The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-29
STAND LIKE OTHER LOTS.
GROUND RENT HOLDING MUST
BEAR FEB SIMPLE ASSESSMENT.

ply an Ordinary Mortgage - The
Mayor Sustained in On Appealed
Liquor Case-Detective Ranley Says
Morning News Criticism Caused
Him TO Make an arrest.
Council held long and uninteresting
session last night. The session was simply
devoted TO hearing appeals from the decis-
ions Of the assessment committee as to the
valuation CT real estate, especially ground
rent lots, and to the hearing of appealed
liquor cases from the police court.
Those present were Mayor McDonough,
Aldermen Dixon, Harmon. MCGUIRE, My
ers, Reid, Mills, Cam, Haines and Charl-
ton.
The first case WAS that of J. R. Saussy,
ESQ, who appealed from the valuation put
upon ground rent lot owned by him,
which had been assessed by the committee at
$4,000. There is S72O purchase money due
upon the lot and Mr.. Saussy held that
this should be deducted from the valuation
of the assessment committee. The assessment
committee made no allowance for purchase
money due upon ground rent lots. but as
sessed its value upon Ehe same ratio as cor
responding lots held in fee simple.
CONTRARY TO SUPREME COURTS DECISION.
Mr.. SaussY contended that this principle
was wrong and contrary to the decision of
the supreme court in its final decision of the
ground rent cases. The majority Of council
held, together with City Attorney Adams,
that the purchase money due on the ground
rent lots is in the nature of debt or a mort
gage, and the fact that IL is due the city
makes no more difference than IL the same
amount was due to a private party and
that the real value Of the lot is not affected
thereby.
Alderman Myers believed 1t would be dis
eliminating against those ground rent lot
owners who had paid up their bale nee OF
purchase money and thus made their lots
fee simple and we're now taxed the full
value, If Mr.. Saussy's assessment was re-
duced.
Expert testimony was introduced to the
effect that the market value of Mr.. Saussy's
lot was $4,000, and it was argued that as
this was the case Mr.. Saussy should not ask
q further reduction.
After considerable argument, the appeal
was dismissed by majority vote.
ANOTHER TAKES THE SAME COURSE.
John Lynch also made an appeal against
che assessment placed upon q ground rent
lot owned by him, which was also dis
missed.
Several other appeals against assessments
were made. all Of which were dismissed or
postponed.
j. W. jackson appeared before the coun>
Gil representing the grand jury with regard
to the question OF pawn shops, upon which
subject communication was addressed by
the grand jury at the last meeting, recon-
mendinR the abolition OF the pawn shops
Mr.. jackson said that in the recent in
designations OF the grand jury the property
In almost every case OF petty thieving was
found in the possession Of the pawnbrokers.
The position OF the grand jury, Mr.. Jack
son said, Is that if the pawn shops were
abolished there would be less thieving.
All the police officers who came before the
grand jury testified that the pawn shops
were great inducements for thieving. Mr..
jackson related one incident that came be-
fore the grand jury. A white man was
knocked down in Yamacraw and robbed |
of watch early one night |
Before 10 o'clock the same night |
the watch was in the pawnbroker's hands.
In the testimony before the grand jury the
pawnbroker placed the value of the watch
at $25 and the owner of it at $50. The
owner went TO the pawn shop the next
morning and inquired IL such a watch had
been left there, giving full description of il.
The pawnbroker denied that he had the
watch but it was afterward found in his |
possession by constable. He had advanced |
only IS on the article.
The matter was referred to the committee |
OF the whole.
WANTED HIS HUNDRED BACK.
The appeal case of ]. II. Tanksnaw, who |
was fined 800 by the mayor for selliug |
liquor Sunday, Aug. Ia, was next taken up. !
Policeman Bossell and Willie Stevens |
lcolored) were the city's witnesses.
Bossell testified that Tankenaw invited |
him In TO take drink on the Sunday In |
question. He declined, but hunted up |
Willie Stevens, and sent him in to buy |
liquor, which he did.
7. S. Morgan, Esq. represented Tanke. |
nav, and cross questioned the witnesses.
The negro corroborated Officer Bossells |
testimony.
Detective Hanley was introduced to testify |
as 20 his employment Of Stevens as an as. |
sistant at various times
The question of the Negroes character |
came up for discussion, In which very few
were paid Stevens Quite an
argument sprang out OF this between Mr..
Morgan and Alderman Charlton. Mr.. Nor
gan then requested that the case be post
poned until witnesses could be produced by
the defense to prove Stevens bad char.
acter. The council refused this, howe yer,
hr. Morgan then proceeded to show up
the bad char aoter Of Stevens by cross
questioning the witnesses. Detective Han |
ley said the only thing he knew about |
his character was that he would gamble |
and wouldn't work.
The mOhNlNG NEWS MADH HIM ACT.
Detective Hanley said % answer to a |
question of Mr.. Morgan's that he brought |
Stevens from the barracks. In explanation |
OF Stevens being at the barracks Detective |
Hanley said that be was involved In q little |
shooting scrape Christmas eve night in |
which he shot O man in the stomach /
Witnesses who went to the barracks
exoDerated Stevens, and it was not
thought necessary to arrest him. ''But,"
said Detective Hanley, when saw the ar
ticle in the paper the next morning
criticising my action and that OF
the police in not making the arrest, l sent
for Stevens and requested him TO come to
the barracks and give himself up which he
did,
The detective did not seem to think il
necessary TO explain how any man who had
shot another, wounding him fatally, 10 was
thought at the time, could be exonerated
AZ the barracks by other parties without
sven taking the trouble to appear there
himself, and that it was not thought neces-
sary to put him under arrest until this neg
igence was criticised In the morning paper. |
A man name Wilson, afrequenter OF Tan
kenaw's place and an occasional empl We Of |
bis. testified that the label upon the bottle
Of whisky introduced as evidence was differ
emit from the labels Of the bottles kept in
stock nv Iank9naW