The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-17
THREE FINED A THOUSAND.
JUDGE FALLIGANT STICKS 1T TO
THE POLICY LOTTERY MEN.

They Must Pay the Fine and Costs by
Friday Begin Work on the
Chain-GanG-One of Them Already
in Jail Because He COuId Not Give
the BOnd-sOuthern Cotton Oil Co.
Pleads Guilty to n Misdemeanor.
George MOesner Convicted of Bur-
gIary-TwO Indictments NOIIe
Pressed.
Three proprietors of policy lotteries Plead
ed guilty to the charge of operating the
little wheels before Judge Falligant yes
terday, and he gave them the limit of the
law, fine Of $1,000 and costs, the latter
amounting to 1925, or twelve months on
the chain-gang. This gives them an al
tentative sentence, however. and they can
either pay the fine or work on the chain
gang.
The three who entered the plea were E.
A. Marcus, who has two other gamblers
interested in the lottery business with
him, ]. D. Hirsch and C. A. Vetter. The
indictment of five of the policy men, and
nearly seventy of their workers was a
surprise to them, but the heavy fines
placed upon them was even more so a
surprise but 1t is likely they will succeed
in paying up in some way or other.
The three were given until Friday to
pay their fines. and if the money is not
paid into court by that time they will be
sent to the chain-gang. Until Friday they
are free to go on bonds in the sum of ST.
900 each, and these bonds were given by
Hirsch and Marcus, while Vetter was I'M
able to secure a bondsman, and had to
go to jail. 1t is likely, however, that all
of them will make arrangements to pay
their fines on the day set, and secure
their freedom
1t still looks very much as if the policy
men rely on a continuation of the 5usi-
ness to enable them to pay their fines.
The wheels have not stopped turning yet,
at least some of them have not, and there
are business houses in the city from the
windows of which some of these gamblers
and their negro workers can be
seen daily going in to places presumably
to arrange for the drawing. The negroes
who play the policy lotteries say 1t is still
going on, and all the indications are that
it is
Solicitor General Osborne has said, how
ever, that he intends to break it up, and
keep 1t broken up, and the probability is
that those of the lottery men who insist
on continuing their wheels will find the
grand jury onto their cases again within
a day or two There is every indication
that not a day has elapsed since they
were indicted, that the wheels have not
been turned.
The Southern Cotton Oil Company of
this city pleaded guilty in the superior
court yesterday to the indictment against
for a mis- don oh yir1er "a
sold seven sacks of fertilizers known as
cotton seed meal, to one A. H. Monroe
without having first put the tags upon it
which are furnished by the commissioner
of agriculture and required to be put upon
every sack of fertilizers. Judge Falligant
assessed a fine of $50 and costs against
the company, and entered 1t up as a civil
judgment in favor of the state and
against the company's property. The fine
of course was paid.
George NIoesner was tried for burglary
in the superior court and found
guilty, the jury recommending that
he be punished as for misde-
meanor. Moesner on Sept. q, 1896, broke
into the office of Mr.. George w. Owens,
and took several articles off his desk, some
of which were recovered by the city de-
tectives. Moesner was sentenced to pay a
fine of $50 and costs, or spend six months
on the chain-gang
After an hours deliberation on the case
of Mayhem Screven, in the superior court,
yesterday, the jury returned a verdict of
not guilty. Screven was charged with
assault with intent to murder. All of the
cases assigned for to-day in the superior
court have gone over for reassignment.
| The case against d. C. Swindle, charg-
| ing him with forging the name of L. E.
Montague to a receipt in his favor for
S125 was nolle pressed, on account of the
fact that the offense was committed in
Liberty, and not in Chatham county.
The charges against John Mackay and
| Grippa Johnson, charged with assault
with intent to murder James Davis, were
| nolle pressed Nero Davis, Allen John
son and Henry Harris, who were con-
nected with the case, were all sent to the
| chain-gang for twelve months.