwinton	1803
WORTH	General William J. Worth	Sylvester	1853

[Reference: Georgia History and Government by Albert B. Saye]

Polly Barclay - Another Murderous Woman?

Lately, it seems like the title of this blog should be Female Murderers of Georgia. While searching for information about Julia Force, and especially Cora Lou Vinson, I was led to other "famous" female murder cases in Georgia's history.

"On the 30th ult. was executed at [Washington], Georgia, POLLY
BARCLAY, as an [accessory] in the murder of her [husband]."
- Charleston Courier (South Carolina), 11 June 1806

Polly Barclay is often misstated as being the first woman hung for murder in Georgia. That is incorrect, as that distinction belongs to Alice Riley of Savannah. (We'll save her story for another post.) Point is, Polly Barclay was actually the second woman to be hung for murder in Georgia.

Mrs. Barclay was tried and convicted for the murder of her husband, most often simply referred to as "Mr. Barclay," in 1806. The murder took place in the fall of the previous year. This all happened near the city of Washington in Wilkes County, GA.

Records regarding the murder are difficult to find, and historians owe a debt of gratitude to Miss Eliza A. Bowen for what is known. She wrote stories about Wilkes County people and published articles in the Washington Gazette and Chronicles from 1886 to 1897. Her manuscripts were compiled into a book, The Story of Wilkes County, reprinted in 1950 and again in 1997.

The final chapter of the book, which is cut off mid-sentence, with no additions yet to be found, is about Polly Barclay and the murder of her husband. Several articles of the murder have been written since, but none that I found contained "new" information. Therefore I regard Miss Bowen's research as most likely the closest thing we have to a portrayal of actual events.

Polly Barclay was actually a conspirator in the murder of her husband. She did not pull the trigger on the gun that fired the shot that killed him. She was, however, the only one convicted and punished for the crime. Miss Bowen states, "All the traditions concur in saying that Mr. Barclay was not killed by his wife's hand. All the stories mention her lover and her brother...All the sources of the story concur in saying that the actual doer of the deed escaped."

Polly's co-conspirators were her brother William Nowland and her lover Mark Mitchum. Some say the motive for murder was money, others say it was committed because Polly wanted to be with her lover. It's likely a combination of the two.

Miss Bowen states, "From tradition we learn that the murder took place in the fall or winter [of 1805], after Mr. Barclay had sold his cotton in Augusta and returned, that his wife was not at first suspected, but that suspicion was aroused through something about the money, that then people talked, and various suspicious circumstances were told which when put together led to a belief in the guilt of his wife and her arrest."

Miss Bowen viewed and transcribed minutes from the superior court sessions that took place 205 years ago this month. In them she discovered that trial commenced after a true bill of murder was put forth against William Nowland and Polly Barclay. On 8 May 1806, William Nowland was tried and found not guilty. The next day he was to be a witness for the State. Seems like a situation we would describe today as striking a deal with the prosecution to testify for the State against another individual and receiving immunity in that deal, but that is speculation on my part.

The next day, 9 May 1806, Polly Barclay was put on trial. Opening statements, witness testimonies, closing arguments, jury deliberation, and the verdict all came in one day. The result was, "We the jury find the prisoner at the bar guilty but recommend her to mercy."

What happened to the mercy, I do not know. According to Miss Bowen's transcriptions, the Judge (future U.S. Senator Charles Tait) in the trial handed down the ruling:

That you Polly Barclay be taken from this bar to the place from whence you came, there to remain until Friday the 30th, day of this present month of May, and that on the aforesaid 30th, day of May you are to be taken by a proper officer to a gallows previously to be erected in or near the town of Washington, and then and there on the day aforesaid, between the hours of ten o'clock in the forenoon and two o'clock in the afternoon, you are to be hung by the neck until you are dead and may God have mercy on your soul.

