The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-04
BLOCKER QUICKLY ACQUITTED.
JUDGE FALLIGANT DIRECTED A
VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY.


Heron, Who Smashed "A window
/ Glass to Steal, Given n Yenr-D. 4.
swindIe Indicted for FOrgery-The
Grand Jury AdIOurns for the Term.
In the superior court yesterday F. o.
Blocker. formerly assistant yard master
of the Florida Central and Peninsular
railroad here, was aquitteG of the charge
Of breaking into railroad car and steal
ing therefrom some tobacco.
The evidence was wholly of a circum-
stantiaI character and at its close Solicit
tor General Fraser said he had been in
formed that the testimony was stronger in
this case, but as il had not been. he did not
ask for a verdict Of guilty. Judge Falh-
giant then instructed the fury to return
a verdict Of not guilty and they did so
without leaving their seats. Mr.. Blocker
was then discharged. He received many
warm congratulations on his acquittal
A car in the yard of the Florida, Cen
trail and Peninsular railroad was found
open, on the 24th Of July and a box of to-
bacco was missing therefrom. Sometime
after this a package Of this same brand
of tobacco. was found under a house in
the yard where all the railroad employees
congregated.
1t was ascertained that Blocker was us
ing some of this kind of tobacco and he,
with Albert Reese, a colored switchman,
were arrested. Blocker stated when ar
rested that the negro Rees gave him the
tobacco. Reese, on the other hand denied
1t most strongly. On the stand yesterday
faa.
given.
Blocker's duty was to switch the night
trains and make up the cars that went
over to the Central and other railroads.
on this night he saw the broken car and he
directed switchman to nail ii up and he
notified Mr.. Marshal, yard master, of the
fact.
Mr.. Marshal testified yesterday that he
received reports from Blocker but did not
remember this car. Marshal further sta
ted that hearing that this kind of tobacco
had been seen in Blocker's possession the
arrest had been made. The railroad was
short one box, some IS pounds. He had
seen one large piece in the hands of Block
er who stated that Reese had given him
the tobacco. Reese denied and the store
keeper where he thought Blocker traded,
denied having sold 1t to Blocker.
II. NJ. Williams, train master of the
Florida Central and PeniGsvlar railroad,
said that Blocker told him lie purchased
il from a store near Nv but when the
store keeper denied selling ii, said Reese
gave 1t to him.
samples of the tobacco were shown AMI
the state tried to prove that Blocker had
the twelve-inch plugs in his possession,
such as are sold to the country trade. But
all the witness would testify to was that
Blocker had plug, with two tin tags
on 1t, which, as both the twelve and six
inch plugs had, was not conclusive.
Reese testified that he had never given
a bit of tobacco TO Blocker.
Blocker, in his defense, told a clear
story of the matter. He spoke of his
connection with the road and his early
struggles to win his way As he spoke
of his mother and her influence upon his
younger days, his voice faltered, and he
came near breaking down.
In regard to the car being broken open
he stated the circumstances, and said he
reported it and that the report would
show it. That car came in at 1880, or So
in the evening. and went right out, as
soon as tho train could be made up. 1t
was broken open when it arrived in that
ward. He testified positively that Reese
gave Si1h the tobacco, nine plugs in. ALL
and identified the caddy, six-inch plugs
as the kind that Reese gave him.
When he concluded, it was seen that no
case had been made, and the acquittal
of Endorsement from former employees, all
testifying as to his strict honesty and at
tention to duty. Hon. w. w. Osborne de-
Tended him.
Alfred Sebro, young white man, con-
victed of breaking into the bar room of
John Schmiedeberg, in August was SEN
fenced to five years in the penitentiary
He was arrested by Detectives Wether-
horn and Scully. On his person were found
a pistol that was the property of Mr..
Schmiedeberg, and some loose change
The pistol and Las in small change had
been stolen from the saloon Sebro claim
ed in his defense that he had purchased
the pistol for so cents a short while before
being arrested and that the money
came from his home in New York. He
was represented by George w. Beckett,
Esq.
Jacob Jenkins, convicted of entering the
| house of John Stevenson, Aug. 20, and
stealing some clothes. was sentenced to
five years in the penitentiary.
Thomas Jones was sentenced to twelve
months on the chain gang for stealing a
harness from Edwin Ramsey, July 20. Ram
sey employed Jones as an act of charity.
as the latter claimed not to have anything
to eat nor any place to stay. He remain
ed at Ramsey's just long enough to get
acquainted with the premises, and then
he repaid his benefactor by stealing a
harness and other things.
william Heron, accused of breaking
into the store of Barbee & Bandy at Isle
of Hope, Aug. p, was found guilty with
recommendation to the extreme mercy
of the court. He was sentenced to one
year in the penitentiary. The evidence in
this case was circumstantial and but for
the fact that one of the stolen articles.
small glass of jelly, was found on the
prisoner, he would probably have been
acquitted. The evidence was that a light
of glass; Is by 20, had been broken out,
and one of the witnesses testified that he
saw Heron knock the glass out with
blow of his fist and then enter. This was
the strong point of the defense. The idea
that boy could knock out the glass in
a window, with one blow, sufficient to en-
able him to crawl in and not be cut by the
pieces of glass seemed rather far fetched
The judge in his charge alluded to this and
said that the jury should weigh this mat
ter carefully and decide if a person could
do that without hurting himself or show
ing some signs of cuts on hand or person.
Heron was arrested the next day. He
was seen eating some jelly, of the same
kind as that stolen. He claimed that he
got II from the monkey cage there. The
| jury evidently believed part of his story
| hence the recommendation. ]. NJ Dryer
/ he If h.,