The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-19
INDICTED FoR MAuPRACTICE.
just. Ce Sheftall and Constable Weth-
erhorn before the Grand Jury,

INDICTED FOR MALPRACTICE.
Just ce Sheftau and Constable Weth-
erhorn before the Grand Jury.
The indictments found yesterday by the
Superior Court grand jury against Justice
Thomas j. Sheftall and Constable Henry
Wetherhorn were discussed almost as widely
and earnestly as the Cassidy murder trial
The allegations of the indictments against
Justice Sheftall We're Succ!ntly stated IN the
MORNING News Of yesterday
Justice Sheftall appeared before the grand
jury yesterday forenoon with hS witnesses
but whatever the character of the teSti-
mony of the latter and statement Of the
former We're, they were not sufficient to
prevent the indictment.
Interviews with all the parties defendant
were had after the bills were presented G..
f. Bevans, the lawyer with whom Justice
Sheftall is alleged TO have conspired
in eXtorting money from Charles
Lawson, was met in Justice Mollnas
office. He was boiling over with indiRna-
ton that his name should be connected in
the prosentment, or that he had cOnspired
with Justice Sheftall. He exhibited sub
poena which had been served upon him to
appear before the grand jury to give testi-
monY for Justice Sheftall, but he said when
he got to the court house Constables Weth-
erborn and Nathans had talk with him.
Mr.. Wetherhorn was the chief spokesman,
and he gave them to understand, he said,
that he would not commit perjury
for any magistrate" lie would
swear that he appeared in Justice
Sheftalls court for Lawson only, was paid
S25 attorney fee by MIN, and that he knew
nothing of the cases against Godfrey and
Long. Mr.. Wetherhorn said if you make
that statement before the grind jury 1T
will kill us all and meeting Justice Shelf
tall after this the latter said 81 won't need
you"
Mr.. Bevans came up TO the MORNING
News office later to state it differently:
Il don't need you now, it Is over with,
which statement conforms with that made
by Justice Sheftall Mr.. BevanS in his inter
view said that Deputy Sheriff Nathans came
to his office on Nov S, and told him that
there was a case for him. He went to the
Justices Office and found Lawson there,
charged with misdemeanor. He demanded
an attorneys fee of S25, which ne received
in his Gown little hand" Hedivided it with
no one, and there being no prosecuting wit
ness present he moved for the discharge of
his client and signed only as attorney tor
Lawson No other name, he said, was in
the warrant but that of Lawson.
Deputy Sheriff Nathans denies the cor
rectness of BeYans' statement lie says a
court bailif went after Bevans.
Constable Wetherhorn readily accorded
an interview. He made no such statement
he said, to Bevans at the court house. He
had no interest in the Lawson case. lie
did not arrest any of the parties, and 1t
was not likely, he said, that he would make
any statement in the matter one way or
the other Referring to the Shinall matter,
he said that this was a case in which
a woman alleged that her husband had
been losing his earnings at gambling
house kept bv Shinall. She wanted him to
"disgorgen but Swore out no warrant.
Shinall was notified that the woman would
prosecute him if he did not return the
money her husband had lost to him at the
gaming table, and he returned it to her and
and was glad to escape prosecution, which
the woman would not thereafter make,
thanking the officer for his Intervention.
Justice Shcftall in answer to the state
ment of Bevans, handed out the original
warrant containing the names OF Lawson,
Godfrey and Long, and not of Lawson
alone, across which was written over the
signature of BevanS: Savannah, Ga, Nov.
8, 1887 Dismissed for want of prosecution
on motion of Defts Atty, " to which the sig
nature of Thomas j. Sheftall, J. Pr was
appended The names Of the three defend
ants were embodied in, and they
were also written ON the back of, the war
rant.
Justice Sheftall asked TO be excused from
giving any statement for publication except
that he asked for a suspension of public
Judgment until he can have hearing before
jury of his countrymen, when he has no
doubt, he says, that he will be acquitted of
the charges in five minutes after the jury
takes the case. The charge, he said, is
grave one, under which, if he is CON
victed. he will not only be deprived of
his Office but will be disfranchised. He
declined to outline his defense further than
this: In cases where a prosecuting witness
fails to appear, the custom among Justices
has been to dismiss the charge on motion of
counsel for the defense. Mr.. Bevans asked
that this be done, and the Justice had no
means of knowing that he did not represent
the three jointly embraced III the warrant.
In the Shinall case no warrant had been
issued, and it could not, therefore, 90 upon
the docket or he returned to the Office of the
Clerk of the City Court He will be repre-
scented at the proper time, he said, by able
counsel and will be fully prepared to meet
all the charges against him. Until that
time, he repeated the request that the pub