People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-01-22
Nothing Deserving Of Impeach
Ment.

Such is the verdict Of the commit.
tee appointed to Investigate tbs
charges against Judges Reese and
Sweat Ii is foregone conclusion
that when the legislature meets on
the 3rd Of February that it will
endorse the finding Of the Commit
tee.
In the case of Judge Reese, the
preponderancs Of testimony hiss been,
not only that he is capable of max
ing good Judge but that as rule
he does preside over his courts ia q
dignifed and efficient manner.
Tho committee exhon ,rates him Of
III blame. 1t says we have carefully
inquired into the character of this
msn and We find no fault in him.
VIII the people endorse that ver-
dict. Knowing the high response
bility Of the judicial Office, aod the
almost unlimited power OF the
Judge upon his bench, will the pee
pie Of Georgia say we are not
aggrieYed, we are not disappointed
when good men differ in opinion as
to whether the presiding judge is
drunk or sobsr. Will the people
endorse the opinion Of the committee
in aaying that there has been no
letting oogn OF judicial dignity
when the judge upon the bench uses
suah language as this to his bailiff ::
you let these Waite folks and mig
gers DO as they damn please" But
tho evidence against Judge Reese is
trivial compared to that against
Judge Sweat On one occasion st
least he was proved to DO drunk
beyond all question. A witness
says he saw him buy liquor from q
blind tiger, that witness stands unim-
pe&ehed. Miss Bradley swears that
he made improper advances to hsr
and she is corroboralsd by her aant
and Mr.. Faulkner. None of these
ware impeacbsd nor was any atteups
made to imp8aoh them. Judge
Swsats friend. Col. Mercer, corrobo-
rates Miss Bradley by his action in
going to Indian Springs and offering
$500 to hush the matter up and
keep it out Of court, Col. Mercer
says be did this without authority
from judge Sweat. That makes no
difference. The fact that he eoent
is the highest evidence On his part
that ne considered her statement
beyond question. In carefully
written snd sworn statement Judge
Sweat sol8mnly declares he met
Mrs. Crosby but twice while at
Indian Springs and that when he
vent into the Nigwam for his nm
brella so as to SHIELD her from rain
On The way to the Elder house where
she stepped, that Mrs. Crosby re-
NAMED oateido the room, IN the hal,
while he went in for the umbrella.
The judges statement has been
impeached.
The judge says he went to the
hotel for the umbrella because it
rained while he wac at the spring
with PRS. Crosby. There was a
covered pavillion and good seats
within forty feet Of the spring.
What use 10 go a greater distance
for an umbrella, when there was a
broad shelter at hand. The. Judge
has given no explanation. I met her
but twice says tho Judge in his care
fully written sworn statement. I
saw them three or four times on the
bridge says his friend Walls. 1 took
her up stairs to show her the hotel
and ia going into my room to get my
umbrella she remained outside, in
the hall, says the judge. They came
up the back stairway aud both went
into the room says another witness.
IN his sworn statement tho Judge
leaves the plain inference that he
vas in MrF. Crosby's presence only
on the path from the Elder house to
the spring and in tha immediate
vicinity Of Inc hotel. Yet we find
them together in the woods--at the
big poplar, more than half mile up
the creek in q very secluded spot.
We know nothing of the big poplar,
have never seen it. We do rot
believe Mrs. Crosby had ever seen it
before, but we have heard that going
to gse it has cast a shadow upon
more than ono woman. This ia
simply hsarsay and not admissible in
court.