 1907 - 1925 (18 years)
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| Name |
Marion Felix Abernathy, Jr |
| Suffix |
Jr |
| Born |
02 Mar 1907 |
Georgia  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
25 Apr 1925 |
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia |
| Buried |
Sandy Plains Cemetery Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia |
| Person ID |
I1808714707 |
Abernathy, Robert and Sara Cubisch |
| Last Modified |
9 Feb 2015 |
| Father |
Marion Felix Abernathy, Sr, b. 26 Jun 1880, Bartow County, Georgia , d. 16 Dec 1947, Kennesaw, Cobb County, Georgia (Age 67 years) |
| Mother |
Sallie Irene Johnson, b. 26 Jan 1881, Cobb County, Georgia , d. 19 Feb 1957, Fulton County, Georgia (Age 76 years) |
| Married |
Abt 1895 |
| Family ID |
F1630918337 |
Group Sheet |
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| Notes |
- Atlanta Journal (Georgia) ? April 26, 1925
Youth, 18, Killed in Cutting Affray; Companion Jailed
Row in Pool Room Ends Fatally?Self-Defense Is Claimed
M.F. Abernathy, Jr., 18 years old, of 30 Hall Park, died shortly before midnight Saturday as the result of two knife wounds near the heart that are alleged to have been inflicted by Ralph Findley, 22, of 3 Keenan Avenue, after an argument that is said to have started in a downtown pool room earlier in the evening.
According to M.F. Abernathy, Sr., father of the dead boy, Ralph Findley and young Abernathy had a controversy over a game of pool, and as the argument grew heated, he and the other members of the party started to take his son home.
On the front seat of the car in which the four were riding were young Abernathy and Findley. When they arrived at the corner of Marietta and Rice Streets, Abernathy stopped the car and before the other occupants realized what was happening, Findley had stabbed Abernathy and was making efforts to escape, the police were told.
Findley was arrested soon after the death of Abernathy and is being held at police station charged with murder. According to the police, the alleged killing was witnessed by M.F. Abernathy, father of the slain boy, and Ernest Findley, brother of the prisoner. (NOTE: It was actually Ernest Abernathy, brother of victim.)
Findley?s explanation of the argument was given late Saturday night to a reporter of The Journal. Findley said he met Abernathy at the Walton pool rooms on Forsyth Street at 3 o?clock Saturday afternoon and after playing several hours with young Abernathy, his father and brother came in. After the last game, the keeper racked the balls before Abernathy had a chance to count his score and he questioned the results. From then on bad feeling existed and Mr. Abernathy senior insisted on breaking up the party.
When questioned in the police station, young Findley made the following statement:
? I would not have done what I did for anything in the world, except to save my own life. I have been advised by physicians that I have a leaky heart and have been warned by them that anything strenuous or a heavy lick on my breast would kill me instantly. He was a great deal larger than I am and I knew that he would beat me up, which would have meant death to me, so when he started after me when we stopped the car at Rice and Marietta Streets, I acted only in self-defense.?
- Atlanta Constitution (Georgia) -- 28 Apr 1925
Slayer?s Father Here Today;
No Date for Hearing Set
No date for a hearing has been set for Ralph Finley, charged with the stabbing of M. Felix Abernathy, Jr., later Saturday night at the corner of Marietta and Rice Street.
Finley?s father is expected to arrive in Atlanta today from Pensacola, Fla., to arrange for the defense of his son. On his arrival, an attorney will be engaged.
Finley is being held in Fulton Tower without bond.
Abernathy and Finley had been close friends for years and Saturday night went to a local pool room where they played a number of games. According to a statement by Finley, an argument ensured following the last game as to which won the game. This led to a fatal fight in an automobile while Abernathy and Finley were on their way home.