Here are the particulars of the murder as told by Miss Bowen: "Tradition says that...There were two men who came up the road at night fall [supposedly on a Saturday] from the direction of Augusta and stopped at Mr. Barclay's cotton house which stood on the road a short distance from his house, made some noise, to make him suppose that some person was stealing his cotton. There were some visitors at the dwelling house who reported at the trial, that Mr. Barclay was not disposed to go out, but that his wife urged him to do so. Shortly after he went, a shot was heard, and those present reported that she said, 'that shot killed my husband.' When found, he was still living but the ball had cut off his tongue. He died in a few hours."

Mr. Barclay was buried, "it is said," on the spot where he fell. It was marked "by two unhewn stones which were placed upon it and they can be still pointed out on the old Elberton and Augusta road a few miles beyond Sandtown. The grave is on the edge of the road..."

In addition to the scenario described previous, another major witness was revealed at Polly's trial. In short, it was a young boy who witnessed a conversation in which Polly offered her brother $200 to kill Mr. Barclay.

So what about Mark Mitchum, you ask? Well, charges were never brought against him -- nolle prosequi (to be unwilling to pursue). He supposedly ran away upon hearing of the possible indictment.

Legend has it that Polly Barclay was in denial when it came to her death sentence. Even when the officer came to take her to the hanging tree, she grappled for a piece of paper she saw in his pocket, believing it was a stay of execution.

Something else that is often commented on regarding Polly Barclay is her beauty: "All the lines of tradition unite in reporting that the unhappy woman possessed uncommon beauty...It also come down to us, that she put on a fine silk dress to go to execution."

On the 30th day of May, in the year of 1806, Mrs. Polly Barclay was hung on a large white oak tree "which once stood on the north side of Main Street." Legend has it she was not hung by a rope, but by a chain. Mrs. Barclay was buried in an unmarked, undisclosed grave.

Cora Lou Jackson Tallen (Talent?) Vinson & the Principal Players

This post will show you what I have found out about Cora Lou Vinson thus far. My only research has been the online kind, and that is of course limited. I am very intrigued by her, and would love to know her ultimate fate. Did she live out the rest of her life in prison, or was she eventually able to get clemency? She doesn't strike me as a woman that would stop after just one attempt at that. I would also personally be thrilled to know her final resting place.

I do also understand that this really did not happen all that long ago. Less than 100 years, and some of Cora's and/or William's grandchildren might be living their lives without the desire to have this relatively recent past drudged up. Having said that, if there is anyone with information they are willing to share, I would greatly appreciate a comment or email.

OK! Here's what I've found:

Newspaper articles provided a bit of information. As chronicled when her nephews were testifying against her, Cora's maiden name was possibly JACKSON. She was described as a sister of "Simp" Jackson, whose sons J. S. and Roy took the stand. That same article brings out the fact that her marriage to William D. Vinson was a second one. Her first was "to a man named Tallen," by whom she had a daughter named Mary.

The article by Dudley Siddal states this: "...Married first at 14, she had only the education that falls to a mountain-born woman whose childhood was spent in the cotton mills. But she is intelligent, answers questions directly..."

I have not yet found Cora in census records before she was married to Mr. Vinson, but I did find this entry in the Georgia Marriages database at FamilySearch: Cora Jackson married M. L. Talent 24 June 1893 in Cobb County.

In 1910, having been married to William D. Vinson for seven years, they were in Atlanta on Ponders Avenue. William was a practicing physician. It is listed that Cora (aged 33 years) had four children, three living. Two of Mr. Vinson's sons from a previous marriage were listed: William B. and Tilley D. The two girls listed were from the union of William and Cora: Pauline and Ruby.

1920 finds a 38 year old Cora listed by herself with three children. Her marital status is already listed as widowed, even though it's two years before Mr. Vinson would be killed. Her likely attempt at "keeping up appearances" proved to be a bit ironic. The three children are Pauline, Ruby, and Louis J.

