The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-17
JUDGE sPEER CLEARED COURT.
Attorneys Ordered Out While Let
tiers Were Read.

Augusta, Ca, Feb. 16.-"I don't see
why all these young lawyers are keeping
their seats in the court room, or the older
ones, either, for that matter"
The speaker was Judge Emory Speer,
and the remark was made after he had
instructed the marshal TO clear the court
room before the reading of the obscene
letters in the case of Mrs. Gleason, now
being tried in the United States Court.
All the spectators in the rear of the
court room had been ushered out, but
the lawyers, acting upon their privileges.
had retained their seats in the bar of the
court. and were evidently on the qui vive
for the salacious episode which was at
hand. IL was at this juncture that Judge
Speer made the announcement from the
bench quoted above, and promptly every
lawyer in the court filed out, except those
actually engaged in the case, and the let
ters were read only in the presence of
these, the jury and the court.
The letters are declared to be vulgar
and obscene beyond Imagination, and It
seems impossible almost that any person
in right mind could pen such epistles but
they are present in court, in considera BILE
numbers, and in the opinion of experts in
writing, are declared to be in the same
handwriting as Mrs. Gleason's signature
to the bond.
Trend of the Testimony.
Dr. Malone and Postoffice Inspector Bar
ry, who worked up the case, were on the
stand most of the day, the former identi-
flying the obscene letters and the latter
detailing the working up of the ease
against Mrs. Gleason.
The only new and sensational feature
brought out in the testimony of the in
spector was on the cross-examinat ton
when he admitted that a statement that
some of these obscene letters had been
mailed in Aiken, S. c., was not true, and
had been made by him to throw the Au-
gusta police OF the track, so that he
might take the case out of their hands
and work it himself.
The hearing will probably occupy all of
tomorrow. Standing room is at a premi-
UNI during the sessions OF the court The
sensational feature in DR.. Malone's testi-
mony was that he had suspicious that an
other doctor was at the bottom of the af-
fair, and that he accepted the statement
contained in one of the obscene letters.
that the writer was well paid for writing
them. He said his suspicious were not
capable of proof, and he did not feel justl-
fed in giving the suspected doctors name,
but he did believe his enmity towards him
was sufficient 10 procure the writing OF
these letters in the effort to break up his
practice.
There were no relations between himself
and Mrs. Gleason to furnish any motive
on her part, except to get the money.
Coast Line Terminals.
To-day five blocks, between Fourth and
Fifth streets and Calhoun and Gwinnett
streets, i'm the southeastern boundaries Of
the city, were bought by j. R. Lamar for
$4,000 cash. They are unimproved lots on
the commons.
Mr. Lamar refuses to state, but it is be-
lieved they were bought by him as attor-
ney for the Atlantic Coast Line, TO be
used as terminals for that system The
Coast Line now comes into Augusta over
the South Carolina Road from Denmark.
but is building from Denmark TO the Port
Royal Road, which 1t owns and will then
come to Augusta over its own line. and
win build depots, shops and all needed
terminal facilities on the lots purchased
to-day.