The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-02
MUST LOOK INTO THE CHARGES
GRAND JURY TO INVESTIGATE BRI-
Berry IN ELECTIONS.

Berry IN ELfSC
Judge FaIligant Gives Some FOrei-
BILE instructions with Regard TO
Election Laws-GambIing spoken
of In All It's FOrms-CaIIed Atten-
ton to the Existence of Gambling
Institutions, the Names of which
He DID Not acknowledgements
Weapons and Liquor Responsible
For Nearly All the Crimes of VIC
Ience-T4yo indictments Found.
In his charge to the grand jury for the
March term of the superior court, Judge
Falligant went a little bit outside of the
line usually followed. He touched more
forcibly on one or two points TO Whlch
heretofore very little attention has been
paid. spe- King with especial force with
reference to violations of the election
laws, and the evil consequences OF VIOLA
lions Of the liquor laws, as well as the
pernicious evil OF gambling.
The grand jury met yesterday morning,
and was sworn in as follows: u. X
Thomas, foreman; Robert H. CornweA
John T. West Norton Frierson, George
c. Goebel. Bernard Dub. william G.
Cooper. George H. Remshart, George W
Tiedeman, Henry G. Black, William r
Hunter. Alfred 5. Nichols, e. A. Cuts,
William L. Wilson, Charles A. Cox, Rob
ert +. Burden, Joseph E. Fulton, Philip
d. Dafin, Lehman Putzel, Walter 5.
King, George 5. Van Horne, George ).
Baldwin and John r. Young
Judge FalHgant after speaking of the
governmental system of the country, and
the Importance of the laws relating to IT,
especially those which protect the right
of suffrage Of the Individual, called at
tention to the fact that strong charges
of violations of these laws had been made
openly and publicly, and that it was the
duty Of the grand jury to investigate these
charges, and to bring the eulprits before
the court to be dealt with.
He said he knew it was hard matter
to get at information relating to such
violations of the law as this, but he call
ed attention to the fact that open bribery
of voters had been charged, as wei as
many irregularities in the registration. 1t
was the duty of the grand jury he said,
to make a full and careful inquiry into
these charges, and, if possible to do SO,
to bring before the court the parties VINO
bought votes. and who were responsible
for other Irregularities in connection with
recent elections.
Judge Falligant said he did not know
of his own knowledge that there had been
such violations of the law, but that II
was common report, the charges being
publicly made, and on the strength OF
that he gave the matter in charge as ne
did. He said he did not care to be put
in the position Of mis- predecessor, Judge
Adams. who, on one occasion, in one OF
the country courts, was summoned be-
fore the grand jury to give testimony with
regard to matters upon which he had
charged.
He next dealt with gambling in its va
rious phases, an evil, he said, which is
running many of the young men of Sa-
vannah. lie spoke of gambling in its dir
ferent forms, of policy lotteries which
gets the little money and sometimes the
last cent that a poor negro has, and
urged upon the grand jury the impor-
lance OF making thorough investigations
into this violation of law, and bringing
the offenders before the court There are
other institutions in Savannah which are
run openly, he said, which are no more
nor less than gambling institutions of the
very worst kind and which certainly take
away nlegitimately great deal of the
money of the people. He said the grand
jurors knew what he meant without his
calling any names, and he suggested that
they also look into this and see If there
is not some way to stop it,
Especially forcibe was that portion of
his charge with regard to violations of
the liquor laws, which, he said, should
be prosecuted severely. He spoke of the
evil effects of liquor, and the fact that
when under its influence there are many
men who, if insulted by some one, think
the first thing for them to do Is TO XIII.
He attributed the greater portion OF the
crimes OF violence to the evil effects of
liquor among young men, who, under it's
influence, are often too ready to use a
deadly weapon. However much he might
sympathize with them under certain cir
cumstances, II was his duty, he said,
when they are brought before him and
convicted to sentence them accordingly.
Judge Falligant referred also to the evil
practice among many Of carrying con-
cealed weapons. to which, together with
liquor, many of the crimes of violence are
attributable. He spoke of the more
healthy public sentiment that has recent
ly sprung up with regard to such crimes,
at time just before the beginning of the
new year, when so many of them were
committed, and which was followed by
the conviction of number of the Offend
ers. He said he trusted that this senti-
ment would continue to grow. and he be-
heyed II would result in a great measure
In the suppression of crime
After the charge the grand jury retired
TO Its room to consider several criminal
cases, which were brought before Il. A
true bill charging forgery was returned
against Alfred Stokes. alias G. +. Stokes,
an account OF whose ofense has been Civ
en- in the Morning News. Stokes is charg-
ed with having fraudulently signed the
name of Orig 4 Jones on a check for $4S,
payable TO himself at the Chatham Bank.
The only other indictment returned was
true bill against Jos. c. Grant, charged
with larceny after trust Grant is charg-
ed with having appropriated to his own
use $3.50, which was entrusted TO him by
Myrtle Lodge of odd Fellows to be paid
TO Solomon Williams.