The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-15

Parker was that Judge Sweat had written
to him beseeching him to make peace for
him with the Crosby family, also that the
letter contained a confession of the
alleged liaison at Indian Springs.
j. l.. Beach, clerk of Glynn county su-
perior court, was the last witness in the
Sweat case. He testified that Judge
Sweat had gone to Indian Springs as his
guest, the invitation having been extended
two months prior The morning after the
arrival of the judge they were all on their
way to the spring when they met Mrs.
Crosby and another lady. Judge Sweat
bowed to Mrs. Crosby and then without
saying a word to him turned back and
went to walk with her. Mr.. Beach did not
hear word of the alleged scandal until
after Judge Sweat had gone away. Then
it was told to him by Senator Mercer, who
proposed that he Beach) pay some money
to settle with the Faulkners. This he de-
clined to do and at once wrote to Judge
Sweat, who returned to the Wigwam from
Atlanta the next day. He could not tell
whether Senator Mercer was acting as the
friend of Judge Sweat or of the Faux
ners, whom, he said, he knew well. When
he arrived Judge Sweat protested his in
nocence and would not listen to the pay
ment of any money.
The morning session of the committee
was devoted to the examination of wit
nesses for the prosecution in the Reese
case. dozen or more officers of the
court at Danielsville, Madison county, and
Others who were there on the opening day
last September, testified that Judge Reese
was not in his normal condition and wit
nesses testified that at the dinner table
that day in the presence of several ladies
he used profane language. The subject
under discussion was politics and upon the
mention of Tom Watson, the judge re-
marked: C d him, he ought to be
in hell
Judge Reese filed a sworn answer to the
charges in which he says I'm making
answer to the charges preferred against
me, respectfully submit the difficulty un-
der which l labor. The accusations are
general, vague and uncertain, rarely spec
flying either time or place, and virtually
cover my incumbency of the bench from
July, 1894, up to the present time. In maxi
ing this reply to these charges have been
compelled to rely upon the reports that
have reached me as to what particular
occasions were referred to by the person
making the accusations. So far as these
charges may be said to specify anything 1
deny each and all of them and denounce
them as false and untrue. Inasmuch as
all the charges made refer to alleged in
temperance on my part, 1 deem it but
proper and right and as a matter of
justice to myself, the people
of my circuit, the governor who first ap-
pointed me, the two legislatures that cleo
ted me- to briefly state my habits as to
the use of stimulants. Three years of the
past five I drank neither whisky, brandy,
beer, or wine. 1 do sometimes take a
drink of whisky or brandy or beer, most
frequently of the last; sometimes one or
the other socially, but generally to restore
fatigued nature. At home 1 do not drink
at ali. never keep any kind of stimulants
in my house, nor at home or elsewhere
do indulge in the use of strong drink,
or any intoxicating beverage habitually.
My mind has never been impaired in the
slightest when on the bench. My circuit
is large one, composed of ten counties.
Courts are sometimes held five weeks con-
Secutively and Sundays rest is frequently
broken by the necessity of going from one
court to another, and l have on an aver
age worked three nights in each week as
late as 10 or II o'clock in hearing such mat
ters as could be disposed of in chambers
Worn out by this prolonged physical and
mental labor, have occasionally resort
ed to a stimulant as heretofore stated.
'In reply to the specific charge that I
was drunk on the bench at Madison su-
periOr court, September term, 1885, and
drunk while undertaking to charge the
grand jury desire to state that the same
is false and untrue. l left home at Sparta
Sunday morning and after travelling all
day and most of the night by rail and
buggy, reached Danielsville Monday MORN
ing at o'clock. When 1 convened court
on Monday morning at the usual hour if
my appearance was abnormal it was the
result of weariness and not intoxication, as
is shown by the fact that I organized the
court and tried a contested case before
the noon recess.
"In reply to the charge of swearing in
the presence of ladies in the dinng-room
of the hotel at Danielsville, Madison coun-
ty, l can neither deny nor affirm, because
l sometimes In conversation thoughtessly
swear. am certain that no lady was al
the table and if any lady was in the room
at the time she was entirely unobserved
by me. / yield to no man IN respect for
woman. My instincts as a gentleman and
my training from infancy render it i'm
possible for me to knowingly use profanity
in the presence of a lady. 1 never heard
the slightest complaint from the father
and landlord or any other member of the
! household all of whom l respect most
highly, and who at all times for more
than fifteen years have treated me kindly
and with the greatest consideration. My
friendship with this most highly respect-
ed family renders it unreasonable that
would offer to them any indignity that
would justify the Intervention of an out
slider and stranger like the person fling
this accusation.
"As to the accusation of drunkenness,
| at the Granite City Cue Club at Elber.
| ton, deny the charge and denounce 1t a IS
slanderous, and / also denouuce as untrue
the allegation of drunkenness at the
| Gholston Inn.
"As to the charge of being drunk and
being guilty of indecent conduct in the
presence of ladies at Wilkes superior
| court, deny the same and state the facts.
| as follows: i was engaged in the trial of
| the celebrated Sutton case, he being
| charged with murder. 1t was a case that
attracted a great deal of attention and
| drew an immense crowd to the trial. 1t
was on the 18th or 18th of June, 1886. The
| court room was small, and in order to ac-
commodate the people. l had to allow
them to occupy all the available space.
which was the entire court room, except
a small space in front of the jury and
counsel The ladies were sitting behind
the crowd standing just in front Of me,
| and packed in dense crowd around them.
| The heat was so intense / sent out the
| sheriff for a palmetto fan. When he
brought IL, I stepped back Of my chair,
| opened my vest and famed the shirt, wet
with perspiraton, and then famed arst