The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1895-04-10
SAD COURT SCENES.
c,rRIED SOME LESSONS WITH
THEM.

o.;
counsel by Judge Griggs.I
A Young Wife.in
Court.
rndge Griggs recently held court at
,.oLson Butts county. Of him and
some of his work there writer in the
3 CHRISTIAN Advocate says:
Tbe spring term of thes superior court
8 Rutts county is now in session in
!. 1,ckson, Judge Griggs, of another cir
'nit presiding. Some sad and touching
comes occurred this morning, which
moved many hearts, and carried some
,,,sons which should be well learned.
An eighteen year-old white boy had
hoon indicted for stealing; aud when
orraicued. arose and plead guilty to lar
,snv from the house, throwing himself
mon the mercy of the court. The judge
4rst questioned him, and developed thu
fact that the boy had stolen bottle OF
vbskey. Then as he stood there in the
rrpsence of crowded court hous3 a
saIf.confessed criminal, his father pres
ant the Judge gave the boy a plain
lecture. telling him he hoped he would
change his life, but he would never get
over the stain on his character, no mat
fer how long he lived. He was sentenced
to six months in Jail, or fifty dollars fine.
All for stealing bottle of whiskey.
Again the wheel of justice moved, and
two young white men--one with good
face. without father or mother, and the
other with mother and step-father-
stood before the judge charged with
burglary. They had belonged to ashow,
it had become stranded, and they
began to tramp the country. The
railroad depot at Flovilla had been rob-
bed by them. Both of them, with a
third companion, who was'tOo sick to be
tried, had once been Sunday school
scholars. Both were from the far north,
now in a strange land, with no friends.
They plead guilty to larceny from the
house and asked for light sentence. 1t
was scene not to be forgotten, as these
young strangers stood up in temple of
justice to be sentenced to prison. The
younger one, nnder the questioning of
the Judge, said he was drunk when the
ohenSe was committed. They were Civ
en- some sound counsel by Judge Grlggs,
who gave them twelve months in the
Chaingang. Que of them was not TWEEN
ty years of age-an orphan. The older
one said his mother knew nothing of his
situation
They took their seats; another case
was called. This time young white
man stood up, of excellent family, with
his young wife by his side, crying as if
her poor heart would break) under in
dctment for stealing. He also plead
guilty to larceny from the house, and
his attorney asked for leniency and that
fine be imposed. But the judge could
not see it that way. A good lecture
followed, ana he was given twelve
months in the changing. The judge
said he must be just to the state as we'll
as mercifull to the prisoner. That if he
sentenced two strangers for larceny from
the house to prison, he could not be
partial even to Georgian, pleading
guilty to a like offense. And so the poor
Nan was given twelve months in the
changing.
SO here are the lives of four young
men blighted by one act of violating
civil law.
1t would have been a blessing if a
thousand of boys and young men could
nave been present and heard the wise
words OF the judge, and witnessed the
S@G scene. There were valuable lessons
u oe learned from the occasion. MOI
was 1t a pleasant duty for a judge tc
perform.
q. Inc two young strangers promised me
afterwards to be good men. l gave the
!Qung wife my hand and my sympathIes
AMER court adjourned. l was helpless
" ", 10 more. Poor stricken girl-for sht
was not more than a girl!