The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-13


Mr.. Kay said further that the judge was
called ON to respond to the toast of the
bench and the bar. There was a sugges-
tion in the programme that speeches should
be limited to ten minutes. Judge Sweats
speech continued for three-quarters of an
hour, and was terminated by the toast
master directing that the band play. Mr..
Kay did not see Judge Sweat after the
banquet. He understood that the judge re-
turned on the boat between and o'clock.
He saw Judge Sweat take a drink at the
bar, which was numerously patronized.
Mr.. Kay, being one of the invited guests,
did the same. He thought Maj. Downing
paid for it.
In reply to questions from Mr.. Brant-
ley, Mr.. Kay said he was one of the com
mittee of arrangements. The Georgia
bankers had two days session, winding
up with a trip around the harbor and
banquet at st. Simons Island. The bar
of the ST. Smons house was running wide
open. Many other partook of champagne.
1t was a convivial occasion. He only saw
the judge take one other drink at the bar.
He could not recall time at St. Simons
hotel when liquid refreshment could not
be had. The last few years there was no
secret as to its location. There was moth
ing like blind tiger. 1t was run open.
Ernest Dart was the next witness. He
was counsel in a criminal case tried the
day after the banquet and court did not
convene at o'clock, the usual hour. An
order was read by the deputy clerk that
owing to the indisposition of the court it
would not convene TIL afternoon. Judge
Sweat came in between $50 and 10 O'clock
He had the appearance of a man who had
been up late the night before, and was
sleepy and droWsy. The judge was not in
drunken condition that day He had the
appearance of a man who had dissipated
the night before. Mr.. Dart said when
&c -lrA1 rT,nfl 1, II
sober: whether man is sober or drunk
is a matter of observation. 1 would not
attempt to swear that the judge was as
bright as he would have been If he had
not been up the night before. There was
nothing indecorous or unseemly in the
trial. The judge was drowsy and sleepy"
WAS Judge Sweat in a condition to dis
qualify him for the proper discharging of
his duty as judge?" asked Mr.. Meidrim.
He would have been in a better condi-
tion to transact business if he had re-
mained sober the night before said Mr..
Dart. '"The trial was fair and impartial.
The reason 1 say this is that the defen-
dant was acquitted. Naughter). If he
had been convicted there might have been
| something said.''
A. D. Gayle, a lawyer and stenographer,
said that he was in court the morning af-
ter the banquet. He would not say that
| Judge Sweat was drunk and would not
say Le was SODeF. ne seemed somewhat
under the influence of some intoxicant.
His looks were the worst evidence against
him that morning. Mr. Gayle said he
would not have known whether the judge
was i'll or suffering from dissipation un-
| less he had heard of the banquet. When
he came to the court house the judge first
went into a back room with Mr.. Brantley
|. Judge Mershon and Mr.. Toomer. Judge
| Crovatt asked if he did not know they
| went there to dissuade the judge from
going on the bench. MIR. Gayle did not
know. He went down stairs and some
one said: The court is feeling better and
| will be down directly"
R. r. Hopkins of Brunswick testified
In reply to inquiries from Judge Crovatt
| he said: Judge Sweat made a speech at
| the banquet and he was tight when he
| made it. / drank some with him a we sat
on opposite sides of the table. I saw the
| judge the next morning about daylight"
What was his condition then?" asked
! Judge Crovatt.
"The judge was full"
/ what do you mean by that?"
II mean that he was too drunk to
walk"
"Was he very drunk?" asked some one.
IF he was not. he was a good actor"
Mr.. Hopkins said that Mr.. Toomer went
home with Judge Sweat after they got
| back to Brunswick. He saw Judge Sweat
| at the bar of the banquet. 1t was a pro-
| hibition district, and it was kind OF
tiger; he had bought beer there. The st.
! Smon's banquet, at which Judge Sweat
admitted he was under the influence of
/ liquor and which fact had been addi-
! tionally established by witnesses of the
morning session, was finished at the af-
ternoou session and the Indian Springs
| episode taken up
w. M. Toomer of Brunswick a stenog-
| rapher, and Judge Crovatt of Brunswick
were the last witnesses as to the st. ST.
mons affair. Mr. Toomer was at the ban
quet and told the same tale as to the
| conduct of Judge Sweat as was told by
other witnesses.
Judge Crovatt testified somewhat or
the same line, but in a spicy style. He
| described Judge Sweat's boozy condition
on the bench the day following the BAN
quet, and in the course of his testimony
stated that he had no personal feelings
in the matter, but at the same time he
had no respect for Judge Sweat as a man.
He based his estimate upon the conduct
of the judge, and cited one of his acts in
appointing receivers and attorneys.
Mr. Brantley, for Judge Sweat, cross
examined Mr. Crovatt closely, and en-
deavored to show that he had animosity
| against Judge Sweat, growing out of the
receivership cases, to which he referred,
| and on account of local politics in Bruins
wick.
The Indian Springs affair was brought
to the front by the introduction of George
Collier, formerly manager of the Wigwdm
hotel at that place, the hotel at which
Judge Sweat was stopping al the time OF
the alleged scandal, and which 1t was
charged in the Looking Glass article that
he had been ordered to vacate by the man.
agement. on account of the alleged affair
with MS Crosby. Mr.. Collier told how
a representative of the Looking Glass had
come down to see him. He told this
man that the story was just about as ne
had It, according to the hearsay informa-
ton In his possession. Mr.. Collier said
at first that he knew nothing about the
affair of his own knowledge, as his
brother, Bryan Collier was then manager
of the hotel After the publication Of
the Looking Glass article he had talb
with Editor Stein and to him admitted
that the publication was correct as to The
rumors in circulation. Mr.. Collier denied
that he had asked Judge Sweat to leave
the hotel, and stated that he had nevei
talked with him at all about the affair
either at the time or since. His brother
was in charge.
The witness said he did not know
whether his brother had been subpoenaet