In 1930, Cora is exactly where you would expect to find her -- in the Georgia State Penitentiary at Baldwin County. She was a 52 year old widowed prisoner.

As you can see, Cora's birth years range from 1877 to 1882 to 1878. Newspaper articles at the time of the murder estimate her birth year to be 1878 or 1879. I have found three possible entries for Cora in the Georgia Deaths database at Ancestry and the Social Security Death Index (one might could argue there are more, but not one I viewed fits perfectly):

· Cora L. Vinson, d. 13 Feb 1953 Fulton Co, GA, aged 68;
· Cora Vinson, d. 23 Feb 1971 Baldwin Co, GA, aged 86; and
· Cora Vinson, b. 1 Jul 1889, d. Feb 1971, last residence at Milledgeville, Baldwin Co, GA.

Cora and William's daughter Pauline is found with her husband and three children still in Atlanta in 1930. Her husband, William T. Brown, is still a city fireman as stated in a newspaper article. Pauline was married about 1920 at age 15, sometime after the January census enumeration when she was still listed with her mother.

Here are two possible entries for Pauline in the Georgia Deaths database. I think the first is likely our subject:

· Pauline V. Brown, d. 6 Apr 1979 Fulton Co, aged 73; and
· Pauline V. Brown, d. 10 Jan 1985 Coweta Co, aged 77.

William "Willie" B. Vinson, son of W. D. and his first wife, is listed with his divorced father at Fulton County, Georgia in 1900. By 1930 he is married to Minnie L. and has three daughters in Dekalb County. His occupation was life insurance salesman.

Georgia Deaths, 1919-98 shows a William B. Vinson d. 25 Oct 1945 in Dekalb County at age 57. FindAGrave provides us with the burial location of East View Cemetery in Atlanta.

After Tillie D. is enumerated with his divorced father in 1900 as was brother William, we find him still in Atlanta in 1920. He is married to "Viola" Miller, and they are listed in her parents' household. Tillie was a practicing dentist. In 1930, Tillie and "Violet" are in Atlanta with their young son. Tillie is still a dentist, and we can add a veteran of World War I.

Tillie registered for the draft about 1917, while he was living with his father and step-mother on Ponders Avenue in Atlanta. His occupation was even listed then as dentist. Tillie was described as having brown eyes and dark brown hair on his draft card.

The only Tillie D. Vinson in the Georgia Deaths database states he died 6 August 1956 at age 61 in Dekalb County.

...Does this family connect to yours?

Suffrage is Bringing Woman Down from Her Pedestal (Battered Wife or Cold-Blooded Killer Part V)

Woman Slayer Facing Gallows: Though condemned to
hang July 28 for slaying her husband, Mrs. Cora Lou
Vinson, behind bars in Atlanta prison, is hopeful public
sentiment may save her from the gallows.
- Muskegon Chronicle, Michigan, 14 June 1922

And public sentiment was divided.

While Cora sat in the women's ward of Atlanta's "grim jail called the Tower," waiting for the results of her appeal, a debate raged outside as to whether or not a woman should be given the death penalty. News articles spoke of how Cora would be the first execution of a white woman "since before antebellum days."

There was a wonderful article written by Dudley A. Siddall that ran in several newspapers in June 1922. I'd love to share with you the entire piece, but it is just too long for a post. Here are some highlights:

Leading Suffrage Workers Declare There Must Be Equality Before Courts As Well As At the Polls
Now that women vote like men, should they pay the same penalty for crime as men? Even though the penalty is hanging?

Col. William Schley Howard, former member of congress who aided in prosecuting the case, said in an interview: "Women have demanded equal rights in business and politics. In every way they have indicated their desire to be treated as men. Why then should a woman -- solely on sex grounds -- be accorded any special privilege by a jury? The time has come when they should be treated like men before the bar of justice."

