The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-09
FINED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS.
THE COUNCIL REDUCES THE SEN
TENCE OF THE MASONIC HALL
RIOTERS.

! the hlotefs-ftAs arg uAneht IN AueiE
Behalf.
The city council decided yesterday after
T noon, at a special meeting held to hear
I the appeals Of the rioters from the sen
I tence imposed by Recorder Wilson in the
f police court or thirty days in jail each. TO
allow tire rioters the alternative Of pay
I ing SO fine each.
The decision was in the nature Of a
compromise suggested by Maj P. ".
/ Mellrim. counsel for the parties charged
/ with riotous conduct, after the council
had voluntarily amended the sentence of
John Duny to this effect.
MAJ. Meldrim said that the evidence in
all the other cases was practically the
same as that in the case OF Duny,
which had been heard by council and It
was hardly wortle while to go through
with Il In each case. Mai. Meldrim ad-
mitted that the evidence showed that the
! young men whom he represented had been
/ indiscreet, perhaps but he did not think
I mat on that account they should be forced
20 submit 10 the indignity of confinement
in JAN.
THE right Of free speech should be
| upheld at all hazards said Maj. Meldrim,
but in defending the alien we should not
do injustice to our own citizens
The council adjourned TO the mayors
I Office for five minutes to caucus on Maj
I Meldrim's proposition. At the end Of
that time Mayor Myers announced that
I Maj. Meldrim's suggestion had been IA
I Vorably acted upon and that all the SEN
/ fences would be amended accordingly.
4 This decision seemed to give satisfaction
1 TO the young men under sentence and
0 NEHH HnHa Ia IL
/ pect Of thirty days in jail anyway.
/ The meeting convened at O'Clock. with
/ the following members present. Mayor
! Myers, Aldermen Falligant, Watson, Glea,
I son, Screven, Bacon, Tedeman, Lamotte.
/ Hudson and Garrard. The case Of Duffy
/ was taken up. Chief McDermott was the
4 hrst witness. Major Meldrim, who rep
resented the young men, objected 10 the
/ questioning of the witness by City
/ Attorney Adams. as he Mai. Meldrim,
/ had asked no questions Of the witness.
! Chief McDermott said that Duffy was
! one Of the crowd that made the rush upon
/ the door.
Assistant Chief Reilly testified that he
saw Duffy In the rush at the entrance to
/ Masonic hall He placed his hand on
/ Duny's shoulder and told him to go away.
I Duffy said he wanted TO buy a ticket but
was told that he could not go in. He saw
/ Duffy once afterward when he inquired
] of him In a respectful manner for another
party. He could not say whether or not
/ Duffy was in the crowd that made the
/ rush to Liberty street lane
! Policeman Jernigan testified that he
recognized Duffy among those who made
/ the rush at the door He was one of the
/ front men in the rush lie saw Duffy
again In the lane and afterward on Whit
! aker street though he was not acting in a
/ disorderly manner He was simply with
the crowd and was not near the door in
/ the lane.
Policeman Halford testified that he saw
Duffy in the lane He put his hand on
| Duffys shoulder and told him to stand
| back. A young fellow whom he did not
| know, seized his club at the time and he
/ wrenched the club away from him. Duffy
/ caught him by the hand. He got his CLUB
| and struck the man who he(t 1t. Duffy
| then caught his hand again and told him
/ not to strike again. Duffy then showed
! the other young man back. He did not re-
member to have seen Duffy again. Stones
were thrown from the crowd at the police
men, four Of whom were struck. Police
man Halford said he heard one of the other
/ policemen cursing and threatening to
/ shoot. Maj. Meldrim brought out this
statement very adrotly.
Policeman Bostick testified TO seeing
! Duffy In the crowd in the lane He was
one of the first men he saw. He was not
/ doing anything particularly except that
he was at the front of the crowd and was
/ showing and pushing and trying to get to
/ the door. Duffy was between the man
who caught Halford's club and Halford
/ He did not seem to be making any attempt
/ to interfere. Bostick was struck with a
I brick When he was trying to dispense
the crowd Duffy spoke to him He told
/ Duffy that he had TO dispense the crowd
and Duffy replied: That's right, Bar
ney' look out for yourself" When he
was struck with a brick he exclaimed
/ TN shoot the next - who
! throws a brick at met
Policeman Mcclure testified that he saw
Duffy in the crowd at Whitaker street and
/ Perry street lane after the crowd had been
driven back out of the lane Mcclure
/ said he drew his pistol in the lane to de-
/ fend himself Duffy was not making any
! disturbance when he saw him.
! w. Bassett testified that he met Duffy
! on Broughton street on the night of the
| disturbance and walked down TO Masonic
4 hall with him. He saw Duffy throw his
/ hand up to prevent policeman from
/ hitting another man and say; I'VE don't
/ want any of that. There will be no trou-
/ BILE here" Bassett said he was in the
/ crowd that tried to get into the front door
He then went around the lane with the
/ crowd, thinking he might possibly get IN
/ there. He was with Duffy in the lane but
4 saw no disturbance. The policemen were
/ driving the crowd back when he got there
1 lane together and went into Liberty street
Chief Puder was put on the stand to
testify as to the character OF Duffy, who
went into the fire service last June. The
/ chief found him a good man and never
/ had any fault to find with him. Duffy was
off duty the day of trouble, it being his
/ day off. He was not discharged for any
4 dereliction of duty,
Duffy was put on the stand and gave his
! testimony. He was in the employ of the
/ fire department on the Chemical" he
/ said. He decided to attend the lecture.
/ but was refused admission by Lieut..
/ Reilly and walked Off He heard someone
+ say that there was an entrance In the
] back and he went around there. He saw
/ Policeman Halford raise his club to strike
/ a boy. He put up his hand and told him
/ to hold on, that he belonged to the cftv.'
meaning that he would stand by him. He
/ did not get nearer than eight feet to the
/ door He really wanted to hear Slatterv
/ speak. he said He had no idea what
! Slattery was going to lecture about but
/ simply went out of curiosity, as he went
! to hear lngersON.
/ Policeman Halford was called back and
: go 3