The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-25
JUMPED ON THE JUSTICES.
TOO MANY PEACE WARRANTS To
SUIT THE GRAND JURY.

the IeFm-tonuers mOuOn Tor
New Trial Postponed Until Fri
day-MOtiOns for New Trial in the
Liberty Street Paving Cases.
The grand jury of the superior court
concluded its work yesterday, and was
discharged for the term.
The most important matter criminally
that was considered was the killing of
Stephen Gibbons on the night Of Feb. IS.
The four parties who were arrested
charged with the crime, d. p. Walker, L.
L. Guest, ]. E. Connolly and Fred Floyd,
were all indicted for murder. When the
case was heard before the coroner's jury
d. P. Walker was the only one held for
murder while the others We're held as
accessories. The men are all still in jail.
A special presentment was found. in
dieting John Russ for keeping a gaming
house on Dec. l, 1895.
The grand jury then made it's general
presentments, which were read by the
foreman, Mr.. George ]. Mills. 1t found
the public schools, as will be seen from
it's report, in good condition. Several rec
concentrations with regard to minor i'm
provements were made, however The
county officials books the convict camps
were reported in good condition, and the
roads in fairly good condition.
feature of the report was the state
ment of the grand jurors with regard to
the justices of the peace and the work.
ings Of their offices. Upon this point the
grand jury had this to say:
I'VE have examined the books of the
justices or the peace and notaries acting
as justices of the county and have gone
over the dockets carefully and found the
greater part of them in correct order and
show the legal charges correctly stated,
we md immense numbers of peace war;
rants entered in all of them, as well as
great number of cases for cheating and
swindling, and similar cases which were
dismissed for the want of a prosecutor
We think no one should go before a mag
istrate and make oath to such a serious
charge without appearing to substantiate
so grave an OffenSe.
1T would appear that such cases are
brought for malice with the intention to
make the defendant pay the costs of
court, not having at the time any inten-
ton to appear and prosecute the charge
made, and we think there should be some
law to make the plaintiff appear in such
cases and, If they could show no good
cause for the accusation, they should be
punished for the malicious prosecution.
I'VE regret to state that we find in the
books of Justice Mcleod King a great
number of false entries We find his
docket shows 1853 entries as papers turned
| over to the solicitor general, who informs
US that they were not turned over, as the
| docket would indicate. Some ninety
eight papers ranging in date from last
/
\ yesterday, Feb Is, 1896.
I'VE also find some siXty-one different
| papers of same nature not turned over
| 10 him at any time
"Mr. King says he is an old man and at
| times can not write and that his consta-
| BILE made the entries in his books.
From the above facts we find it our
| duty as grand jurors to recommend that
| owing to his careless way of keeping pa
/ pers and his physical infirmities that Mr..
| Mcleod King be not reappointed as nota-
/ ry public and ex-officio justice of the
peace when his present term expires"
The work on the Ogeechee road was
| made a special feature of the present
! ments The whole grand jury inspected
! this road and heartily urged the con-
| tinuation of such improvements as have
| already been made upon a small portion
| of it. The recommendations of previous
grand juries with regard to the Ogeechee
canal were Endorsed in the belief that
! it will drain large portion of the coun-
| ty, and relieve the Dundee canal to
! great extent. Other recommendations of
| Importance were also made.
petition to the grand jury from certain
property owners and others connected
with the Florida Central and Peninsular
railroad stated that this road had es-
| tabliShed extensive shops west of the city,
| which are inaccessible by any public road
AS large number of employees and others
| in going to and from these shops and in
| the direction of the shops have now to
use private property in getting to and
from the city. it was asked that the grand
| jury recommend the establishment of
! public road from the shops to the Louis
| vile road near the two mile post where
they will have access to that road as well
to the line of the Suburban and West
End railroad. The grand jury recon-
| mended that the county commissioners es-
tablish such road provided the property
necessary for doing so can be secured
without cost to the county.
In discharging the grand jury Judge Fal-
! ligant thanked that body for it's faithful
service to the county and to the commu-
araI a.,
| in the discharge of its duties. he said and
in discharging them for the term he COM
mended them highly for their work.
Nick Morane pleaded guilty before Judge
| Falligant to the charge of keeping q gam
| ing house Dec. 1. Judge Falligant SEN
fenced him to pay fine of $lO0 and costs.
or serve four months on the chaingang.
of Thomas V. Ponder, who was found
| guilty of the murder of Frank Keenan,,
| and on recommendation sentenced TO life
| Imprisonment will not be heard until Fri
day morning at 10 o'clock The motion
was set for hearingathis morning, but
as certain necessary Papers in the case
have not yet been filed, it went over
to Friday by agreement.
Motions for new trial have been filed
| in the superior court in the Liberty street
| paving cases. The cases tried were those
| against d. q. Purse and d. c. Bacon, and
in both the verdict was in the citys IA
| grounds, including the refusal of the court
| to charge certain matters, the refusal of
| the court to grant a non-suit, and the
| admission of certain evidence which. it
was claimed, ought not to have been ad-
| mitted.
In the suit for divorce of Mrs. r. N.
| Hancock against w A. Hancock a first
| verdict was granted in the superior court
Judge Hampton l.. Ferrill of the court
| of ordinary has received the commission
| of Nj. NJ. Baker, who was elected justice
! of the peace for the Eighth district at
| Pooler to take the place of Justice Bev-
! ans, resigned. He will probably swear the
| new justice in to-day or Tomorrow
Johanna Mckinley, widow of James Nc
| Ginley, filed an application for a years
support in the court of ordinary.
In the city court H A Mcleod re-
| ceived a verdict for Sl25 in a suit against
| Frank & Co, a claim for salary due on
| a contract for employment
For Gambling and Robbarv