The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-11
THE LATE TIGATIoN.
Judge j. l.. Sweat Interviewed-The
OmciaI RecOrd-Yancy Carter.
so prepares the system
Tor the change taking
place that tire final
From the waycross Herald.


l.. Sweat for a statement from him rela-
tive 10 the late investigation, he submit
ted the following:
LAS is now well-known, when the Look
ing Glass story was published, on the ad-
vice of friends. ] took no notice of it. But
when Populist Senator Yancy Carter pre-
sented it to the Senate, in connection with
his charges against Judges Reese ana
Gober, to sustain his sweeping denuncia-
ton of the judiciary of the state, / pro-
nounced the story false, and announced
my readiness to meet any charges pre-
ferred against me. Then the legislature,
without any suggestion, directly or indi-
rectly. from me, provided for me investi-
Instead Of being confined to charges in
volvtng official misconduct it is the first
case on record where the doors were
thrown wide open to the personal and DO.
litical enemies of an official to inquire into
his private conduct.
Suppose the arch-light of investiga~
ton were thus turned on members ana
others, and especially those attacking me-
would they have stood the ordeal as well
That portion of the evidence apparent-
ly against me was the result of either or
perjury or mistake. and was impeached.
or so shown to be, by being disproVed
the proof Of contradictory statements, the
result of III will, or the unreasonableness
also mislead the public by flaming display
headlines wholly unsupported by the facts,
| prompted, doubtless. by the spirit of SEN
sationalism.
Now without regard to the personal
! views, expressed or unexpressed, of in
| dividual members. here is the official ac-
| tion taken, as shown by the records, sup
| ported by the overwhelming weight and
| strength of the evidence, and upon that
l nave the right to rest my complete
JAN. IS. P. NJ.
| The committee having met in execu-
| tive session to consider their report to
! the legislature, the following proceed
| ings were had:
"By Mr.. Boynton: Simply for the pur
| pose of eXpediting the business before the
| committee l move that in the considera.
| ton of these matters, the chairman ask
each member whether, in his opinion, the
] evidence is sufficient to warrant articles
Of impeachment being preferred against
| this judge on a certain specified charge;
| in other words, that there shall be an aye
| and no vote on each charge.
| by MT Pearce; move that the pros
| ecution having failed to make out case
| against Judge Sweat we recommend that
| no articles of impeachment be preferred
been edaS Stl9n tS OF M Boynton having
! poll the committee on the separa fe
charges as follows:
| 'By the chairman: Judge Sweat is
| charged with having been intoxicated at
a banquet at st. SimCns.
The vote was unanimously aye as to
| this fact having been shown.
! by the chairman: The next question
ment? ''U''
no.
by the chairman: The next charge is
! that Judge Sweat while attending a ban
at a blind tiger.
The vote was unanimously, no.
BY the chairman: The next charge Is
| that Judge Sweat was drunk on the bench
| in the city of Brunswick on the day fol-
lowing this banquet, and incapable, by
reason thereot, Of discharging the duties
The vote was, unanimously, no.
By the chairman; Next is the Camden
| county affair. Judge Sweat is specifically
charged with having packed the grand
! jury in Camden county in the interest OF
| Mr.. Toomer, who was a candidate against
MI Bennett Tor the Office of solicitor gem
"on this the vote was, unanimously,
7'By the chairman. The next CHARGE is
that Judge Sweat is guilty of having made
! an indecent proposal to a young girl with
| W9om he became casually acquainted
during a visit at her home near Indian
Springs The vote Is as to whether he
made any indecent proposals to Miss
Bradley. All who believe that this charge
! Is sustained by the evidence will vote
aye: to the contrary, no.
The vote was unanimously no.
BY the Chairman: The next charge is
that Judge Sweat met at Indian Springs
Mrs. ID. NJ. Crosby, the wife OF ID. NJ.
Crosby, Of Appling county, said county
| being IN the Brunswick judicial circuit
over which Judge Sweat presided AZ
Judge, D. NJ Crosby being at that time
| indicted in .Appling superior court for
| murder, and that while there he had
criminal conversation with the said Mrs.
! ID. NJ. Crosby, and that he used his office
TO accomplish that end
"On the question to this charge be-
ing sustained by the evidence, the vote
| was unanimously no.
by the Chairman: The next charge
~ that he Improperly admitted the said
| ID. NJ. Crosby to bail
AS to this charge the vote was unani-
| mously no.
"By the Chairman: The next charge
| Is that he was guilty of Partially in the
! two trials or the said ID. NJ. Crosby, the
first one Of which resulted in a mistrial
| and the second in an acquittal.
"As to this charge being sustained, the
vote of the committee was unanimously
no.
THE following resolution offered by Mr.
| Meldrim was then unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the committee finds
ted to authorize the recommendation that
| articles of impeachment be preferred
against Hon; J. L. Sweat, judge of the
This is an extract from the commit
! tees action, so far as Il relates 60 my own
| case. And this Is the official report of the
! committee as made TO the legislature on
| Feb. 3:
MIR. Speaker and Members OF the
| House of Representatives-The committee
| appointed BY the speaker of the House,
| under and by virtue OF a resolution adopt
| ed on the 18th day Of December, 1896
charged with the DUTY or investigating
| fully and reporting upon the charges that
/ were transmitted to the house rejecting
/ upon Judges Seaborn Reese and j. L.
| Sweat and directing the committee to re-
| port its findings under the evidence and
| the laws applicable thereto. and TO rec
| ommend such action as should be taken
| by the House. beg leave to submit the fol-
| lowing report.
The committee finds that sufficient evil
dence has not been submitted to authorize
| the recommendation that articles Of I'M,
| peachment be preferred against Hon. ]
| IL sweat OF the Brunswick circuit and
| suit.
we herewith submit. as part of this
| report. a printed copy of all the proceed
| ings pertaining 20 the investigation had bv
| your committee. Respectfully submitted
| 49, ''r y. Fielder Chairman.
| . upon separate vote being taken by
| the House or Representatives, there was
no roll call or opposition as TO Judge
| Reese, but as Il appeared the opposition
| led by such rabid populists as Branch and
| Hogan, ana supported by most OF the nom