The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-11
A VERpIoT oF GUILTY.
The Jury Says the Two Rickertsons
Conspired Against Witnesses.

Conspired Against Witnesses.
The jury in the cases of George W. and
Joseph E. Robertson, charged with con-
spring against and intimidating by
threats and violence witnesses of the
United States court, brought in verdict
Of guilty against both the defendants
yesterday afternoon on the second, third
and fourth counts of the indictment
which contain substantially all the
charges that were preferred against
them.
The case has occupied about three days
and much interest has been manifested in
its outcome. The Rickertsons were
charged with conspiring against, and in
tlmldatlng by threats and violence, one
Abram Crosby, witness against George
Newburn, charged with robbery of the
postofhce at Pearson, Ga. Crosby was
formerly postmaster at the place and was
displaced by one of the Rlckertsons, who
was appointed in his place. The ofense
was said to have been committed in
March, 1892, and this is the third time it
has been called for trial.
Mai p. W. Meldrim made a powerful
argument before the jury in behalf of the
defendants, holding that the quarrel be-
tween the Rickertsons and Crosby did
not grow out of his appearing in the
United States commissioners court as a
witness, but out of an entirely different
matter which began by young Linton
Crosby cutting the bride rein of George
w. Rickertsons horse and loosing the
animal for which Robertson slapped his
face.
Maj w. T. Gary closed the argument
for the prosecution. His effort was mas
terly one, and he undertook to weave
around the Rickertsons a web Of convic-
ton and guilt, OF conspiring corruptly and
mallclously against witnesses for the
United States The jury returned with
verdict of guilty about q o'clock yester-
day afternoon. Maj. Meldrim had the
jury called and each juror said the YER
dict was the one he had agreed to.
When asked as counsel whether he had
anything TO say as to why sentence should
not be passed. Mai. Meldrim said ne had
nothing TO say at that time as to the
legal aspect OF the case. He spoke of the
case as being an unfortunate one, in
which man who was a slave to the
liquor habit had, while under the inhu-
ence OF lntOxicants, acted rashly and I'M
wisely. The brother, Joseph f. Rickert-
son, he said, had merely interfered to
prevent his brother from doing any
wrong, and neither had by single word
or act interfered with Crosby as a wit
ness of that court,
In sentencing the prisoners, Judge
Speer said that both had been the recipi-
Ihbo VI Il 4dlL TRIAL, ana bn6 OHenSe WIN
which they were charged was a most
serious one. They were charged with
maltreating an aged man, a witness in
that court, and in so doing they were in
tertering with the due administration of
justice. He regretted, he said, that men
of such high intelligence should be guilty
of so serious an ohense, which strikes at
the root of justice itself. The courts, he
said, must protect their witnesses, for if
they did not they might as well be
abolished.
The o1ense of George w. Robertson,
he said, had been the most serious and he
sentenced him to serve two years In the
penitentiary at Columbus, o., TO pay a
fine of 81, 900 and half the costs of court.
Joseph e. Robertson was sentenced to
pay fine of 81, 600 or serve six mon ths in
Chatham county jail and pay half the
costs of the prosecution. These
ond count of the indictment and
the sentences on the other counts
were left hanging over them. Mai. Mel
drim at once filed motion for q new
trial which Judge Speer took under con-
sideratiOn. The court refused to grant
a supersedeas, and the sentences will be
carried out unless new trial is granted
and different result reached.
Henry Chambers, the negro who was
arrested the night before for perjuring
himself in the case, was bound over to
the court yesterday ON that charge, after
an examination before United States
Commissioner L. M. Erwin.
Judge Speer returned to Macon last
night, Maj. Gary went back to Augusta,
Marshal Leverett and Mr.. ]. N. Talley,
the court stenographer, to Macon, and the
court will be adjourned from Saturday to
Saturday by the clerk