The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-05
WANT A NEW CIRCUIT.
Chatham'S Grand Jurors Express
Themselves Strongly in Favor Of II.


States and City Court Assignments
With Those of the Superior Court.
Thirteen True Bills Found By the
Grand Jury-Some Civil Business
Disposed of By Judge Falligant.
The superior court convened for the
December term yesterday morning at 10
o'clock and preliminary business was be-
gun.
The grand and petit jurors were called,
and there being only fourteen members
of the grand jury present that body was
relieved from duty until o'clock in the
afternoon in order that full attendance
might be secured. The petit jury was
dismissed until tomorrow morning at
10 o'clock
1t was decided by the judge and solicit
tor general that all of the month Of
December after this week would be con-
sumed in hearing and dispOsing of the
criminal docket which, while not an unu-
sually large one, contains some cases
which may take up considerable time in
their trial Work on the civil docket,
will, therefore, be postponed until after
Jan. J.
The grand jury is composed of Messrs.
d. r. Thomas, G.. B. Pritchard, G.. p.
Miller, w. p. Hardee, George w. Par
IRISH, A. r. Bacon, John NJ. Hardee, w. p.
SchIrm, J. w. Conner, J. f. Screven, c.
d. Baldwin, James 5. Silva, John Sulli-
van, Raymond Judge, J. P. Williams,
Malcolm Mclean, John Rourke, A. c.
Harmon, Thomas n. Theus and Charles
A. Cox.
CALLING THE DOCKET.
The rest of the morning was devoted to
calling the civil docket for assignments
and INDUCING in an occasional bit of
humor.
The court seemed affected with rather
a bad cough and asked during the morn
ing:
Gentlemen, have you got any rene
dies for grippeW
One of the attorneys present got in a
good advertisement for patent medicine
which he guaranteed to cure after one APP
pliCation and another recommended ASA
foetida.
The docket was being assigned for Jan
uary aud Col. Garrard had a case which
he was trying to place conveniently.
81 suppose" said Judge FalliganU
that everything is dependent on Judge
Speer's movements in the United States
court. When is he going to be here"
i give it up was the reply, and the
smile went the rounds
CHARGE TO THE GRAND JURY.
The court met again in the afternoon,
when the grand jury retired and elected
Mr.. D. r. Thomas foreman. They re-
turned to the court room to receive the
judges charge.
Judge Falligant related little incident
of the Mcintosh court in which he said
he overheard a remark by one of the
grand jurors, as they were leaving the
court room after the charge, to the effect
that he would not preach again before
next November He said he did not in
tend to preach on this occasion, but that
he would deliver practical business
charge
After going over the civil side of the
jury duty and stating that it was the duty
of the jury to inspect the county registra-
ton lists and see that only legal voters
were registered, he touched lightly on
the criminal business, which he said was
fully epitOmized in the oath of the grand
juror.
FOR NEW CIRCUIT.
Judge Falligant dwelt especially on the
subject of q new circuit, so that Chatham
could be left in a circuit by itself. He
said he had spoken to the grand iuries in
the various counties on this subject and
believed they were all averse to leaving
the Eastern circuit; yet three of Them
Bryan, Efhngham and Liberty-had
agreed, through their grand juries, that
for the good of all a new circuit was
needed. With tho exception of Nc
lntosh, they had all agreed to make ap-
plication for a new circuit.
Chatham, he said, was the only county
in the state in which the superior court
had threeterms, and the June term, which
was the most recently established had
come to be the most important trial term
OF all. He spoke of the conflict between
the city court and United States court
assignments with those of the superior
court, and said that while the United
States court nOminally men in November
nobody could tell when the Judge was
liable to call the attorneys together It
was sometime in November, December or
January, and the uncertainty about it.
often brought about q collision in the
trial of cases. Chatham county, he said,
furnished enough business to occupy the
entire time of any Judge, and the Judge of
this circuit had more to do than any other
superior court Judge in Georgia.
Judge t'alligant spoke of the pressure
of business not only in Chatham. but in
the other counties of the circuit as well,
on account of the fact that only one week
could be devoted to the work in each of
the counties outside of Chatham There
were many cases. he said, at all these
courts, which had to be continued be-
cause there was not tune to try them. He
Sdlu bldJ Win MN Inc question OF the
change was not a matter of personal feel
ing but of public policy, and urged that
the grand jury act in the matter at once.
STRONG APPEAL.
The grand jury was out for sometime
working on the various cases which came
up before them, and when they returned
with their indictments they brought in
the following strong appeal for the crea-
ton of a new circuit:
Georgia, Chatham County:-To his Honor
Robert Falligant, judge OF the superior court
OF said county:
The grand jury now impaneled for the De-
cemDer term OF the superior court OF said
county desires at this term TO earnestly rec
ommend the creation Of a new judicial cir
cult, Ply making Chatham county circuit OF
itself. We believe the business OF this county
makes IL necessary that this should be done
and we hope that the bill now before the legis.
lature, looking TO the creation of said circuit
viii be passed by said body.
This recommendation was signed by D.
Il. Thomas, foreman, and every member
Of the grand jury.
TRUE BILLS FOUND.
The grand jury found thirteen true
bills against criminals, who will be tried
at this term.
William Qulrterman and Bristoe
Hunter were indicted for the murder of
Joe Davis, who was killed by Quarterman
with Hunter as accessory, at Thunder
bolt. Sunday. Oct 81 IJuntar. ,vas alec