The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-02
A PORTER ACQUITTED.
The Noble Grand of Colored Lode
of Odd Fellows Cleans Out the Hall.

Inc noble Grand OF COlOreQ Lodge
of Odd Fellows Cleans Out the Hall.
A s. Williams, a colored office porter in
| the employ Of the Savannah, Florida and
Western railway in the freight Offices, was
acquitted last night by jury in the su-
perior court on the charge Of assault with
| intent 10 murder j. s. Maxwell
No case in court fer years has created as
| much merriment as this case. The quaint
| way IN which the colored witnesses detailed
| the incidents which occurred on the night
/ Of Sept, 81 last, when Williams cut Max
| well, was too much for the grave and rev.
ereud seignoirs at the bar. and as mirth is
/ catching, il was difficult 10 restrain it and
! keep II within bounds, and it required that
the silencing baton should come down
| hard on tho floor to remind those present
that the time and place were not fitted to
! unrestraine1 mirth.
| Mount SER lodge No. 2, AL Of colored
| odd fellows, through a committee was in
vestigating one " their members charged
with the misappropriation OF funds and the
! drawing Of sick bsue6ts while in debt to the
| lodge. The committee had passed an order
to sequesl er the witnesses Williams, noble
| grand Of the order, objected 10 his Brothers
| Gray and James 4 Maxwell remaining.
and Brother Hamilton took it up aud
| charged Williams with having "burglarized
the clothes On bis back In a spirit OF
brotherly love the noble grand, to quote the
| language Of one Of the witnesses, who was
| also one OF the advocates handed him one
| in the jaw wiz his fist. Then Hamilton
with a stick aud Jim and Cooper Maxwell
| with chairs began TO make it warm for the
noble grand, who was knocked sensible
as one witness put il, and when he got up,
| he had his knife out, and, wardiug off a
| blow with "A chair in tho hands Of Maxwell,
began TO cut at Maxwell, giving him a
couple Of cuts in the face and one in the
arm Ia the melee all the lamps but one
were extiDguished and great excitement
| prevailed The locked door was burst open
after two or three rounds had been fought
| in a circle Of the investigating committees
| table, and Maxwell and all the rest soon got
| out
The lodge on that occasion was repre-
\ sented by a cOlored man 10y the name of
| Clark, wlo was the lodge advocate, and
one Ruckert was Brother Gray's lawyer"
| Ruckert was the first out dashing through
an open window, closely followed by Clark
"The lawyers were the first to get out of
danger, were thsyp asked Solicitor General
| Fraser.
"Oh, yes, ah," answered Smith. "We
'scused ourselves first sab"
| Another witness was asked if there was
much excitement, He replied that there
was "a great deal of prOfusion when de
chairs began to fly about de room and de
| lawyers jump outen de wInder. De doah
was locked, but when de crowd bust agin
de doah, dey all discussed outeu de room,
and Maxwell he skuse himself and l don't
see him no noah dat night
The defense proved the peaceable dispo-
sition and good character Of Will
Jams by Messrs. W. ?. Hardee
Hutchins, jackson, King and Gala
her, Of the Savannah, Florida and
Western railway offices, and also proved
that Williams was badly knocked on the
head by the Maxwells.
The prisoner made a clear statement re
| counting the troubles Of tns lodge from mis-
| appropriations by two Of its members, and
that the trouble was forced on him by his
manfully standing up for honest manage
ment. He had resented the insult Of Ham
ilton by a blow Of his fist, and el
Knocked down and set upon by the Max
wells he had defended himself, believing
that to that ACT he owed his life The jury
evidently took the same view Of the matter,
and were out only a short time when they
came IN with a verdict Of acquittal. Will
Jams has retained his position with the
Savannah, Florida and w stern railway
since the trouble, having been out on bond
He was congratulated by the ilroad boys
over the result Of the trial. T. d. Rock
well, Esq, defended the prisoner.