The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-08
STEVE RYAN OUT OF JAIL.
he GIVES BOND FOR 100000 TO
APPEAR BEFORE a JURY.

His Father and Brother, BIS Father-in-
Law, a Pswnbroker and Bank
Cashier His Bondsmen-Re Went
TO His Fathers Home on Being
Released.
ATLANTA, GA. Jan. AFTER a residence
of thirteen months and some days in the
Fulton county Jail as a prisoner Of con
tempt Steve A. Ryan, the ex-merchant
prince, was released on bond'of 500, 600 at
2 o'clock this afternoon, pending hearing
of his case before a jury, as provided by
the law passed by the last session Of the
legislature. For three weeks RYan's attor-
neys have been working TO have him made q
beneficiary of the law, which provides that
oil contempt cases where the contempt in
wolves money shall be passed upon by jury,
instead of placing the absolute power TO
imprison for contempt in the hands Of the
judge.
TIKI BILL.
The bill, it is thought, was introduced in
behalf of Ryan II not actually prepared at
the instance Of his friends or attorneys,
who had exhausted every other means of
securing his release without paying over
the S125 900 alleged TO be in his possession q,
and the ink Of the executive approval had
hardly dried on the act before they were at
work on the official papers demanding a
hearing before a jury. Three weeks ago
the hearing began before Judge Clarke In
chambers, and this morning it was con-
cluded.
JUDGE CLARKE's DECISION.
Judge Clarke was evidently well satisfied
az to his duty in the premises, and when
rhe attorneys announced that they were
through with their argument he was not
long in deciding that Ryan was unlawfully
confined in a prison for contempt OF court
until jury OF his peers had so decided. He
therefore SO ruled, and in rendering his de-
cision said that inasmuch as the repeating
clause OF the new law repealed the old law
under which Ryan was held ia contempt by
Judge Gober on a first hearing and then by
Judge Clarke himself when an appeal was
filed for a reversal OF Judge Gober's ruling
on the ground OF error, there was no other
course open to him but TO comply with the
law and release the prisoner.
CLAIM OF THE CREDITORS.
The attorneys for the receiver had based
their arguments in opposition to referring
the case TO a jury on the ground that the
passage of the new law did not affect cases
that were pending, because the law read:
FROM and after the passage OF this act.
In rendering the decision which released
Ryan Judge Clarke fixed a bond of 800, 900,
60 be given pending trial by jury. This
bond was Immediately signed by Ryans
father, John Ryan. his brother, John +.
Ryan, his brother-in-iaw, Henry q. Kuhrt,
Joseph r. Gatins. Abe Fry, a pawnbroker,
and Edward S. McCandless, cashier of the
Gate City National Bank.
Immediately on being released from GUS
tody, Ryan, who notwithstanding his thir-
teen months imprisonment maintains his
habituRl dudish dress and particular man
ners, went direct to his fathers home on
Whitehall street.
THE FAMOUS FAILURE.
Ryan's failure was one Of the biggest In
the commercial history of the south, his La
bilities amounting to about 81 900 900. His
assets would not have paid 50 cents ON 81
Immediately after the failure, and now since
the immense amount of litigation that has
ensued it is very doubtful if there will be
$4,000 to DE divided among the creditors
when the lawyers and court costs arc paid.
The hearing before jury will not be hal
before the fall term of the superior court.
Ryan's failure hurt nobody here, and, in
fact, the public generally were benefited by.
his siaughtering prices. and public sympa-
thy is on his side, which throws the chances
of his final release largely on his side.