...If it is true that sentiment toward women is changing from a chivalrous to man-to-man attitude, defense lawyers in future woman murder trials may have to shift their tactics. The old sympathy pleas and sympathy stage setting will be relegated to the place of outworn things in legal practice.

Miss Eleanore Raoul, Atlanta, Ga. president Atlanta League of Women Voters: "Woman has passed through the age of dependents into an age which regards her as an intelligent being. Consequently there should no longer be a question as to whether she should be treated as a human being fully responsible for her acts. I believe we women are prepared to accept our responsibilities along with our privileges."

Ruth Hale, New York, president of the Lucy Stone League, which believes women should retain their maiden names after marriage: "If I were the woman in the Georgia case, I would insist on being hanged. As a citizen any woman must bear the same responsibilities as a man. It is wrong for her to expect even Georgian chivalry."

[To the contrary] Sheriff J. I. Lowry, Atlanta, Ga, charged with executing condemned prisoners in Fulton county: "A woman should not be hanged -- well, simply because a woman is a woman."

Another interesting aspect to this case involved the property of Cora's husband. Should she get it? Especially since this property was a point of contention between the two, and possibly a reason why she killed him? This was 50+ years before Son of Sam laws prohibiting a criminal from profiting from their crime.

Well, she got it. "Condemned, She Shares in Estate of Her Victim: Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson, under sentence of death for the murder of her husband, W. D. Vinson, several months ago, was awarded a share in his estate in a decree handed down by Judge George L. Bell, in Fulton County Superior Court. Mrs. Vinson...was given the Vinson home and a share in other property..." (Dallas Morning News, Texas, 6 October 1922)

Later that month, the final ruling came (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas, 21 October 1922):

Slayer of Husband Escapes Gallows
ATLANTA, Ga. Oct 21 -- Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson, convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her husband here last March, today escaped the gallows when she appeared in superior court, was given an immediate new trial, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 1926, four years after Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson began her life term in the Georgia State Penitentiary, she requested a pardon or parole. The request was denied.

So ends the story of Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson and the murder of her husband. (Link takes you, dear reader, to the beginning of the series.) However, as we genealogists know, that does not end the story of the life of Cora Lou Jackson Tallen Vinson. In fact, it is only a portion of it.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Easter! After the weekend, I will share with you some genealogical particulars about Cora Lou. And unless a miracle comes my way in the next 48 hours, I will likely end that post with a plea for help. See you then!

Twelve Southern Men Have Voted to Hang a Southern Woman (Battered Wife, or Cold-Blooded Killer Part IV)

Cora Lou Vinson to Hang July 28 for Husband's Murder

Hangman's Rope for Slayer of Dr. W. D. Vinson

Death Penalty for Mrs. Cora Vinson

"Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson was convicted by a jury in superior court here tonight of the murder of her husband, Dr. W. D. Vinson, and sentenced to be hanged July 28.

The verdict without a recommendation to mercy was more than even Solicitor General Boykin had asked, as he had urged the jury to convict the woman and fix her sentence at life imprisonment, saying he had never asked that a woman be hanged. Under Georgia law a murder verdict without a recommendation carries the death penalty which the presiding judge formally imposes." (Montgomery Advertiser, Alabama, 4 June 1922)

From 4 June 1922 edition Macon Telegraph, Georgia article by John W. Hammond:

Mrs. Vinson sat calmly by the defense table, chewing gum, while the jurors filed into the court room, and the verdict was being read by Assistant Solicitor E. A. Stephens. She gave no sign of emotion when the fateful word 'guilty' was sounded through the intense stillness of the big court room.

Mrs. Pauline Brown, daughter of the condemned woman, sat by her mother. She, too, appeared unmoved.

Judge Humphries asked Mrs. Vinson if she had anything to say why the sentence of death should not be pronounced on her. The woman, still chewing gum, merely shook her head.

