The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-30
AN APPEALED CASE HEARD.
Only Five Aldermen Present, and
Council Has a Rather Dull Session.

Misrepress2ted to Council.
Council held rather duh session yes
terday afternoon. There were only five
aldermen present, those present being
Mayor McDonough Aldermen Bohan,
Screven, Pollard. Remshart and Charl-
ton Being a majority of the membe in
the city five aldermen constituted a
quorum. With the exception of the ap-
peal case Of Lizzie Lawrence, which put
some life into the meeting, the session
was about as uninteresting as it could be,
and it looked as if there was constant
danger of the aldermen dropping off into
a doze.
Madame Lizzie Lawrence appealed from
the decision of the recorder who SEN
fenced her to pay fine of s2O0 on the
double charge Of selling liquor on Sunday
and OF selling without a license. This
was one of the cases made by Mehaffey,
the fly Atlanta detective who spent his
vacation in Savannah at the request
OF Mayor McDonough. Detective
Wooster of Atlanta was the first witness
for the city. Wooster was so unfortunate
as to fall in with Mehaffey while the lat
ter was in Savannah, and 10 cOnfide to
him that he had obtained beer at the
place on Sunday morning, June g. The
result was a summons to appear in police
court against the defendant.
THE DRINKS COME HIGH.
Detective Wooster stated that he visi-
ted Madam Lawrence's house on the date
named, and while there purchased a bot
tie Of beer, for which he paid 80 cents
He had no idea that Mehaffey was in the
employ of the city, he said. when he men
TONED the fact to him one night as they
were passing the house, that he had got
ten something to drink there.
A young business man who went with
Wooster to the place, testified that he did
not see the beer bought or paid for. He
confessed, however, TO having purchased
wine, beer and liquor there on previous
occasions, but not on Sunday.
Madame Lawrence made a statement
in which she fatty denied the assertions
made by Detective Wooster. She claims
that the wine. beer and liquor gotten at
her place by the other witnesses had all
been obtained from a saloon near by, and
that she made no profit by the sale A
point was made that she got IS d bottle
for wine and so cents a bottle for beer,
winch Is in excess of the prices of these
nulds at the saloons.
AN INGENIOUS ARGUMENT.
Her attorney made an ingenious argyll
ment IN the endGavor to show that She
might have purchased a dozen bottles at
the time and only served two bottles to
the party paying for it and kept the other
ten bottles for herself, or that she might
nave Dought two bottles for 25 cents and
pocketed the other - cents when Gus
toner ordered 81 worth OF beer. This he
declared would be no violation of the law
against selling liquor without a license.
While the opinion of the board seemed
TO be that she was guilty of both charyes
1t was decided to find her guilty only Of
selling liquor without license, which was
done, thus reducing her fine to 500.
PETITION FROM PROPERTY OWNERS.
A petition was received from the JEFF
ferson street property holders protesting
against. the collection of the assessments
against them for the paving of the street
with granite blocks The petition covers
two closely typewriter pages of foolscap
and is signed by forty-hve property hold
! ers and representatives of estates on the
street. The reasons why the assess
ments should not be paid by the prop
| erty owners, are stated at length The
main claim is that the change in pave
| ment was unnecessary, as the shell pave
ment was in good condition and only in
need of slight repair.
AN interesting point made in the petit
| ton is the claim that the facts with re-
! gard to the pavement were misrepresented
/ when the matter was brought before
council that the pavement was not worn
in any place to the extent which was rep
resented, and that the costs of maintain
ing it had not been anything like the
amount stated by the chairman of the
! committee on streets and lanes at the
/ time that the matter was under consider
| alton by council.
Living upon the street and watching
I with interest all that was done from the
! time that it was put down until it was
| torn up we are prepared to controvert
/ that statement says the petition, "by
| the fact that minimum amount of re-
/ pairs and attention of any kind was given
/ TO the pavement south of HUNTINGDON
street and its Objectionable condition in
/ very wet weather was due to that fact -
TOO HEAVY TAX.
The petition says that the pavement
was seriously injured by the heavy wag-
ous of the circus about the time it was
I completed, which damage was never
properly repaired. Particular stress is
laid upon the fact that the paving Of the
street with granite blocks has greatly in
creased the travel over il, which has
proved a great annoyance to the residents
and made renting property less desirable.
7 he petition says:
This immense travel has rendered liv-
ing on the street very undesirable. Our
| property bought for renting brings less
/ rent 1t is impossible to converse in or
/ binary tones at certain times or the day.
| The lives Of children are endangered by
/ the large travel in front of our doors. Our
! homes are made undesirable and our
| slumters late IN the night and early in
the morning are disturbed and the live S
/ of our sick make unenduraOle
I'VE have been taxed heavily without
any return, there being no improvement
TO property, but depreciation being the
result. We were first, at a great cost, re-
/ quired 70 pave sidewalks which were in
the public streets, dedicated 10 the
/ city and no part of our pri-
| waite property. The curbing then put
! down was afterwards torn up and
replaced with a more expensive curbing,
| for which we had to pay. The shell pave
ment was then laid for which we were
! assessed and now, after few months
! trial, that Is plowed up, a stone pavement
/ Is laid against our solemn protest and our
shells taken to improve other streets
without any cost whatever to the prop.
/ erty owners on said streets"
The property holders protest against
| such experimenting by council at THEN
/ expense Several instances are quoted
where the assessments, if collected, would
/ prove very great hardship q
/ parties who are without income
and have no means with which "a
j pay the amount Of the assessment. The