The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-16
CARTER MAKES HIS CHARGES.
THE NAMES OF THE TWO JUDGES
GIVEN TO THE LEGIsLATURE.


ing Glass az the BASIS For His
Allegations Against Judge sweat.
Atlanta, Ga, Dec. Ex-senator Yancey
Carter came forward with the names of
the alleged criminal judges" in the SEN
ate tonight, making answer to the reso-
lutions introduced by Senator Battle. The
judges whom he names are Judge Sweat
of the Brunswick circuit and Judge Sea-
born Reese of the northern circuit. Against
the former, the charge is that he was in
volved in scandal, and against the latter
in an indirect way the charges are that he
was improperly implicated in certain par
don transactions referred to hy GOV.
Northen, and also that he gets drunk and
cusses.
Upon the presentation of Senator Car
ters statement tonight. Senator Battle
offered resolution that it be sent to the
House for the action of that branch of the
assembly in insttuting an investigation
or impeachment proceedings. in the Sen
ate the Carter statement will come up as
the special order Immediately after the
reading of the journal tomorrow morn
ing. 1t was allowed to go over tonight
without formal action.
Some lively developments are expected
tomorrow, If Senator Carter is taken
seriously enough, there may be a pro-
longation of the session for the purpose
of having the impeachment of the judges
against whom the charges are made. Sem
ator Carter declares that he is ready to
give other names when the Investigation
once commences.
DIR. and Mrs. W. II. FELTON, and James
and John Sibley the well known popullst
politicians, came to Atlanta to-day to con-
fer with Senator Garter, and had hand
in the preparation of his statement. the
substances of which is as follows
ION the I'd day of December. on the
floor of the Senate chamber, In my re-
marks upon the consideration of the bill
introduced by Senator Hopkins, relative
to the election of the superior court judges
| and solicitors by the people, ! made use
OF the following language: We have elect
| ed men to the bench who are a disgrace
| to it. Some of them are worse than those
| they have sentenced to the chan-gang
Let not senators call on me for names lest
| 1 give Them Five days afterwards on
| the 7th, the Senate, by resolution, re-
quested me to furnish the names of the
| parties to whom said language referred,
| to which demand / made formal reply on
| the 18th, repeating my language of the
I'd, and expressing my willingness to name
| the men to whom l referred, and to pro-
| duce the proof to substantlate the said
charges at a day appointed by the legis-
lature The House of Representatives is
| the constitutional authority to make the
| investigation, and ! requested the erea-
| ton OF such a committee. On the 18th
! the senator from the Twenty-fourth dis
trict, Mr.. Battle during my absence on
| committee duty visiting the convict
| camps, introduced a second resolution,
calling upon me for the names of the
judges to whom l referred. called your
attention to the fact that Gov Northern
in his message to the general assembly
arraigned the judiciary in language as ex-
plcit and severe as my own and no crit
| icism has ever been made thereon
also called your attention
to the fact that in discussing the BILL
other senators used language as severe in
| arraignment of the judiciary as / did and
this body has not seen proper to request
them to unite with me in an effort to purge
the judiciary of the imputation consequent
upon the present iniquitous system of the
| election of judges and solicitors by the
general assembly.
Now, while j do not insist that this body
has the power or legal right to start the
investigation looking to the impeachment
of any officer, yet by reference to the Sem
ate journal of 1892 you will find that such
a committee as ! requested was appointed
| by joint resolution for a like purpose, and
| while / could be absolVed under rule l6 Of
| that body which relieves members of the
Senate from responsibility for anything
said In debate on the floor, from further
pursuance Of this unpleasant duty, yet in
the interest Of justice and the integrity
of the bench and my respect for this body
in making this request offer this article,
which is given in full as the basis of the
charges against Judge Sweat of the Bruins
wick circuit. II deals with an alleged
scandal in which he was the main patici-
pant. The article, which was published
eighteen months ago, gave no names, but
in an anonymous STYLE peculiar to sensa-
tional papers of the character of the Look
ing Glass described how a Judge Of the
superior court went to a fashionable wa
tering place with a woman whom he said
was his typewriter, but with whom he took
long walks in lonely places and
and who called the hotel manage
ment to request the judge to vacate
his room on account Of the fact that she
| was seen going In and coming away from
his chamber under scandalous circum-
| stances. The article also went on to say
that the same judge, after leaving this
! watering place, went to another and there
made insulting proposals TO the daughter
of a carpenter. Upon the girl telling her
father of the conduct Of the judge, 1t was
reclted how the angry parent had cut a
| big hickory cudgel and went on the war
| path for the judge. Friends of the judge
interfered and got him away from the
place before a meeting took place. lie
| came to Atlanta and then when the father
Of the girl threatened to take the matter
into the courts and cause an exposure,
lot Of prominent politicians were summon
ed TO Atlanta to keep down the scandal
These are the main points in the article
referred TO- In response to the request
OF the Senate, / name Judge j. J.. Sweat
of the Brunswick circuit as the Judge al
luded 10 in the above article, as / am re-
llably informed.
II also name Judge Seaborn Reese or
| the northern circuit and submit as
charges against him drunkenness whlle
| In attendance on the court OF his circuit
| and while on the bench, and with the use
of profane language In the presence OF
ladies while attending his courts. L Of
fer you, further, the executive order on
| file in the executive department, com
| mutlng the sentence Of convict from
Randolph county by the name OF Nixon
and cite you 20 J. w. Northen as wit
moss Of the facts leading 70 the exercise
| OF executive clemency in the case. IL ~
never pleasant to expose the follies and
i sins OF our fellow men, because there
| are 20 many iuUOcant people whose