The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-09
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MAYOR MYERS LETTER TO REV.
A. u. WILLIAMS.

Mr. williams Reasons for Desiring
Access 10 the Police Records-The
Mayor Does Not Think They Are
Legitimate and Proper, and De-
cIInes to Turn over the BOoks-He
Offers TO Furnish Any Special In
formation. HOwever-The Mayor
Acting Under the Precedent Estab-
Iished by Mayor Lester and Fol-
lowed by Mayor MsDOnOugh.
II Rev. A. " Williams does not give
the city administration what Is vulgarly
called a roast in his sermon at Wesley
Monumental church tomorrow night he
win disappOint a great many people who
are expecting something OF the
kind. As has already been announced.
Mr.. Williams has been seeking for several
days TO secure access TO the records Of
the police court for the last several years
for the purpose Of securing statistics on
the amount of crime within that period
its increase or decrease ana its charac-
ter.
Clerk OF Council Manucy stated to Mr.
Williams that he was willing to go over
with him the more recent records Of the
court in search Of any special informa-
ton that might be desired. but that it
would be out of the question to turn over
TO him the records for several years back,
this being contrary 10 the rules.
At Mr.. Manucy's suggestion, Mr. VIII
Jams addressed a letter 10 the mayor
making his request and stating the rea-
sons therefor. Mr.. Williams stated that
as a student of sociological questions and
4
able information in the police records
which would be OF assistance 10 him in
making Illustrations when discussing
these questions, and preferring facts to
general reports, he desired the opportu-
nifty to obtain such facts as might appear
in the records of the police court.
When Mayor Myers returned from At
lanta yesterday morning he found Mr..
Williams letter on his desk.
Mayor Myers had not intended to make
public his reply to Rev Mr.. williams re-
quest, but il has been done in view OF the
fact that only a portion Of the letter was
published yesterday. 1t was deemed best
that the reasons as stated, for the refusal
should be given. Mayor Myers was advised
by counsel and not by council as appears
in the original letter on account Of a cler-
ical error. The letter in full is as follows;
Nov. s, 1S95.-Rev A. NJ. Williams, city;
Dear Sir-I am in receipt OF your com
munication of the 7th 1t does not set
forth good and sufficient reasons Tor the
request you make You conceive IL is in
the interest of public welfare that you
be allowed TO go over the Information
dockets and police court records for years
back. This is too weak and not within
the range of reasons such as / am advised
OF by counsel as legitimate and proper
If you seek the statistics of crime in this
city shown by police records, you can
get such Information from the mayors
reports published last and previous Yeas
The next mayors report VIII be published
in or about January, 1896.
II l should grant your request, then all
citizens of Savannah would have the same
right to have these records laid open,
showing the names of arrested parties,
and there would be possibly thousands
OF such fishing expeditions, which, In my
judgment would not conserve to the
public welfare. therefore, decline to
grant the permission asked for. Yours
respectfully,
Herman Myers, Mayor.
1t would appear from the use Of the
words, This is too weak" by Mayor My
ers, that he considered Mr.. Williams had
a more direct object in view than simply
increasing his stock of information on
the subject of crime. The supposition
among city officials has been that Mr..
! Williams expected to secure figures from
the records of the police court TO back
up his assertions made in his sermon OF
last Sunday night, that the present ad-
ministration winked at the violation OF
law by the liquor dealers, and that this
tended to Increase crime, and that prObab-
| ~ he would make a comparison of the
number of arrests for violation of the Sun
! day law and the number of arrests on the
| Sabbath generally this year as compared
| with last year. 1t might be that it was
! thought that Mr.. Williams might use
/ the information obtained in this manner
| as an argument in support of the BUSH
| anti-barroom bill, which he advocated in
| his sermon last Sunday night
! Mayor Myers is understood to have dis
/ cussed the matter with members of coun-
| ell and with the city attorney, before re-
| plying to Mr. Williams request Mayor
| Myers has legal precedent to support his
| action in refusing to make the records
/ of the police court public. During Mayor
! Testers time an effort was made to use
the records of the police court in a case
! in the superior court, which Mayor Les
! ter declined to allow. The matter was car
! ried TO the supreme court, which de-
! cided in effect that the police court rec
| ords are the priVate property OF the city.
! Mayor McDonough exercised this right
! during the latter part of his administra-
| ton to the extent of even shutting out
! the reporters from the police court rec
| Ords, on the ground that one of them
had abused the privilege. The clerk of
| council was allowed. however to give out
| such Information from the docket as he
! thought proper, which rule still obtains.
! Clerk Manucy, In speaking OF Mr. Will
| Jams request said that if this privilege
! were granted to one it could not be re-
! fused to others. In this case the records
| might be used TO the injury of parties
| who have appeared in the police court at
| various times. In many cases there are
| memoranda jotted opposite in the books
| would not be understood, and would be
| liable to misconstruction
IN THE COURT OF ORDINARY.