The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-20
A DEATH BLOW TO POLICY.
A CHANGING SENTENCE FOR THE
NEXT OFFENSE.

MAI ENEEs
Two Policy Lottery Men Convicted
Before Judge NOrwOOd-Maie Hen
dersOn Given $1,000 Pine or
Twelve Months on the Chain-GanE.
and Julius Hirsch 10 BE Sentenced
This MOrninE-Mr. Hitch Says Pol
icy Men Have to Continue I'm the
Business 10 Get Money 10 Pay Their
FfneS-It il the Duty of Juries and
Judges TO Break Up the business
Judge Norwood says, and He In
tends to Protect the Community.
Policy lottery managers and operators
were made TO see the handwriting on the
wall at yesterdays session Of the city
court. and the fabric Of their little wheels
seemed TO fan with a crash as one Of them
heard the sentence OF $1,000 and costs or
twelve months on the chain-gang-
Judge Norwood gave them to under
stand that policy must go. and his Ian
guage was susceptible Of no ambiguous
construction.
Il believe il TO be the duty of the juries
and the judges TO break it up. and so
far as am concerned am going to pro-
tcct the community" were his words.
The defendants tried were Julius HiTsch
and William Male Henderson. The cases
were separate and Hirsch was tried first.
His trial was concluded about 1870 o'clock.
When the jury went out, and remained
out during the afternoon.
Henderson's case was then taken up
and the trial lasted until about o'clock.
Robert NJ Hitch, Esq, appeared for both
defendants. Henderson's case was made
about Jan. ], and he was indicted by the
grand jury Jan. 10, this being the third
true bill which has been found against
him in the city court for a similar or
Tense. The evidence in the case was
very clear. as the defendant afterward
practically admitted in a statement made
TO the court by his attorney. The jury
was out scarcely ten minutes before a
verdict of guilty was returned.
Mr.. Henderson, stand up" said Judge
Norwood, and his first words were: You
are young man, IN years, but you are
old in crime"
Judge Norwood then went on to tell
him that he had been convicted three
separate times on the same charge. and
that his persistence in violating the law
showed him to be hardened in crime. He
spoke of the lottery manager as employ
ing lot of negro servants TO seduce
boys and men into playing this game of
chance upon which the law had put its
even heard, he said, of white men going
into these shops and buying tickets there
from the negro vendors
Judge Norwood explained that Hender-
sons third offense was responsible for
the heavy sentence he imposed but" he
SAID, IN consideration of your youth /
VIII allow you the alternative of paying a
line. If you are ever convicted before me
again of the same crime / will sentence
You 70 hard labor on the chain-gang for
twelve months without the alternative -
that Judge NOTNrOOl
tence inning the defendant 81, 900 and costs
OF court or sentencing him to serve
twelve months on the chain-gang.
This sentence aud the warning from the
court somewhat shocked the defendant
After moment his attorney arose TO
speak for him.
Mr.. Hitch stated his client felt the sit
uation very deeply. He has wanted for
sometime to quit the business but a ne
culiar feature of that sort of business.
ne sald was that II was practically inn
possible TO get out Of IL when once IL had
been entered into.
DO you mean to say" asked the court.
that it is impossible for this defendant
TO quit the commission OF crme?"
Mr. Hitch then explained why he had
made the statement. The defendants in
Inese cases, he said, have no other means
of raising the money to pay these large
lines except through a continuation of
their business, and they must either do
mat, or fail to pay and go 10 jail. 1t was
necessary TO their existence therefore,
that they continue the business.
MI Hitch then, in behalf of his client
asked the clemency of the court. He re-
CRESTED Judge Norwood to suspend the
sentence for the present saying his client
wanted TO quit the business. and that
Henderson would give a bond in such sum
as the court might name TO secure his
good behavior in the future The sentences
ne said, could be left hanging over him
as warning, and he was confident the de-
PENDANT would give up the business
Judge Norwood did not take that view
OF the case. Henderson, he said had been
three times convicted, and therefore must
certainly have been put on notice of the
Nervousness of his crime from a legal and
moral standpoint. 1t was the duty of
JurleS and judges, he said to break up
TINS business. and he proposed to protect
Inc community. 1t was the managers he
SAID, the white men at the head Of these
concerns, from whom emanate the virus
of this evil that spreads all through the
community. If they were cut off he said
Inc business of the negro agents of these
concerns would have to stop. He said for
The present, however, ne would not have
Inc judgment recorded, which means that
me deIendant may have grace of day or
TWO before its enforcement begins.
About half an hour after this iurv came
down, the jury in the Hirsch case agreed.
after being out about five hours. Hirsch
was also found guilty of keeping a policy
lottery, but as court had adjourned for
the day, sentence I'm his case was deferred
until 10 o'clock this morning According
TO the court records this is also Hirsch' s
third conviction.
1t is needless to say that this attitude of
the court created CONSERVATION among
all OF the policy lottery men, and il is
hardly probable that they will take many
more chances.