The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-28
GRAND JURY WANTED HIM.
M'INTOsH MIFFED OVER THE So
LICITOR GENERALS ABSENCE.


| j. T.. SistrunI<'s Little Game brought
to an End-Chnrged Woman 81
i for "A Fake Divorce, and Was Con-
victed of Cheating and SwindIing
PistOI-ShOoter Convicted in
Short Ordcr-A Murderer Sent Up
for Life-Fersts Sons q Co. Won
Their Case Against Dean Bros.
One of the most interesting sessions of
the superior court held in Mcintosh coun-
ty in some time has just been concluded.
There were several important criminal
cases disposed of, several interesting civil
suits were tried, and the grand jury took
occasion to speak its mind in certain mat
tiers in which it considered the county
was interested.
Judge Falligant and Mr.. D. C. Barrow.
Jr., solicitor general pro tenn, returned
from Darien yesterday. One of the most
was that of j. e. Sistrunk, an alleged col
ored lawyer, who went to Darien from
| Florida about two years ago.
Since he has been living in Darien Sis
trunk has endeavored to stir up consider
able strife between the negroes and white
! people. He has applied once or twice for
admission to the bar, but his papers were
never properly made out, and Judge FALL
giant has refused on each occasion to ap
! point the examiners. In spite Of the fact
that he has been thus refused admittance
to the bar. he has been filing petitions In
court right along. He was published as
a sort of fraud by one of his own color
at once time, and sued him, but failed to
get verdict.
one of the petitions that Sistrunk re-
| Gently filed was a remarkable document.
1t attacked the commissioners appointed
for Darien under an act of the legisla-
ture, holding that it was a monarchical
form of government, and that the legis-
lature had no right to pass such a law.
But what got Sistrunk into all his trou
bic was the manner in which he served
| one of his clients. An old negro woman
employed him to secure a divorce for her
! lie drew up paper and got her to sign
! II, ana then went over to Waycross and
got her husband to sign it.
| This he carried back to her,
and on the strength of it she married
again. For this service Sistrunk charged
her 81, which She paid.
When it was discovered what Sistrunk
| had done he was arrested on a charge of
| cheating and swndling for which he was
! indicted and convicted at this term of
court. Judge FAlligant sentenced him to
| pay a fine of 500 and costs or spend
twelve months on the chain-gang. The
fine has not yet been paid, but it is I'M
derstood Sistrunk is making efforts to
raise the money.
Another Interesting "a so was that m
| Willie Guyton. Guyton shot into a crowd
| of men Monday night the first day court
met, and struck one of them in the neck.
He was indicted on Tuesday for assault
with intent to murder On Wednesday
he was tried and found guilty of shooting
! at another not in his own defense, the
| jury recommending that he be punished
! as for a misdemeanor. Guyton was sem
fenced to pay a fine of 500 and costs or
spend twelve months on the chain-gang.
! He paid the fine.
! Sam Geathers and Wesley Simmons
were tried on the charge of numbering
| Bryant Harrison. Solicitor Barrow asked
for verdict of not guilty for Simmons,
and guilty for Geathers. Simmons was
acquitted, while Geathers was found
| guilty, with a recommendation to the
mercy of the court. and sentenced to the
! penitentlary for life.
Four misdemeanor cases were disposed
| of, two of the defendants being convicted
and two acquitted.
| The most interesting civil case tried was
| that of NJ. Ferst's Sons & Co. against
! Dean Bros. This was a case in which
| mortgage for about $1,000 had been given
! by c. C. Dean to S. r. Dean, the latter
| claiming he was not member of the
| firm, and therefore not responsible for the
| firms Indebtedness. Judge Falligant
/ granted an injunction and a restraining
order some months ago, and receiver
was appointed The question to be decid-
! ed was whether or not S. r. Dean was
! a partner in the firm, upon which, of
| course rested the validity of the mort
| gage The jury upon the trial of the
case decided that S. r. Dean was a part
ner, and that the mortgage was invalid.
| Among other claimants are j. NJ. Dixon,
Joseph Rosenheim and A. B. Hull & Co.
The grand jury made some pretty strong
| remarks about certain matters in connec-
| ton with the court week. The members
of that body wanted to criticise the So
| licitor general for not being present dur
! ing the session of court. 1t was suggested
to them that he had a representative pres
ent who was fully able to attend to all
the business. The grand jury appeared
! to think, however, that he should have
been present in person. The following Is
a portion of their presentments on the
subject, as it appears in the Darien Ga
zette:
1--WE would here record our emphatic dis
approval of the absence of our solicitor
general. We regret that at time when
our Jail is crowded with desperate crim-
nails, supported there by our already
overburdened county, our solicitor should
have found his duties in other matters
foreign to his Office so pressing to make
his attendance on. this court impossible"
The grand jury also criticised and de-
nounced Representative Joe Mansdields
bill to legalize prize fighting. Altogether,
! Mcintosh court week was quite an inter-
esting one
AN UNIFORM DISCIPLINE.