Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-17
TIPPING SHOPS TO BE CLOSED
ON SUNDAY.
The First Case-The Defendant
Found Guilty and Sentenced.

Those Of our citizens we may say the en-
tire respectable portion Of this community,
who have deprecated the evil results grow
ing out Of the keeping open on Sunday, In
violation of the State law, Of tipping shops,
and have regretted the laxity which has
marked the prosecution and punishment OF
all such offenders, will be gratifed to know
that a new era is to be inaugurated, and
that this important law will be rigidly en-
forced.
The first case that has come up under this
law during the present term was called up
in the Superior Court Yesterday morning
before Judge Tompkius. This was the case
against VIM Carr, indicted for INSIDE
m4anor-keeping tipping shouse open on
Sunday. Tue defendant was represented bv
Mrssrs P NJ 81 r W. Russell aud A.
Smith, and the ate by the Solicitor Gen
eral.
The case was well conducted, and the
arguments pro and con were earnest. At
the close of the arguments Judge Tompkins
charged the jury at length, and in view OF
the interest tnat must necessarily be felt In
the case, the result Of which may be taken
as indicative OF the issue in all such cases OF
the kind, we give in full the salient points
OF the charge, which are as follows:
0ne of the finest tests Of
good man and a good Juror is that
he should be able to stand strictly up to the
law. And when man finds himself in the
Jury box, under his oath, he should dis
charge bis duties without any regard or ref
erence to his own private reasons, interests
or prejudices, or his own conception OF the
right or wrong Of the law under which the
defer dant may be Indicted. Every good
Juror will discharge his duty without refer
euce to what his belief or feeling may be
regarding the policy or justice Of the
law he is called to enforce. Every
community has a right to have the
law, as made by the lawmakers, impartislly,
strictly and rigidly executed. You have
nothing to do with what you may consider
the severity OF a law. If the law bears
hardly upon this defendant, you as jurors
have nothing to do with that. You are
here to carry out the law, not to change it.
That duty devOlves upon the legislators OF
ibe State il any change ought, to be made.
1t may seem but trifiDg Cffense for man to
keep open tipping house on Sunday, and to
keep liquor for sale on that day. But the
law ssys IT must not be done-the law does
not permit It, and the law should have fits
way, however greatly men may differ in
their notions as 10 what the law should be.
The orgs nization of society, and the en-
forcement of all law, would fail unless
courts and juries will honestly aud fearlessly
come up TO the measure of their duties aud
obligations to themselves and to society,"
It is impossible 10 enforce every law with
absolute strictness, as it is impossible to ap-
prehend everybody who violates the law.
But when one is caught it is the duty of the
courts and the juries to enforce the penal
ty, and to punish whoever it may be that
comes under the burden of the law.
On the conclusion of the Judges remarks,
the jury retired and after a short absence
made their temperance in court and re
turned verdict of guilty.
After the announcement of the verdict,
the defendant was arTaigned for sentence,
when Judge TOmpkins sentenced him topaz
a fine of 500 or be Imprisoned six months
in jail Judge Tompkins stated that as
Ibis wss the first case that had been brought
before him, and the defendant was q color
ed man who had borne a good reputation
before, be would make the sentence very
light; that he could impose e fine of 81 COO
for violation of the law, but for the reasons
stated placed the fine at 500.
The next case OF the kind that comes up,
where conviction is secured, will, we infer
from this, not receive the same leniency or
consideration.