The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-22
NORTON STILL IN HIDING
HIS ATTORNEYS WAITING FOB THE
EXCITEMENT TO sUBsIDE.

They Say Norton Will be Produced
at the Preliminary Examination.
Sheriff Tarver Said to Have Fears
for ais Safety if the Fugitive is Sur
rendered Now-The Colored Witness
OF the Tragedy in Jail for Safe Keep
ing.
There does not appear to be any immedi-
ate prospect Of preliminary examination
Of r. J. Norton for the killing of Willie
and John Bird in bingham county last
last week.
1t was expected, so Col J. G. Clark, one
Of young Norton's counsel, informed a
MORNING News reporter last Saturday, to
have had young Norton before bench Of
magistrates one day this week, with a
view to inquiring into all the facts, and
having the accused admitted to bail, but it
is claimed that the sentiment in
Efingham county now is so strongly
against the slayer of the Bird b others
that the sheriff fears he could not protect
Norton at the trial. In fact, Col Clark did
not hesitate TO say that Robert Norton is
being hunted, and if found it Is believed
he would be killed.
1t is understood that Denmark, Adams
q Adams have been associated with Col
Clark and his son and II. E. Wilson, Esq.,,
and at conference yesterday it was de
clded that in the present excited state of the
public mind in Efingham county it will not
be safe TO surrender the accused to the Off
GERS OF the law who have the warrant, and
as result Of the conference Norton's
whereabouts will not be disclosed for the
present.
KEEPING NORTON HID.
at may be ten days or more, said one of
his counsel yesterday, before the present
prejudice will die out so that an examina-
ton can be had with safety 70 our client
We want no more killings. and the way to
avoid them is to wait till the passions have
died out, and the accused can have a fair
and impartial hearing, and at the place
where the killing took place, so that
the examination can be intelligently con-
Quoted. We are prepared to surrender
Robert Norton just as soon as we feel salts
fled that the preliminary examination can
be had without any danger Of violence to
him. Whether this will require one week
or two weeks, or even a longer time, we will
not surrender him until we can be assured
of a fair trial and the protection of tae
accused from any act of violence"
Those who know where young Norton is,
| of course, are keeping their secret close. L
is thought by many that he has not vet left
ton of some friend. Others say that he
crossed the ferry and went over into South
Carolina, where he has relatives, while the
| theory has been advanced that he is among
relatives at Macon.
LIKELY TO BE KEPT QUIET.
| 1t is believed by the officers that when
Dr. Norton went up to Effingham on Fri
| day he went to have a conference with his
son, and it is thought that Clark and
Wilson, counsel for Norton, were present at
the conference.
The colored witness, John Habersham, is
still detained in jail, and while there was a
rumor on Saturday that an effort would be
made to have him released on boud, no
such steps were taken yesterday. 1t would
be resisted by the state, for the present, at
least 1t was on the boys testimony
that the coroner's jury found that
the killing of John Bird was
murder, and if at the trial the boy Haber-
sham could not be produced there would
be no evidence at all of the killing. The
state cannot even indict Norton for the
killing of the Birds. and it could not go to
| trial without Habersham, as he is the only
witness to the killing For these reasons
every effort will be made to keep Haber-
sham in the county until the time for the
| trial