Funeral services for Abernathy, who died shortly after the stabbing at Grady Hospital, will be held at 11 o?clock this morning from the Sandy Plains church in Marietta. Rev. W.S. Pruitt will officiate and interment will be in the
- Atlanta Journal (Georgia) ? May 22, 1925
Findley Pleads Self Defense In Slaying of Chum
Self-defense was the plea of Ralph Findley, twenty three years old, testifying in his own defense in Fulton superior court, where he is on trial on a charge of killing his chum, Felix Abernathy, by stabbing him to death.
Young Abernathy was stabbed the night of April 28 as he rode home in his father?s car with his father, brother and Findley, the latter being indicted for murder. (NOTE: Murder actually occurred on April 25.)
? Felix and I have always been friends,? Findley said on the stand Friday. ?He started cussin? me and then he tried to stab me. I took the knife away from him, and it was then that I cut him. I didn?t know he was badly hurt until I was arrested at my home about an hour later.?
Pictures were introduced as evidence Thursday afternoon tending to show that Findley had been cut during the row that preceded the killing.
This move followed testimony of Earnest Abernathy, brother of the slain, and the driver of the automobile in which the homicide is alleged to have been committed; Abernathy testified that he had been driving; that his father was on the front seat with him, and that Felix and Findley were on the rear seat. The witness testified that as he was in the act of stopping the car he looked back and saw that his brother had been stabbed and was in the act of warding off another blow from a knife which he said was being wielded by Findley.
The case is expected to reach the jury Saturday.
Assistant Solicitor General Ed A. Stephens, assisted by Attorney H.A. Allen, is in charge of the prosecution.
Eight venire men were disqualified from the first panel of twelve called on account of opposition to the death penalty. The jury was completed at noon Thursday.
Findley and Abernathy had been chums for several years; it was brought out in trial.
When Findley was placed in jail on a murder charge he attempted to obtain permission from acting Chief of Police E.L. Jett to attend the funeral of the boy he had killed. However, since he was being held on a murder charge, permission was denied.
- Atlanta Journal (Georgia) ? May 23, 1925
Findley Convicted of Manslaughter; Given 12-20 Years
Ralph Findley, twenty three years old, charged with the murder of his chum, Felix Abernathy, eighteen years old, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to serve from twelve to twenty years in the state prison by a jury in Judge John D. Humphries? division of Fulton superior court at 7 p.m. Friday. The case was begun Thursday morning.
C.M. Mason, attorney for Findley, announced Saturday morning that he would have a conference with the defendant relative for asking for a new trial.
After H.A. Allen, assisting in the prosecution and Assistant Solicitor general Ed Stephens had presented arguments for the state, and Mr. Mason had made a two hour appeal for the defendant, the case was given to the jury shortly after 6 p.m. A verdict was agreed upon in less than an hour.
Findley was charged with stabbing Abernathy to death during an argument over the payment for a pool game. The stabbing was alleged to have been done while the two young men were on the rear seat of an automobile.
Earnest Abernathy and M.F. Abernathy, brother and father of the victim, who were on the front seat of the automobile, testified against Findley.
Both testified under oath that they looked around when they heard a disturbance on the rear seat and that Abernathy was attempting to ward off a blow from a knife in Findley?s hand. The blow which caused the death was then inflicted, the brother and father testified.
Taking the stand in his own behalf, Findley stated the stabbing was done in self-defense. Abernathy drew a knife on him, he said, and he had to use his own knife to defend himself.
The case was decided by eleven jurors, W.M. Watts, having been excused on account of a death in the family.
A number of Abernathy?s relatives were in the courtroom when the jury reported.
Georgia, Deaths Index, 1914-1927 about Marion Felix Abernathy
Name: Marion Felix Abernathy
Birth Date: 2 Mar 1907
Birth Place: Georgia
Death Date: 25 Apr 1925
Death Place: Atlanta, Fulton
Death Age: 18
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Gender: Male
Father Name: M F Abernathy
Mother Name: Johnson
FHL Film Number: 2363055
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