Sumter County GaArchives Obituaries.....Hinkle, J.B. June 1894 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Carla Miles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002476 December 5, 2004, 10:14 pm The Marion County Patriot The Marion County Patriot, No. 24 June 15, 1894 Page Three Suicide of Dr. Hinkle Dr. J.B. Hinkle, the murderer of Dr. J.J. Worsham, committed suicide at Americus last Friday by taking morphine. He left a statement of the Worsham case about the same as he read at the trial, reaffirming his innocence and that of his son, and claiming that he shot Worsham in self-defense. After acknowledging his full belief in the Christian doctrine he says: “Knowing my soul will in a few hours, or ever sooner, stand in the awful presence of my Maker, to be finally judged according to the truth, I solemnly swear that the statement I herewith submit in writing is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” Then in a postscript, writtin in a tremulous hand, evidently after the fatal dose had begun its work, he adds: “And now, in the very hour of my death, I again solemnly swear that every word of this statement has been made without mental reservation whatever and it is as true as if it had been written by the finger of God himself, in whose presence my soul will soon stand to be judged according to its truth.” The following letter was addressed to his wife: “My Darling, Precious Wife and Sons, Albert, Eugene and Terry – I write this, my last farewell message on earth. If I was guilty in deed or even in thought, I could stand and bear my conviction or any punishment, but to know that I and Albert are entirely innocent of the charge for which I am convicted, that my action was wholly in defense of the life of our weak and unarmed boy, I don’t feel that I can bear a life of slavery, with the full, abiding consciousness of my innocence and that my conviction was consummated by the blackest perjury on the part of the witness for the state. Don’t grieve that I am at rest – sweet, sweet rest. While I still regret the necessity which made me shoot Worsham, knowing that he was about to take the life of my boy, I have never felt that I did wrong, for I know I did not violate either the laws of God or my country. God knows I have loved and still love our boy next to God himself. I leave you in His hands. He alone can help you in your greatest hour of trial and grief. God bless you and my boys always is my dying prayer. Thank all of our lawyers for their untiring work in my behalf, and thank all of our friends for their kindness and sympathy and forgive all of those who persecuted me and bore false witness against me and thus murdered me, even as I now forgive them. And may God also forgive them for their great sin is now my prayer. And now a long and last farewell. Goodby! Goodby! Goodby! my precious darling wife and sons. Your loving husband in life and in death. J.B. Hinkle Americus, Ga., June 7, 1894 The Marion County Patriot, No. 27 July 6, 1894 Page One The A.B. Hinkle case at Americus has been postponed to the November term. The Marion County Patriot, No. 4 January 26, 1894 Page Two The trial of the Drs. Hinkle for the murder of Dr. Worsham was begun at Americus Monday morning and probably last all week. Both sides are strongly represented and the legal battle will be a hot one. The Marion County Patriot, No. 6 February 9, 1894 Page Two The jury in the Dr. J.B. Hinkle case at Americus brought in a verdict of guilty and recommended that the defendant be confined in the state penitentiary for life. When the verdict was read a tragic scene was enacted when Mrs. Hinkle invoked the "vengeance of heaven upon all who took part in the conviction of her innocent husband." The Marion County Patriot, No. 7 February 16, 1894 Page Three The A.B. Hinkle trial at Americus, which was to have been taken up last Monday, has been postponed to the regular May term of court. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/sumter/obits/h/ob6045hinkle.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.5 Kb