The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-04
NEED FOR A REFoRMAToRY.
DISPOSITION OF YOUNG CRIMINALS
A PUZZLE TO THE COURTS.


Requests the Jury 40 Go to the
Bottom of the Policy shop Ques-
acknowledgements Returned-Other
News Around the COarts.
Judge Thomas NJ. Norwood, in his
charge to the grand jury of the city court
yesterday, strongly advocated the estab-
lishment of a reformatory for youthful
criminals.
1t was the first day of the February
term Of court, and the grand jury as
sembled at 10 o'clock. This is the be-
ginning, practically, of Judge Norwood's
work on the bench. as there has been
very little heretofore to occupy his at
tention. In charging the grand jury on
the subject of a reformatory, he said,
substantially:
zone of the greatest difficulties in the
administration of justice on the criminal
side of the court is for a judge TO know
what to do with these young criminals,
especially those that commit larceny. A
boy who is II, u or 13 years old, as a rule.
knows the difference between right ana
wrong. and therefore when guilty de-
serves punishment. Under our system,
he must be sent to the chain-gang or to
the poor farm.
ITO send one of these boys to the chain
gang is almost equal to sending him to
perdition. He is thrown into association
with a set of vile criminals of age, where
he is educated in nothing but crime, and
when he comes out he is a hopeless case.
To send him to the poor farm is very
little better, because my information is
the association there is almost as bad as
it is on the chain-gang.
white boys. as well as black, are Liable
to be sent to one or the other of these
places, and they are the future citizens.
upon whom to some extent the governs
ment will be deyolved, and in whose hands
VIII be the safety, If not the liberty, OF
our country.
THE court will esteem it a favor if you
Will take this matter under considera ton,
and see If some means can be devised to
avoid the necessity of committing these
young criminals to either one or the
other of these places of punishment. Much
mas been said about the establishment of
reformatory, but the question has taken
no definite shape, and l hope some steps
can be taken in the immediate future for
1t is a subject that merits your gravest
consideration, not only as grand jurors,
but as citizens of your country"
The remainder of Judge Norwood's
charge referred particularly to sections
OF the code upon which the court is re-
quired TO instruct the grand jury. In
speaking OF the SdmDllnG evil, he said .
Ihere are men in your city carrying
on gambling houses, and the policy plan
is being conducted on a large scale, the
operators seducing both black and white
into their dens of vice and causing them
TO waste their money, to say nothing Of
the corruption of their morals. 1t is a
dhiing winch ought to be broken up as
Judge Norwood also dwelt upon the
question of gambling in general, and SELL
ing liquor to minors and allowing them
md ~ err4I
He then spoke of the question of juris-
dlctlon between the grand juries of the
superior and city courts, which, he said.
so far as he could learn, had not been
clearly established. On this account he
SAID he would only touch upon those
things which he was satisfied this grand
jury could take cognizance Of
The charge was clear and forcible one
ana contained many points of interest.
Inc grand jury then retired to consider
the business before it for the dav The
following true bills of indictment were re-
turned
Wallace Richards, larceny from the
mousse charged with stealing, on Jan. s,
tnlrty pounds or cotton from the place
OF business of Henry W. Frost & Co.
Nicho.as Eleopoulo. assault and battery
on Mary b. Finley, on Jan. 49, He is the
creek who was charged sometime ago
with making an assault in his brother s
canoy store on the little girl whose name
appears in the Indictment
Betsy Grant and Charley Mitchell stab
bling Gaines Singleton, on Aug 30 1895
The county commissioners endeav0red
70 have indicted on charge Of trespass,
CharleS Smith, who was charged with
cutting down an oak tree on unenclosed
lands of the county, the tree being valued
al %. The complaint was made that sew
eral parties have been cutting wood lately,
on county lands and the commissioners
want 1t stopped. In this case however.
no bill was found.
Judge Norwood will continue the trial
of petty criminal cases on Saturdays as
heretofore. The remainder of the present
week will be devoted to the trial of Jury
criminal cases in which the parties are
out on bond.
Judge Norwood has adopted a new rule.
and on next Saturday he will call the
docket for the assignment of cases for
the whole term, instead of having assign
ments made every two weeks as has
been the rule for some time Several of
the attorneys have stated this would be
more convenient, as they object to having
their time taken up one day out of every
two weeks for this purpose
The only civil business transacted yes
terday was the rendering of about half
dozen default judgments on notes and
accounts.
The hearing in the Liberty street paw
ing cases was continued before Judge
Falligant yesterday. The testimony was
concluded and Mr.. S. b. Adams made
the opening argument for the CITY. fol-
lowed by Mr.. r. r. Richards f6r, the the
defendants, and Mr.. ]. r. Saussy also
for the defendants. The arguments he
lore the jury VIII D6 concluded to-day.
and probably verdict will be reached
The appealed case of ST. Julian Ar
mand against Charles f. Flick, Metro
politan Life Insurance Company gar
nishee, was dismissed by Judge Falligant
yesterday. This case was a suit for S1O0
brought by Mr.. Armand as a solicitor
for the company in Justice Richard Wick
hams court, which he claimed was due
him as commissions on policies written.
and which the justice court refused to
allow him.
Joseph c. Cornell was appointed a COM
mercial notary public by Judge Falligant
yesterday.
In the court of ordinary yesterday let-
tiers of administration were granted to
George Semken on the estate of Jane
H. Semken: to Laura B. Moehlenbrock on
the estate of Charles Moehlenbrock; I'd
S f. Dupon on the estate of Lydia d.
Lyon and to j. +. Brooks on the estate
of Morrison Jackson.
Orders for leave to sell real estate were
granted to Edward S. Elliott, adminis-
TRAITOR c. t. a. of the estate of Peter G. Pat
terson: and TO G.. b. Whatley, adminis-
TRAITOR of the estate of Eliza jenkins.
Letters dismissory were granted IN
49,.