The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-23
CITY PRISONERS PUT TO WORK.
10 WILL BE TAKEN FROM THE JAIL
AND GIVEN PICKS AND sHOVELs.

the City and County by Which the
Men VIII Work On Drainage A
Crazy CoIored BOY who stopped
Trnins-Other News of the Courts.
Forty-fve prisoners in the county jail
will be taken out within the next few
days and put to work on the county drain
age and roadwork.
This is through a deal which, It is I'M
derstood has been made by the mayor
and aldermen of the city and the county
commissioners. 1t is stated by officials
Of authority that the city has appointed
the authorities of the county as its agent
in the custody and care Of the city prls-
oners. In this way the men who are
being kept in jail will be put to work
II IS known that under the present stat
utes the prisoners from the city recorders
court are to be turned over to the mayor
and aldermen Of the city. In the light of
the statutes the prisoners have been kept
in Chatham county jail at the expense of
the county, and have not been put to
work, the city having no chain-gang.
Many Of the citizens object to having the
chain-gang at work under the citys ju-
risdiction, and particularly within the linn
its Of the city and in the public streets
Such requirements are not violated by
the deal recently made, 1t is thought by
officials, by which it is understood the
city prisoners will be turned over to the
county, the county authorities being APP
pointed by the city as the agents for the
city in the management of the prisoners
and the manipulation of their labor. 1t
is understood, however, that the city will
ask that the labor be expended on such
public work as might benefit the people
of Savannah, instead of having the men
sent out to Buckhalter swamp. which is
miles away.
Ii was found necessary to make some
disposition Of the rapidly Increasing gang
of city prisoners in the county Jail. With
in che three days recently the city sent
twenty prisoners TO jail. These, under the
strict Interpretation of the law, are now
being kept imprisoned at dead expense
to the county The number of prisoners
in the Jail runs up to seventy-seven. Out
Of this number there are not Inore than
ten who arc prisoners under the jurisdic-
ton cf TIE superior court. The superior
court has done more criminal work at this
terra than might have been reasonably ex-
pected in order TO clear the Jail as far as
possible, and the civil docket of the court
has suffered delay for this reason Many
OF the prisoners confined in the Jail by
tie superior court have been tried and are
awaiting the action of the supreme court
In motions for new trials or else are
az al rfa ha
perior couIt by reason of mistrials in the
first hearing of their cases.
Buddie Solomons is a colored youth who
has stopped more trains on short notice
than Jesse James and his gang of bandits
ever did. But Buddie was harmless and
had no malicious intentions when he leap
ed upon the track and defiantly motioned
the fiery steed to a standstl. He was
crazy. He seemed to prefer as a victim
to his delirious feats the crews who run
the trains Of the Florida Central and
Peninsular railroad, and he has caused
them great annoyance on the outskirts
of the city. He would see the train at a
distance speeding along at fun tilt and
would deliberately leap upon the track and
with a silly grin on his face persist in
standing there. The engineers would blow
their whistles and ring their bells in vain.
The mulatto boy would face the furious
would come right upon him the boys
countenance would change from a grin
to a defiant look-as defiant as Napoleon a
Waterloo when the old guard went
down and he scanned the battlefield with
countenance grand. gloomy and pecu-
liar" The engineers on the Florida Cen
trail and Peninsular have been forced to
shut down their steam and throw on their
brakes, reversing the throttle many
time to spare the life of a boy, and not in
frequently the fireman has been forced to
get out Of the cab and lift the boy from
the track, so stubborn was he to do or die.
Such aunoyances have been going on for
long time until the matter was reported
at the ordinary's Office Saturday and
warrant issued for the arrest of the co..
| Ored boy. He will be tried before a COM
mission of lunacy.
Judge Fallgaut has signed the bill OF
exceptions in the case of l.. j. Guilmartin
vs.. the Middle Georgia and Atlantic Rail-
road Company and others. and the case
win be taken to the supreme court with
out delay by MIR. c. y West, attorney
for the plaintiffs. This case has already
been before the superior court twice and
has been before the supreme court. 1t
now turns up In the new light Of mo.
ton TO have others made parties defend
| ant.
Several important cases have been as
| signed in the superior court for to-day,
and It is probable that a busy day will
/ ensue with civil suits.
Judge Norwood has booked several inn
| portant damage suits for this week The
work Of the city court lately has been
| largely devoted TO suits for damage on ac-
/ count Of personal injury, and there is
/ great pile OF such cases stil lon the docket.
Mr. j. l.. Murphy. the courteous deputy
| clerk OF the superior court, left last night
| for a vacation lie will Join his family
at Lithia Springs, and will visit several
/ of the resorts before returning 20 the city
Chairman Dale Of the county commits
sloncrs has decided 70 spend his annual
| outing tour through the great northwest.
/ lie and his family will go TO Waukesha
/ WIS. and from there VIII make a trip
/ through the western country as far out
/ as tho Rockies. spending quite a while At
| Colorado Springs. lie viii be- out OF the
| city FOR quite "A while.
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