The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-08
TURNED TO OTHER CASES.
GRAND JURY STOPPED CONsIDERA-
TION OF CONSPIRACY CHARGES.

/ ed TO Investigation or charges
Against Alleged MOonshiners and
Others Said 10 Have Violated the
Laws of the GOvernment-Ex-POs
master Carter Said to BE in the
| Bunch of Indictments-GOvern
| Witnesses Are StilI Held and May
Yet He CaIIed-MOvements of
Grand Jury Puzzle the Interested
Ones who Have Watched Its ses-
sions.
The third days session of the grand
| jury of the United States District Court
| passed without the return of a single in
dictment against any one Of the alleged
| conspirators with o. NJ. Carter to defraud
| the government The jury has been al
most constantly in session. and there IS
| external evidence that it has reached some
conclusion, but the results of its delibera-
tons have never been made public.
There was no consideration of the
charges against the alleged conspirators
yesterday, and the opinion has become
more and more general that the final re-
suit, in some of the cases at least, has al
ready been reached. Notwithstanding the
fact that some of the witnesses for the
government, notably the clerks in the de-
partments at Washington, who have
brought to Savannah a very large number
Of documents of one kind and another
connected with the Carter case are still
retained here, with the evident purpose
that they shall appear before the grand
jury in connection with some of the cases
against the alleged conspirators, it is be
leved that most of the indictments have
been found and that they will be presented
to the court possibly, to-day.
The fact that none of these witnesses
were examined at the sessions of yester-
day lends it's approval and substantiation
to this opinion and favors the general be-
lief in its correctness The officers of the
court still retain a solemn reticence and
refuse absolutely to divulge anything of
the happenings in the grand jury room or
TO venture a prediction as to the ultimate
outcome of the jury's sessions Any sub
jeet closer connected with the Carter case
than the present state of the weather
seems to be barred from the conversation
of these gentlemen and they will not dis
cuss it. To every query they return very
polite and courteous rejoinder, to the ef-
rect tnat tney KNOW nothing about IL,
with the addendum that they could tell
nothing even if their Information was more
extensive.
Many of the government witnesses have
never been called, and it Is believed that
some of them win yet be heard from, as
to their acquaintance with the charges
against some of the alleged conspirators
at least If this is not the case 1t Is
reasonably evident that the government
has departed from its original intention
and that 1t will not seek to indict some
of the said to be interested parties, whose
names have been mentioned in this con-
nection. The rumors that have been
afioat as to the probability of the indict-
ment of one prominent man, whose name
has been mentioned in this connection, by
the way for the first time since it has
been announced that the charges would be
investigated by the federal grand jury,
must be erroneous should it develop that
the grand jury has concluded its session
for the consideration of these particular
cases.
There is a belief on the streets that the
grand jury will make some presentments
to-day. Should this be done the effort
will be made to keep the names of those
indicted secret, until they have been ar
rested and either committed to jail or given
bond for their appearance. This is the
method of procedure always followed IN
the United States Court, the purpose and
intent Oh inc pan D0lilS 10 prevent any
of the persons indicted becoming ac-
quainted with this fact and getting out of
the reach of the officers before they can
be apprehended.
All of yesterday the grand jury was en-
gagged in the investigation of charges
against others than those alleged TO be
connected with the Carter conspiracy to
defraud the government As one of the
witnesses who had been summoned to
appear and were in attendance upon this
session of the grand jury said, most OF the
defendants had been charged with making
liquor without the stamped acquiescence
of Uncle Sam, and had been arrested on
this account. The moonshners, for the
| greater part, have been brought down TO
! Sayannah from the counties further in
| the interior of the state.
There were, though, other indictments
! that the district attorney wished to have
brought than those against the alleged
| co-conspirators with Capt. Carter and the
| moonshiners from the upper and middle
| sections of the state. One of these was
against the eX-postmaster at Meldrim, w.
| F. Carter. who is charged with defrauding
| the government of the revenues of the
| postoffice of which he had charge during
! his incumbency. 1t is currently under
/ stood that an Indictment was brought by
/ the grand jury, and that it will be pre-
scented with the others to the court An
other of the indictments has regard to a
| charge against youth from the south
western section of the state, who offered
i a treasury note, raised from one dollar
I TO ten. to a groceryman in this city, and
was arrested. The boy has always claimed
that he was innocent of any intentional
wrong, and that the note had been given
him to cash by a person whom he never
saw before, and has never seen since, and
whom he did not qnow.
The future movements of the grand jury
are matters of pure speculation. or
course, none of its members will discuss
| its intentions or past transactions. and
the officers of the court are equally reu-
/ cent. II was announced when the court
| began its sessions that the business 10 be
transacted by the grand jury would prob
ably consume two weeks but unless there
is much other evidence to be offered in
the Garter case, there is every indication
that this estimate is exaggerated. If the
| Witnesses stin in the city are retained for
a purpose, the estimate first made may
I sill M hold good