So why was she given the harshest penalty of death when it wasn't even asked for? The article continues:

There has lately been very widespread discussion in Atlanta of the fact that "too many women have been shooting up men and getting away with it," and at the outset of this case, even though the court officials apparently did not work to that end, there was reason to believe Mrs. Vinson would get the extreme penalty if the evidence justified it.

Feeling of Unrest.
It is a fact that, ever since the case of Mrs. Williams, the young woman who shot to death an engineer on a drinking party, and drew practically no sentence at all at the State prison farm, there has been an evident feeling of unrest. That had been added to by the fact that it is reported here, and has been for some time, that Mrs. Williams is no longer at the prison farm, but is somewhere "out in the State having a good time."

In the past few years there have been no less than half a dozen cases of this kind, in each one of which the verdict has been mere nominal punishment.

So is that the finale of the saga of Cora Vinson? Not by a long shot. Her attorneys immediately filed an appeal "to the higher tribunals" for a new trial. Pending that ruling, Cora's execution was automatically stayed.

Her words on the matter: "I don't believe they will hang me for what any woman would have done under the circumstances."

Tomorrow: the feminist debate rages, and the final ruling.

Nephews on the Stand Tell His Side of the Story (Battered Wife or Cold-Blooded Killer Part III)

Yesterday I gave you Cora Lou Vinson's side of the story. Today I'll tell you what he said. This will have to be in the form of testimony from his nephews, though, since Dr. William D. Vinson was dead.

Atlanta Constitution, Georgia
2 June 1922

Nephews, On Stand, Claim Mrs. Vinson Threatened Husband

Say That She Had Stated She Would Shoot Him to Prevent His Sons Getting Property

Roy Jackson Tells of Visit to His Home by Mrs. Vinson, Who Was Hunting Her Husband
Testimony by two nephews of Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson, on trial in the Fulton superior court for the murder of her husband, Dr. W. D. Vinson, to the effect that she had on numerous occasion threatened to shoot her husband, concluded the third day of the trial, which began Tuesday.

"Yes, sir," exclaimed Roy Jackson, nephew of the defendant, "my aunt came to my house Christmas night, 1919, and said she would shoot the hell out of Dr. Vinson, Willie and Tillo B. [printed as Tillie in other articles], too, before they'd ever get any of that property. Willie and Tillo B. are Dr. Vinson's sons."

J. S. Jackson, also a nephew of the accused woman, testified she had stated to him she would kill Dr. Vinson, and one time, in his presence, told Dr. Vinson she would pick up an ax and knock out his brains if he "did not get the hell out of there."

...[Roy Jackson, referring to 1919] "She had been drinking, or was on one of her high horses," he said...

..."Nearly every time I saw her she said she would kill Dr. Vinson and the two sons before she would let them have the property." When questioned as to her exact words, the language used was not printable.

I referred to the nephews as "his," and the newspaper article refers to them as "hers." Both are correct of course, but just so you know, Roy and J. S. Jackson were sons of Cora's brother Simp Jackson. Willie and Tillo (Tillie) were sons of Dr. Vinson from a previous marriage.

I found Dr. Vinson's death certificate online at Georgia's Virtual Vault. Cause of death was "multiple gunshot wounds of head (homicide)."

Just about every news article I read pointed out that Dr. Vinson had filed for divorce, citing that "she" had threatened to kill him.

Tomorrow: The Verdict.

"It was hell. I could it endure it no more," She Said. (Battered Wife, or Cold-Blooded Killer Part II)

Yesterday we discussed the newspaper reports regarding the killing of Dr. W. D. Vinson in 1922 Atlanta, Georgia. Today's post will inform you of Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson's side of the story.

Before Cora officially went on trial for the murder of her husband, she and her lawyers tried the insanity defense: "Special plea of insanity was being heard in [Atlanta] superior court today for Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson, widow and slayer of Dr. W. D. Vinson...The daughter of Mrs. Vinson testified that her mother is insane." (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Georgia, 2 May 1922.) It didn't work. Cora's trial began the first of June.

