The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-05

position. Ever since the Mechanics have
been organized it has been customary with
tae City Council to divide the honors Of the
department with them, that is, on every
alternate year to elect a member Of the
Mechanic company as chief of the depart
ment This rule has been observed ever
since 1882 or 1885, the year the Mechanics
was organized Asa consequence, and as
the " lde Awal1es had the chief fst year,
the Mechanics expected that one OF their
number would lie elected as chief for the
coming year 1t is to heal the bad feeling
caused among the Mechanics company that
Chief Oliver viii decline.
The people of Ben Smiths district, Gwn-
nett county, have concluded, after much
trouble and worry in endeavoring to solve
the question, that the unknown man who
was found one Sunday morning suspended
from 1oist in their courthouse, IN that dis
tIict did not put himself in that attitude,
but that some one else did. 1T is now cur
rently reported that the man was choked to
death and swung up by the murderers after
he was dead, and after he was
cold and stiff. There is no doubt
but that he was robbed, after being
killed, and robbery was the motive that
brought about his death. One strong proof
they entertain, and which, among other cir
cumstanceS, induced them to this conclusion,
which they entertained al the outset but did
]
were stretched out from his body, and one
leg was drawn up. with his foot next to his
body. They say If he had hung himself his
arms and this leg would have been swinging
down. The Satchel the man carried when
he passed Judge Blakelys and Eugene
Hawther's the same day, was packed
full of something, and when it was
found in the court house, under the
corpse of its owner, there was nothing in it.
The man was neatly and decently dressed,
and ell the circumstances connected with
his death and the position the body was
found in, and the fact that his body was
cut down before the Coroner arrived, and
the conduct of certain parties whose names
it is not now prudent to give, and from
their past character for violence, lead I'M
biased men to suspect foul play, and the
good and lawabiding citizens of that dis
trict are straining every nerve TO ferret out
the guilty party, and are determined that
he or they shall not go UNPUBLISHED.
Athens Bunner- Waterman: "Rev." A
L. Brown, a negro Baptist preacher Of this
city, who came to Athens several years
ago from Lexington, has lately been caught
at his old tricks to obtain money without
earning It by the sweat Of his brow. Lake
has been mixing politics with his religion,
and has been figuring quite prominently in
elections both in OglethOrp9 and Clarke
counties and he seemed TO have been
prompted more by a desire of gein than for
the good of his country. 1t viii be reInem
bered that while pastor of the Lexington
Baptist Church, this negro collected sub
scriptions from his flock with which TO
build a parsonage, and instead OF
erecting it near that church, Lake
invested in a lot in East Athens,
on which he proceeded to build taking the
deed in the name of himself or wife. We
do not know what was the settlement of
this case with the victimized church mem-
| bers but doubtless the pastor came out on
top. During the late municipal contest in
this city the candidates for Mayor did not
! offer the usual fesh-pots to the sons OF
Africa. As consequence there was deep
growing among certain ebony POLITICIANS
| of our city, who have made a practice of
selling their ballots to the highest bidder.
! After waiting i'll vain for a proposition.
| Lake Brown sat himself down and
/ proceeded to indte notes to the Yariou,
/ candidates, not only those Of
| fering for municipal honors, hut al o
| to several gentlemen who We're successful
candidates for county Offices Mayor
Hodgson received one OF these weet-scented
misslves, in which Lake demanded s. for
services he claimed to have rem
dered that gentleman during the election OF
1886. de accompanied this letter with a
threat that if the money was not forthcOm-
ing he would give his vote and influence to
Mr. Dorsey Mayor Hodg-on refused to
comply with the demand, and sure enough
Lake iopped over. We learn that similar
demands were made upon Capt. w. D.
OFarrell and his brother Charlie.