Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-28
A MAGISTRATE CONVICTED.

Justice wOOdhOuse. OF the Fourth Dis
trict, Found Guilty of Malfeasance In
Office.
The trial of VIM. H. WoOdbouse, JUS
tice of the Peace in the Fourth District,
for malfeasapce in office, was concluded
Yesterday in the Superior Court. The
prisoner was found guilty on all three
counts which made up the indictment.
The history of the case as gathered from
the testimony Of the witnesses is about as
follows:
On Nov. 10, 1888, woodhouse, ac-
companied by a constable, ar
rested negro named William Fra
Zier on a warrant charging him
with bastardy. The arrest was made
quite early in the morning. On the ar
rival Of the party at the Magistrates office
Frazier denied the charge and sent for
lawyer, William r. Leaken, ESQ, who
endeavOred to have him released on a
bond for his appearance for trial. Wood
house, il was claimed, demanded that the
prisoner should pay the costs, amounting
70 IS 30, though no trial or conviction had
been had. Under the laws of the State
no Justice or other officer is entitled to
any costs in 4 criminal case until the
accused shall have been convicted, and
the fact that WOOdhouse insisted upon
the costs in this case led to his indict-
ment under one count of the bill brought
against him by the grand jury.
Ii appears that Frazier's counsel, ind
ing that WOOdhOuse would not release
the prisoner on an appearance bond,
proposed to have the case re-
moved to another magistrates court.
He went to the other court and
awaited the coming of the constable
with his prisoner after hearing Wood
house say to the latter: 81 understand
what you want to do. But if you take
your case out of my court will make you
sting. / will burn you up" The cOun-
sci demonstrated with the Justice, when
the latter added: Il will get enough wit
uesses to convict that man. l will do all
I can to put him in the penitentiary, and
what is more, | will bring a white girl
into this court and make her ashamed"
Upon this second count of the indictment
WOOdhOuse in his statement to the jury
claimed that by the remark referring to
the white girl was meant that he would
bring her as witness TO show that
Frazier was IN the habit OF visiting a
woman named Carrie Williams, the
mother of the child.
Frazier did not 90 with the constable
TO the other magistrate, where his cOun-
sci was waiting for him. as WOodhOuse
had demanded that he should give
bond in the sum OF 500
conditioned to support the child. AS an
alternative it was proposed that he should
marry the mother. Frazier stated that
he could not marry as he was already
married. The defendant undertook to
show that Frazier willingly married the
woman at the time in his office, as he be-
gan to kiss her when the marriage SER
vice was halt performed. The State in
| trOduced testimony to show that Frazier
reluctantly consented to the marriage,
and that he had not lived with the woman
since.
The case was ably presented on both
sides, Hon. 2. w. Meldrim and u. IL.
McLaws, Esq, representing the prison
| er, and ex-SOlicitor General Charlton the
State. The jury was out about 20 minutes
and found the prisoner guilty. A sus-
pension Of sentence was requested and
last night WOOdhOuse gave bond in the
sum of $500 pending the hearing of mo-
tiOn for "A new trial