The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-21
A FIELD DAY IN COURT.
FOUR FELoNs CONVICTED IN THE
SUPERIOR COURT.

Ben McIver Tried for Snatching q
Lady's Purse Last Christmas Eve.
He Protests Bis innocence and In
sists His Conviction is the Result of
Mistaken Identity-JudRe Falligant
Postpones Sentence.
Yesterday was field day in the superior
court There were four trials and four con-
victions Of negroes of felonies.
William Lee, who burglarized E. M.
Habersham's house Feb. 81, was convicted
of larceny from the house OF goods over the
value of $50. Judge FalIigant sentenced
him to five years In the penitentiary, and he
remarked in the sheriffs Office a few minutes
later: "Well, I'd rather take five years in
the penitentiary than two years on the
ohaidsgang."
Ben Robinson was tried for burglarzing
n. c. Cooper's house April 80, and the jury
found him guilty in five minutes. He got
five years sentence.
Sam Brown was convicted of assault with
intent to murder Richard Washington.
Judge Falligant sent him up for FIVE years.
Ben McIver, a 19-year-old colored boy :,
was tried on the charge of robbery for
snatching Mrs. George J. Mills purse out of
her hand Christmas eve last Mrs. Mills
couldn't identify McIver and the only
positive witness which the state had was a
little colored boy named jackson, only IL
years old, who was standing near Mrs.
Mills with papers in his hands when the
robbery was committed. He dropped his
papers and chased the thief several blocks.
He said he could identify him if he could
see him again, aud in April Jackson
pointed out McIver to Detective Hanley at
the De Soto. Yesterday jackson swore that
| McIver committed the robbery and no
amount of cross-examination could break
him down. McIver, in his statement, de-
MED positively that he had committed the
robbery alleged against him or any other
| crime IN his life. He said he was working
in the De Soto baggage room until after
O'Clock Christmas eve and went directly
home when he quit work. The robbery
was committed shortly after o'clock. The
prisoner said if he could get the baggage
master and his assistant, who are now in
! New York, he could prove an abb. He
| told a straight story and didn't appear to
| be trying to conceal anything, but the jury
convicted him in few minutes. McIver
cried bitterly In the sheriff's Office after the
conviction. Its hard, }" he said ITO have
| to go to the pententiary for Rnother's
know anything about what they have
charged me with. That little boy thinks
| he told the truth when he swore he saw
me running, but he's mistaken. l was
never arrested in my life for anything before
this, and never thought l would have to
go to the penitentiary for something that
happened while was working away off,"
McIver made this statemant with tears
running down his cheeks. He has a good
face, and none of his actions indicate him
to be a criminal.
The case is so peculiar that Judge Falla-
CANT postponed sentence. During his con-
tinemen at in jail Sheriff Roman said Mclver
constantly protested to him that he was the
victim of mistaken identity.
The city court grand jury yesterday
afternoon returned true bills against ten
people for assault and battery. They are
as follows: Max Lehwald, A. j. Lehwald,
Henry Lehwald, Jacob Lehwald, Clara
Rhett, Thomas Jefferson, Christian Moul-
trie. Edward Jones, Carrie Warren and