Cora Lou Vinson Makes Statement

The article the following appears in was published in the 4 June 1922 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia) after the verdict was rendered, as highlighted in the title which I do not yet want to give. :-) I will tell you this: A subheading was TWELVE MEN WERE OUT BUT TWO HOURS... Not exactly a jury of her peers. On with the statement!

The statement of Mrs. Vinson, which was given late Friday afternoon, was the sole testimony offered by the defense and as a result of this move, they have the opening and closing speeches in the argument.

The bitter story of a woman scorned was told to the jury Friday afternoon by Mrs. Vinson.

Mrs. Vinson, weeping the while, said she slew her husband [because] he had been cruel to her, had threatened her life, and said he was going to divorce her because of her wrecked physical condition and marry another woman young and wealthy [printed as "young and healthy" in other articles].

Ethel Robertson & Cora Vinson

She took the stand at 3:15 and delivered a dramatic recital for more than an hour. When she came to the description of the actual shooting, feeling in the court room was intense, and her daughter, Mrs. Ethel Robertson, who had been sitting with her mother all during the trial, fainted and had to be taken from the court room.

Mrs. Vinson at the outset took up the thread of the story leading up to the fatal shooting.

"I went to my husband's office to obtain funds to buy groceries on the afternoon of March 30. He only allowed me $7 a week for household expenses, and it did not give me enough to provide for myself and children."

"He was writing a prescription when I came into his office. I begged him to come back and live with me. He told me to sit down and shut up; that he was going to marry a young and healthy woman; that he was tired of me."

"I told him I loved him. I love him still, but he was so cruel to me I could not stand it any longer. When he told me there was another woman in his heart I became enraged. His coat flapped back and I saw the butt of the revolver he carried night and day. He previously had threatened to kill me, so I thought my time had come."

Tells of Shooting.
"I decided I would not be shot down like a dog. I drew my revolver from my coat pocket. I pointed the weapon at him...I was so weak I could hardly pull the trigger. Finally I heard a crash and knew the gun had gone off. They say I fired four shots, I only remember firing once."

"I had been in servitude for nineteen years. He treated me unkindly. He frequently threatened my life. On one occasion he tried to poison me and I was between life and death for five days. It was hell. I could endure it no more. And the problem took the natural turn of the whole sorry mess."

"But I loved him when I married him. And I love him now."

Mrs. Vinson spoke nervously and rapidly with occasional lulls when she would stop, evidently trying to concentrate. She had notes in her hand to which she referred from time to time.

Charges Assault
Mrs. Vinson prefaced her story of the shooting with a sordid story of alleged mistreatment during her nineteen years as Dr. Vinson's wife, charging that on various occasions he had threatened her life and on one occasion he shot at her and barely missed her baby's head.

She charged him with malpractice, with having made a dope fiend out of her, with having given her a social disease which was transmitted to one of the children, and with infidelity as far back as the time previous to the birth of their first child.

"I deprived myself of all pleasures to help him get a start in life," she declared. "He made me do all the work around the house, refusing to hire a servant because he said he had married me to work for him."

"He tried to run me away -- said I was a fool to live with him -- that I was so bony I would rattle if he held me up. But I loved him and begged him to stay in the house and avoid the disgrace of a divorce for our children's sake."

Cora Lou's attorney, Samuel Hewlett, in closing "declared the evidence showed that Mrs. Vinson shot in self-defense, and pictured her as a woman hounded by her husband, deprived of the necessities of life, and suffering great mental anguish as well as physical pain, at the time of the shooting." (Macon Telegraph, Georgia, 4 June 1922.)

"Dread of the hangman's noose is nothing compared to the fear I lived under before I killed my husband...

I killed my husband in self-defense. Therefore I have committed no crime."
- Mrs. Cora Lou Vinson
Tomorrow: "He Said."