The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-18
OPEN COURT TOMORROW.
-vrRAL IsIPORTANT MATTERS TO
COME BEFORE JUDGE sPEER.

intervention Filed by the
,,ruSta southern Railroad to Sc
curc control of RiBht-of-Way
reading Into the City of Augusta.
Iobn Fletcher, Formerly "A Sailor
n. the Schooner Julia a. Turbee,
FILES a Libel for $500 Damages.
nudge Emery Speer is expected to ar
in the city tonight or tomorrow
,rn.ng. and viii open the United States
strict and circuit courts tomorrow
7-aing at 10 O'Clock.
This viii be the April term Of the circuit
-t and the May term of the district
rt. 1t is not expected that he will be
the city longer than Saturday. as he is
be in Augusta Monday, to open the
risd states court there. Deputy Clerk
r. B. Gillespie has just returned from
Macon. where he. has been arranging for
-e business here.
lust what cases will come up, is not
Known as yet The time viii be rather
short. and probably only those matters
which require immediate attention will be
Intended TO. There is a number of impor-
them viii be taken up will not be known
until court opens. There are several crini-
ral cases on the docket, the defendants
II being now in the county jail and it may
be that these win be disposed Of In that
case juries will have to bs summoned for
the purpose OF trying them. AS yet no
juries have been called, and If they are
wanted they will probably be summoned
On the arrival of the judge
John Fletcher. colored. formerly sea-
man on board the schooner Julia A. Tru-
be-, through his attorney. w. r. Leaken,
Esq, filed libel in the United States
court yesterday against the schooner Capt.
C. a. Durling, and First Mate Lawrence,
claiming $500 damages. Fletcher shipped
with the schooner in May. 1895. June he
states ne was on watch on the high seas
when First Mate Lawrence without any
p-ovocation whatever, suddenly came up
behind him and hit him several blows with
Delaying pin. telling him to the deck
AMI striking him repeated blows.
Fletcher claims he received three or four
cuts on different parts of the head, and
that the attack was made on him with
dangerous and deadly weapon. He states
that the master of the vessel, c. A. During
stood by and saw the terrible punishment
administered without interfering as was
his duty, and that he failed in every way
TO protect him from what was an aggravat-
Cd assault. He asked q warrant for the ar
rest Of During and Lawrence and dam
ages in the sum of s.. 500.
The schooner and its officers are repre-
scntcd by Messrs. Seabrcok & Morgan
The other side Of the story is that Fetch
er went 10 sleep at his post while on watch
and the first mate coming along and finding
him in that condition aroused him. There
upon il is stated Fletcher grew insolent,
and made some impertinent reply which
caused the mate to strike him with the be-
laying pin. 1t is said that the negro was
nearly killed by the attack made upon him.
He has left the schooner, and it is stated
also that the mate has been discharged.
An Intervention in the Central railroad
litigation was filed yesterday by Messrs.
M Leonard Pninizy and Boykin Wright. rep
~ resentins the Augusta Southern railroad
ii which IS the successor and purchaser of
the old Augusta, Gibson and Sandersvlle
railroad.
Along with the other property of that
corporation the Augusta Southern was
under the impression that it bought at
the receivers sale certain rght-of-way
S}-5 feet in length and % feet in width
entering the city of Augusta. On this it
has constructed a narrow-gause track
but desires TO widen the gauge to the reg
uar standard. This strip of rght-of-way
is claimed by the Augusta and Savannah
and the Central railroad, which leases the
Augusta and Savannah. The Central
railroad applied to the superior court of
Richmond county for an Injunction to
restrain the Augusta Southern from oper-
ating road within twenty miles of Au-
gusta. Judge Galloway refused to grant
any such injunction, but issued an order
providing that the Augusta Southern
would have to acquire title to the strip
OF rtght-of-way referred to either by con-
tract or condemnation proceedings.
The Augusta Southern supposed it
owned that strip, but finding that there
might be some doubt about ii. offered to
purchase it. The Central would not sell
the property, and now that the Augusta
southern wants to widen its gauge, the
only way in which 1t can do so is to ac-
Qure title to this property. The inter
Henton concludes with petition to Judge
speer stating that this strip of land is alb
Solutely essential to the Augusta Southern
IN order for it to reach it's depot in Au-
eUsta, and asks permission TO institute
condemnation proceedings in the state
courts. 1t further asks that while these
Proceedings are going on it may be al
ioWed TO widen its gauge to the regular
standard width.
This Intervention Will, no doubt, be
taken up, and a decision rendered by
Judge Speer this week, as the Augusta
southern is already getting shipments of
ia'ls and other materials for the purpose
u widening the gauge.
CONGRESSMAN PATTERSON COMING.