The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20
JABBING AT THE JUDICIARY.
CARTER NOW PRESENTS GOBER's
NAME TO THE HOUSE.

tanning an Editorial Demanding
a Full Investigation of the Charges
Against Every Judge Involved by
the scandal Laid on the Desks OF
the Members-Mr. West OF
Lowndes Demands Action-Tbe
House Refuses to Turn the X-Bays
on Any One Except Reese and
sweat.
Atlanta. Ga, Dec 19-The judiciary in
vestigation was the feature of the ses-
sion of the House again to-day. 1t seems
to haunt the legislative halls like Ban
ouo's ghost, and will not down. When
the members of the House arrived at their
seats this morning they found upon their
desks copies of the Macon Telegraph,
containing a column editorial calling in
vigorous terms for a wider investigation
than the House had provided for in its
resolutions. The Telegraph declared that
Senator Carter's charges had also involv-
ed Judge Gober Of the Blue Ridge circuit
and ex-Solicitor General Griggs of the
Pataula circuit, and that the charges
against them were Of a more serious char
acter than those against the others. In
view of this it was urged that the investi-
CATION should go beyond Judges Reese
and Sweat One paragraph in the edito-
rial reads: THE documents in the matter
have been produced and they involve
Judge Gober. now upon the bench, and
recently a candidate for. justice of the
supreme court, and former solicitor gem
eral. now congressman. Griggs. The case
q inst this: MIR. H. o. Beall, clerk of the
superior court of Randolph county, in
June. 1892, wrote letter to Gov. Mortimer
asking pardon for one Nixon, a Whlte
man convicted of stealing an old razor
ard for a negro. convicted of carrying
concealed weapons. He went on to show
that the Judge had, after delIV-
erine sentence orally, and after
the trial was over ana the
men remanded to jail. changed the SEN
tence TO longer terms
In view of this Mr.. West of Lowndes
took the floor and made motion to re-
consider yesterdays action in voting down
the Boyd resolution. which provided for
en- enlargement of the powers Of the com
Inittee so that 1t could go into any charges
that might be preferred against any mem
Der Of the judiciary. Mr.. West brought
The question up by motion to recon
slider the action. Mr.. West urged that
the committee should have the power to
investigate charges against any other
Judges than the two named. He said that
Senator Carter had said he would name
other judges, and If he did name them,
then If the present committee is not en-
powered to consider all charges the Leg
islature will have to meet again and APP
point a committee to investigate charges
against any other judges whom Senator
Carter might name. He favored a full
investigation. and thought that no such
open charges as had been made by Sena-
tor Carter in saying he would name other
judges should &c without investigation.
Mr.. West said, in reference to the article
In the Macon Telegraph denouncing
Judge Gober and Solicitor Griggs for
their maladministration that ''such
charges made by a leading paper of the
state. a copy of which was placed on
the desk of every member in the House,
were Of too serious a nature to 90 with
out consideration. When a paper takes
mp two members of our judiciary and
makes such charges against them and
then puts a copy of the paper before the
eyes of every member here, 1t does seem
that you could see that other
judges had been charged with misconduct
that demands an investigation" said MIR.
West.
Mr.. Slaton of Fulton opposed Mr.. Vests
motion. He thought that If the power Of
the committee were enlarged that every
convict or man in the state who had a
grievance against a judge would bring
clap-trap charges against him and the
committee would be overrun with charges.
Several other members talked on the
question and when Mr.. Vests motion was
put the vote was 81 to 4S against 1t, so no
charges will be investigated except those
against Judges Sweat and Reese.
This afternoon Senator Yancey Carter
arose In his place to question of per-
sonal privilege, and proceeded to formally
name" Judge George +. Gober of the
Blue Ridge circuit as one of the culprjt
judges whom he had in mind when he
made his sensational structures on the iu-
dietary, which brought about the action
of the House in providing for an investi-
cation. Senator Carter offered a resou-
tion setting forth the fact that in his
former answer to the resolutions of the
Senate demanding of him the names of
the men whom he had referred to in his
speech when he declared that there were
men on the bench in Georgia who were
worse than the criminals they send to the
penitentiary, he had neglected to specify
the name of a third Judge. He now, there
fore, desired to formally bring Judge Co
Der before the Senate as the judge refer
red to In his charges based upon the Nixon
case. where the said judge had been guilty
of doubling a mans sentence on the re-
quest of the solicitor gener-
al, Mr.. Griggs, after the ad-
lournment Of court, this being the case
referred 10 by Gov. Northen in his mes
sage making reflections upon the tudc-
larry, which Senator Carter quoted in his
first reply. Gov. Northen had pardoned
Nixon when the facts in the case were
brought to his notice through the ef-
forts of Clerk of the Superior Court Beail
and other citizens OF Randolph county
who felt outraged al this act Another Of
the charges against Judge Gober is that
he doubled another sentence at the same
Time placed upon negro at the request
OF the solicitor. All the corresponden,o
showing the details Of this case is on file
~ the executive office. The Senate tabled
senator Carriers resolution.
The House completed its action uDon the
senate amendments to the approximations
bill at the afternoon session and then
sent II back to the Senate to have thar
body pass upon its action. The Honse
refused 10 recede from its first action m
the Appropriation for the stale lunotlc
asylum, and would not agree to the SlO0o0
per year Increase put in the bill bv he
senate. The appropriation Of 81 600 for.
state exhibit at the Nashville exnost-
Ton was also non-concurred i'm bv he
House, and the Senate amendment irwin.
the Girls Normal and Industrial Scbo,i