The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-04
USE OF MONEY IN ELECTIONS.
GRAND JURY HAS THE SUBJECT
UNDER CONSIDERATION.


Some Action May BE Taken at the
Next Meeting-Mr. james Hunter
Indicted for Sending a Threaten
ing Letter to Mr.. j. FIOrance Minis.
Two Indictments for Murder and
Several for Robbery, burglary and
Lesser Crimes-GrRnd Jury Conn
mittees to Complete Their Work
This Month.
The grand jury of the Superior Court met
yesterday afternoon and spent some time
in session. An adjournment was
taken to next Friday after
noon. The foreman, Mai. Garland NJ.
Ryals. stated in reply to a question from
Judge Falligant that the committees of the
grand jury had been appointed, but that
they had as yet accomplished practically
nothing. Judge FaHigant informed the
grand jurors that they had only until the
end of this month to complete their work,
as the March term of the court convenes
next month
The grand jury had considerable work
before it, and a number of indictments
considered, however, was the use
of money in the recent city election,
and some time was spent in discussing this
subject. Some of the members thought that
the use of money in elections was so gem
orally acknowledged that it was not worth
while to take any steps in the matter.
Others insisted that the evil had been
countenanced too long already, and that
it was time that action was taken by the
grand jury to punish the offenders and put
a stop to this practice. One member is said
to have expressed himself to the effect that
$40 was too much to pay for votes, and
mat the price should be kept down to a
dollar Doubtless many of the supporters
of both factions will agree with him in
this opinion.
1t is likely that this matter will be fur
Their discussed at the next meeting of the
grand jury, and the members who have
taken stand on this subject may present
some evidence in support of this position.
Among the indictments found by the
grand jury is one against James Hunter,
the well-known broker, who is charged
with sending threatening letter to Mr..
j. Florance Minis on Dec. 10 last. In the
letter, which is quoted in the indictment,
Mr.. Hunter made several offensive state
ments to Mr.. Minis, and threatened to
Kill him by 10 o'clock of that day if he
did not apologize. He also gave Mr.. Mi
mis- the choice of meeting him a. five places
If he preferred. The letter followed a diff
ficulty which occurred between Messrs.
Minis and Hunter at the formers Office
discussion about some stock transaction
leading to a dispute which ended in blows
Jim Whitfield was indicted for the muir
der of G. II. Berry on Sept. IS last. Whit
field fired load Of shot into Berry, killing
him instantly.
John Leonard James Tobin and F. Fitz-
gerald were indicted together on two sep
arate charges of robbery, one being for
assaUlting and robbing D. Jones and the
other for the same offense committed
against b. Chance. Both robberies were
committed Jan. %.
Queen Martin was indicted for the muir
der of Joseph Hayward, whom she killed
by stabbing with a knife on Dec. &c last
Sam Collins was indicted for arson be-
ing charged with attempting to set fire
to the house of Mr.. w. B. StillweH on
Dec. 12 1898
Jemes O'Neill and Georgiana Smith were
indicted for larceny from the house on
separate charges. O'Neill is charged with
having stolen a gold watch, pair of shoes
and other articles from the house of An
ME Dennis. GeOrgiana Smith Is charged
with stealing $40 and gold watch from
the house of D. L. Moses.
Charlie Mitchell, Alexander BENJAMIN
and Henry Williams were each indicted
for burglary, and Louis Nair, Taylor
Thompson and Richard Simmons for as
sault with intent to murder.
Altogether the grand jury managed to
get in pretty good afternoons work and
furnished considerable grst for the Supe
rior Court to grind during its next term.