The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-29
TO WORK FOR THE COUNTY.
Craig, Alias Butts, Gets Three Months
for Vaarancy

Tor V aREduCys
Charles Craig. alias Butts, was tried in
the city court yesterday, and was convicted
of vagrancy. He was sentenced to three
months on the chain-gang. The case was
an interesting one.
Craig was arrested last week by Detective
Basch on suspicion OF being the thief who
snatched Mrs Hudson's pocket-book from
her on Bull street, tut as the chain OF evil
dence is not yet as complete as it is believed
it can g made, Craig was charged with
vagrancy.
Craig was defended by Thomas s. Nor
gan, Jr., and the state was represented by
T. D. Rockwell, acting solicitor general.
The charge of vagrancy was strongly made
out The prisoner made quite lengthy
statement. in which he admitted having
served a term Of five years in the South
Carolina penitentiary, but be claimed that
it was for assault and battery. he also con-
fessed to having served ninety days on the
chain-gang at Augusta, but he SAID that the
penalty wes unjustly inflicted; that he had
been running a shooting gallery there, was
arrested for burglary, and charged with
having burglars tools on his person, but
the charge was not susceptible OF proof, and
the officers having a grunge against him he
had been unfairly convicted Of vagrancy !;
had served eleven days OF his sentence,
escaped, was brought back and served
his term out. He had returned to his
home in Charleston and sought his work,
but the odium Of his imprisonment pre-
vented him from obtaining employment
He had, however. got some work along the
road between Charleston and Savannah,
and when he reached here four weeks ago
had sll. He tried to get work here, he
said, but failed. He denied the truthful
ness Of Mr.. Rosiglio's statement that he had
begged money from Rosiglo, and denied
that he is a vagrant, or that he had been
implicated in the purse snatching. He tried
the Lawrence dodge to keep of the chain
gang by saying that he was unfit for hard
labor, having at one time broken his arm.
Testimony in rebuttal by the state by
Officer Basch showed that Craig had con-
fessed that he had served five years in
South Carolina for blowing open a safe.
A negro by the name of Lewis, better
known as the "Black Diamond,r owing to
his relationship with the colored prize
fighter of that name, was candid witness.
He swore to having been an inmate of the
Augusta jail with Craig alias Butts. He
had gambed in the jail with Craig, and
had won as much as 25 cents from him at
one time, and he excited the visibility of
court and bar by the quaint manner in
which he explained TO bis interrogation that
'25 cents is big money in jail, boss" The
BLACK Diamond said that Craig met him
here in Savannah and wanted him TO watch
outside while he Craig would do some
crooked work in this city. They were to
meet in the market by appointment, but
Craig failed to meet him.
The court in passing on the case reviewed
the testimony showing that the prisoner
had done no work in this city, and yet had
been known 10 spend money after a time
when he was known to be moneyless.
Either he begged it, gambled for il or stole
it. When a man is without money or the
means of support he must starve, beg or
steal. and when this is done the man te-
comes a vagrant. In this case it is shown
that Craig went to a poor sick woman to
board, and left without paying her, and ne
had, at the time of his arrest, no habita-
uon, and could give no reasonable account
Of himself
The counsel for the prisoner having pleaded
that Craig be discharged upon the promise
that he would leave the city, the court in
abiding to the plea, said eve have no right
TO infict the prisoner upon another com
munity, and will not do So" The judge
therefore sentenced him to the chain-gang
for the same period of time that he had
served at Augusta. Craig was ironed and
taken from tie court room by bailiff.