The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-29
HOW THE GRAND JURY VIEWS 1T
ILLEGAL REGISTRATION A NATTER
FOR THE REGISTRARS.

the Proper AuthOrities-HOw the
Liberal Club People View the Pre-
sentment-CriminaI Cases DispOs-
ed of in the United States Court.
Matters in the Court of Ordinary.
The grand jury has at last expressed it.
self on the matter Of Illegal registration.
1t held brief session yesterday after
noon, after which it returned a special
presentment in connection with the cases
that have been presented before ii. This
special presentment is as follows:
To His Honor, Judge Robert Falligant,
Judge Of the Superior Court:
The grand jury of che present term has
| investigated a number Of cases OF alleged
| illegal registration. The solicitor general
has been requested and has submitted the
/ following opinion on the law governing
| these cases:
In reference to the question asked me
| by the grand jury as to the payment of a
| poll tax, beg leave to say that under the
| law, every person between q and 60 years
| is liable to a poll tax of 81 for each and
every year he has lived in this state, and
before any person can register as a voter
/ this poll tax must be paid for each and
every year he has lived in this state since
the adoption Of the constitution of 1877.
Very respectfully, w. w. Fraser. solicitor
| general"
Acting under the evidence submitted and
| guided 10y this opinion this grand jury has
| found special presentments in some cases.
| As TO others we have found no present.
ments. We find from investigation that in
! some cases persons have registered illeg-
/ ally on a misunderstanding of their legal
| status as residents of this state and
! Regarding those who have registered IL
| legally we would recommend that their
names be purged from the registration list
I by the proper authorities unless they pay
/ all taxes for which they are liable
| We desire that this presentment be made
a record Of this court as special present.
'''1''' - ms W. ". Starr. Foreman.
The meaning of this is that the grand
| jury will not further consider the cases
/ that have been presented, or which may
| be presented on the ground that such
/ consideration is for the registrars, whose
/ duty ii is to purge the registration lists.
In making this presentment, however,
! the grand jury has indicated the po-
| sition taken by representatives of the Lib
| eral Club to the effect that there has been
/ illegal registration, and that it should be
| looked into. These representatives of the
! Liberal Club were satisfied that the law
/ had been violated, and for that reason
! they went to the grand jury. But, as they
stated, their chief desire was to create
| a sentiment which would impel the coun-
! ty executive committee to nave the regis
| tration lists purged before they are used
! in the primary at which representatives
to the legislature will be chosen.
| In this, so far as the grand jury is con-
| cerned they have been successful, be-
| cause it is apparent from the special pre-
sentiment Of the grand jury that that body
| is of the opinion that the proper au-
| thorities should take hold of the matter
| and purge the lists. Though the 1nVest!ga-
/ ton was not carried any further, repre-
sentatiVes Of the Liberal Club consider this
! presentment a victory because II says tnat
| the names of those who have registered
! Illegally should be purged from tee list.
| 1t remains to be shown 10 the REGISTRARS
| however, just what such cases are.
The session of the United States circuit
court Yesterday was devoted exclusively
to criminal business. Leander J. Thomp-
son, formerly postmaster at Clyde, IN
| Bryan county, who was recently released
on an order from Judge Speer from con-
| finement in jail under former sentence,
owing TO his physical inf1rmities, was
| tried on the other charge against him OF
| disposing of postage stamps otherwise
| than for cash. He was found guilty on
the first count of the Indictment that is,
disposing of $40 worth of postage stamps
| to H. A Pope in payment of debt due
him. The court sentenced him TO pay
a fine of $50 to be collected by execution,
| as provided under section 1O4l OF the Re
| vised Statutes. This releases Thompson,
the execution merely operating against
any property he may now have or may
have in the future. He was defended by
| Mr.. w. II. Boyd.
| John Joyce of Brooks county was tried
on a charge Of Illicit distilling and work
ing in an illicit still. He was defended
! by Messrs. w. r. LealSen and Robert NJ.
| Hitch. Joyce pleaded not guilty, though
| he had admitted having some sort of an
apparatus for making an alcoholic bev-
| erage. The evidence showed, too, that
he had been using some pieces of what
! might be called a still. though there was
some doubt as to whether 1t was really
| such. The evidence was such that the
court instructed the jury to return a YER
| dict of guilty but indicated that he would
grant a new trial because of the doubt
in the case as to whether Joyce had really
set up and worked what is legally defined
all his neighbors were doing the same
thing. without the knowledge that they
had violated the law.
Mary Brown, alias Many Brown, was
found not guilty of the charge of mailing
obscene letters. Mary got off because her
case was very queer one. She did not
spell the obscene words according to Web
ster, or Worcester either, and they looked
more like words designating entirely diff
ferent objects from those intended.
John T. Saunders of Decatur county,
charged with carrying on the business
of a retail liquor dealer without license,
was found not guilty and discharged.
John Allen Faircloth, alias Dock Fair
cloth, was tried on the same charge re-
failing liquor without government IL
cense. He also was found not guilty and
discharged.
Judge Ferrill of the court of ordinary
received a letter yesterday from Supt. T.
o. Powell. NJ. D., of the state lunatic asv-
lum, announcing the death of Frank John
zon, colored, sent up from this county He
will be buried there.
In the court of ordinary yesterday the
last will and testament of John Asendorf
was filed and probated in common form.
No executor having been named in the will
Meta Asendorf applied for letters of adj
ministration, c. t. a. Temporary letters of
administratio have been granted her She
is to get the income for life and the re-
mainder is to go TO her two sons Peter a
and John NJ. Asendorf.
Simon Gazan filed application for letters
of guardianship on the property of Frank
Young minor. An order for citation was
| granted.
William II. Royal, executor Of the will
of Thomas Cohen, filed application for lef-
tiers dismssory and an order for citation
was granted.
Emma r Maury filed application for
temporary letters Of administra ton on ne
| estate OF Ellen +. Daniels
| H. NJ Stoddard filed application for let
tiers Of administration on the estate az
| Cornlia A. SOullard.
| a