The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-01

ported TO be signed by the agent
OF the merchant. Upon Investigation
we find that they We're not SO signed. and
neither the merchant nor his agent au-
thorized warrants to be ISSUED; the justice
taking the responsibility upon himself. en-
deavoring to collect open accounts for gro
ceries under a warrant for cheating and
swindling
Justice J. f. Andrews, colored seems
anxious to give up his office. His books
and papers show some irreguarity, with
many cases on his docket, which have been
standing for a considerable time, and while
the entry appears upon his books that he
had turned these bonds and warrants over
to the solicitor general, upon investigation
We find that he did not have receipts
therefor. But before finishing the investi-
cation fully and after a. week or ten days
time had elapsed, he brought us the re-
ceipts for the papers from the clerk of the
court, he having turned them over TO the
court after we had demanded the receipts.
The bonds we ind all irregular and alb
solutely of no value. One coored man
signed five bonds for $l00 each. Upon in
Vestigation at the tax collectors office we
find that he pays taxes on $l5.00 and an
other, who had signed a great number of
bonds, pays taxes on SIS; though in their
affidavit they claim to be worth $500. IL is
our opinion that the justice was fully
aware that the bonds were of no value,
and we do not think that this Office should
be held by a party so incompetent.
We find a very bad state of affairs in the
office of A. j. j. Blois. While we do not
believe that this justice intended to be so,
still il is very evident that he is careless.
has no system, has worthless constables
and loose management generally A war
rant signed by Dan Mcdonnell against st.
j. Armand for gambling, on the warrant
! appears the stamp of Justice Blois in three
places. 1t appears that this constable q.
10 Nr.Nr 4.,A /.
warrant, and extracted from him S5.25,
which settled the matter, so far as the
constable was concerned, he not making
any returns to the justice. The name sign
ed to the warrant dan McDonnelD, we
find upon Investigation that there is no
such party; evidently a forgery The name
which was intended to be placed upon this
warrant should have been Dan McDon-
ough
1t has come TO the knowledge of the
committee that there were a large num-
Der of these warrants issued at the same
time all stamped in this manner and we
presume that the constable has been fully
paid by his fraudulent acts.
Upon examining Justice Bois, he de-
MED any knowledge of these warrants,
and claimed that the constable had evil
IDENTIFY made them up in his office stamp
| ed them with his name and using his
blanks without any authority from him.
We cannot denounce too forcibly the en-
| ployment of such men as constable, and
we consider it gross carelessness on the
part of any justice to leave his warrants
and stamps where any one can come into
the office and utilize them as he may see
| fit.
From the evidence before u.s. we are led
| to believe that this state of affairs is due
| considerably to loose management carried
on in a great many of the offices of the
| justices of the peace 1t is of course, very
1 4 an F..NN Al
| these points, because, in many cases the
| parties arrested prefer to settle for 81, 49,
| 81 or S. rather than to have to appear at
| court, or submit to trials.
JUSTICE W. H. PATTERSON: He has
regarded our investigation of his books
| documents, bonds, and papers as an inn
| position by the grand jury. He seems to
| have the idea that we have no authority
| over his affairs, and that all we have to
| do is to glance at his books, and check
and approve them. The apparent irregu-
| larity in his books was a sufficient incen-
| tive for the committee to examine closely
| into his conduct of affairs of his office.
We find that his speciality has been run
! ming in policy shop dealers, and that he
| has reaped a rich harvest thereby Par
| ties have been arrested, giving the usual
| bond. the justice collecting his fee there
for, and as a rule this settled the case.
| The prosecutor in q cases on the docket of
this justice cannot be found, though we
| have been for several weeks, with the as
! sistance of Detective Wetherhorn, trying
to find him We cannot get sufficient in
| formation from the justice himself and
are dependent upon outside sources for in
| formation
We find also that II cases prosecuted by
| Jim Williams, which appear irregular. and
! having Jim Williams before us, we find
| that he had only prosecuted two parties in
stead of Il, though the dockets show II.
We sent Mr.. Higgins (the bailiff of the
| grand jury to this justice several times
| for his bonds and papers, but in each and
| every case, we have met with fiat refusal
| to turn them over to u.s. and generally with
| a short, curt reply, showing his contempt
| for the committe, and their manner of pro-
! ceeding to make a thorough investigation
| of his affairs We addressed a polite note
to the justice, requesting him to appear be-
fore the committee in person, with the
! bonds, papers etc, required of him. We
| sent this note by Mr.. Higgins and his re-
! ply to Mr. Higgins was, returning the note
to the committee, saying It was all
''chaff." We consider that Justice who
| acts in this manner, should have all pow
ers and emoluments of office taken from
| him.
The management Of the various Justices
| enumerated above is a gross outrage. The
| public are very indignant over the manner
in which several of them are conducting
the criminal side Of the court.
The justices who are guilty of malprac-
| tice in office should be removed, as being
! incompetent and unworthy Of the office in
| trusted to them. And some schedule of
salary could be adopted whereby the JUS
! tices would receive so much per month for
| the trial Of crimina. cases. This would
| tend to break up "A great deal Of the ile-
| gal practices of these Offices We think
| that the law allowing the justices TO pre-
| pare the bonds. allowing 50 for this SER
| vice, should be repealed This is the law
as passed by the legislature for Chatham
county. and Is evidently the cause of con-
siderable of the annoyance.
We recommend that the attention OF our
members Of the legislature be called to this
| and the law repealed.
Whereas, there are constant complaints
among our citizens. and especially the poor
classes, respecting the practice Of certain
| justices OF the peace and notares public
| and eX-ofciO justices OF the peace IN per-
hitting the promiscuous swearing out Of
warrants, and the collecting OF fees for
making bonds after arrests and In the us
| ing Of criminal processes In collecting civil
4 t. a.. a.