Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-03

| rom them. AFTER the usual charge OF the
Judge they retired to consider such matters
as might be submitted to them.
The several dockets were then called,
and the status of cases ascer-
tanned. Some were dismissed, marked
settled, or otherwise disposed OF,
and some assigned for trial. This Impor-
tant work was rapidly dispatched, and in an
hour the machinery Of the court was in
motion, and the
TRIAL OF CIVIL CASES
was commenced. There are no very impor-
tant civil suits on the docket, and none, so
far as I can learn, possessing other than
local interest, hence the general reader will
have no particular concern In them, and ]
viii omit special mention.
SIGNING FOR FREEDOM AGAIN.
The exhibit of marital infelicIty In Lib
ertY county, as evidenced by the numer-
GUS divorce cases at the recent term of the
Superior Court of that county, in HinesVille,
and to which reference was then made, is
completely cast In the shade by the
number Of Discontinued mated ones
In Mcintosh county. The Judge called
them out in such rapid succession from
the docket. that, for moment, one was in
clined to imagine the whole county was
about to sue for a dissolution of matri-
monial bonds. There are twelve cases await
to hear from. AL these unfortunates, who
are signing for freedom again. are, with two
exceptions, OF the colored persuasion. Mr..
W. A. Way, OF the Darien bar, find, is the
interceder in most of these cases, as he was
in Liberty, and his success In legally un-
tying the nuptial knot, and turning victims
loose with the privilege Of again getting
into trouble, will entitle him to the fame Of
being the champion divorce lawyer.
AN ELECTION MURDER.
The most important case on the criminal
docket which will be brought up for
trial at this term, is that Of the
what I hear there is considerable feeling
aroused in this matter. growing out Of the
fact that the victim, Dave Bryan, also col
ored, belonged to another faction, and that
the fight occurred on election day. At the
election for Governor on the 9th of October
last two candidates for the State Senate
! from this district were in the field, Messrs.
/ Gignillist and Harris. Each had warm sup.
/ porters, including negroes. During the
day there were frequent troubles and
difficulties, but nothing serious oc-
/ CURED until In the afternoon, when
4 an attack was made, it is alleged, by
/ the Harris negroes upon the GignilliaT
negroes, and serious row followed. Dave
/ Bryan. a mulatto, belonging to the latter
faction, was killed, aud three Others we're
! wounded. Monroe Harmon was ring lead
/ er among the Harris negroes, and took q
/ prominent part in the row, It Is said. He
/ was arrested, but at preliminary examine
/ ton was discharged, the evidence against
/ him not being conclusive. Bryan, just be-
! fore he died, which was a short while after
he was shot, asserted to Mayor Walker that
Harmon had killed him. After the prelimi-
4 nary examination, some additional evidence
came to light. Harmon was arrested and
| indicted By the grand jury for murder. He
has been In jail HoW about fourteen months.
! There will probably be some ''tall swear
! ing" among the colored fraternity at the
/ trial.
/ Several civil cases were disposed OF Monday
afternoon, but as there are a number on the
/ docket for trial, 1t is not probable the criml-
nal docket will be reached before Wednes-
day, and the court will very likely be in
session until Friday. Judge Tompkins is
determined, If possible, to clear the
! dockets, and by eonyenlDg court at
| $50 a. m, taking a short recess for
dinner and supper, aud continuing until 10
o'clock at night, the heavy business will be
! cleared away.
GENERALS CUT.
In the vicinity OF Darien are many points
| of historic interest,", the incidents connected
Herewith having in some instances been
! DESScINCQ IL tuC AOtuu VI AOSdA
| Across the river, l observe running through
i the opposite island small canal connecting
| as it will the Darien or north branch Of
| the Altamaha river with the main river, and
which is known as Generals Cut.n Ira
dition says that this canal or cut was dug
through the island by General Oglethorpe
In one night. In 1855, or thereabouts.
while looking after his colonists in this sec
ton, he was surrounded by the Spaniards,
who then owned Florida ard were jealous
Of the proximity Of Oglethorpe's colony to
their territory, and completely hemmed in.
! His vessels were unable to get through the
main river, either up or below, as the ap-
proaches were well guarded by the Span
iards, and he was at the mercy of the enemy.
The island was between him and the Darien
river. Oglethorpe, however, had no idea of
remaining cooped up In this style, If there
was possible way out. After surveying
the situation he determined to cut a canal
across the island-a distance Of half a mile
! to the Darien river, and run bis ships
! through under cover of darkness. The
work was commenced and completed before
dawn, the ships successfully carried through
| and when the sun rose the next morning the
| Spaniards were enraged to see Oglethorpe,
/ in command OF his little feet, peacefully
sailing of.
Buffers Island, once famously-rich plan
tation, and around which cluster some in
! teresting memoirs, is opposite the lower
portion OF the town, and IN full view. II is
still cultivated, and is regarded as one Of the
| most productive plantations In this vicinity.
Thomas Butler, the former owner, It will be
remembered By some OF your older readers,
| became infatuated with the great English
reader and actress, Fanny Kemble, and mar
RED her. She abandoned her professional
life, and, assuming the management OF her
| husbands mansion, reigned here veritable
I - - -
pital1ty In princely style. Some years ago
her youngest daughter, Fanny Kemble But
/ Ter, married R7v. Mr.. Leigh, an English
man Of high attainments and brother OF the
! present Lord Leigh, Of WarwickshIre.
learn from gentleman who was In Europe a
year or two since, that Rev. Mr.. and Mrs.
Leigh are now living at bennington, Eng
land, where Mr.. Leigh has a large church,
formerly occupying the position OF rector OF
the church at STAFFORD on-the-AvoD.
MINOR NOTES.
There is an election for Mayor and Alder
men of the town In progress to-day, but it
! is regarded as rather farcical, and no inter
est whatever is being taken in it. The polls
are established at the side OF the court
house. The managers are four negroes,
who are sitting around squaTe wood
table, upon which is the ballot box, small
soap box with a slit IN the top. A few
/ lOauQR negroes are TO DC seen dDOuG ILLS
primitive looking election precinct, but
there is no excitement whatever. The
cause Of this is that the people do not con-
slider the election legal, as the question OF
the constitutlonslity OF the law under which
the Commissioners of Mcintosh county,
who are ex-officio Mayor and AL
dermen, and who have exercised
such functions for the past nine
years, is now before the Supreme Court.
The matter, It is thought, will be decided
in favor of the Commissioners, and hence
this election will be null and void-therefore
no interest is felt in it.
The mails In this section are terribly mixed
AID irregular. The MORNING NEWS, which
reaches Sterling, fif cen miles from here, on
the afternoon Of the day of publication,
and could be In the hands Of every sub.
scriber the same evening, is not received
until the next day, some twelve hours later
than there is any necessity. The efficient and
! clever Postmaster at this point, Colonel d.
Webster Davis, has endesvored to do all
that is possible to effect remedy, but so
far without success. The Gazette has also
urged change, and advocated running a
boat to the landing in the afternoon to
receive this mail from Sterling aud bring It
over, when It could be delivered by z p. m.
The Postmaster is very popular among the
citizens, and has held the position for q
number Of years.
YoUDoUIsM.
Among the prisoners confined in jail are