The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-20
HARRY SWEAT MADE HAPPY.
ACTIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT
AND PARDON BOARD DISCUSSED.

Glad That He Is Not to HanG-Sweat
Was His Own Worst Enemy-SOme
Comment on the Fact That No
White Man Has Been Hanged in
Chatham County in Nearly 10
Years-The Hnupt Forgery Case
May Not Re Retired, nut an Effort
May lie. Made in His behalf for
Pardon.
News was received in the city yesterday
OF the decision of The pardoning board in
the case Of Harry Sweat, convicted Of muir
der, and of the Supreme Court in the case
of George w Haupt. convicted of forgery.
embezzlement and larceny after trust.
Sweats sentence is committed 10 life
Imprisonment while Haupt is granted
new trial in the forgery case, the decision
OF the lower court in the other two cases
being sustained This is rather cold com
fort for Haupt, who has been hoping that
the lower court would be overruled in ali
three of the cases. A new trial in the
forgery case is of but little value, as the
two cases in which the lower court is sus-
tained carry with them a total sentence
of seven years. This being the case, the
opinion was generally expressed among the
court house officials yesterday that the
forgery case, in which the sentence was
three years, will probably be mol pressed,
or that anyway it is hardly likely to be
tired again, the sentence of seven years
being generally regarded as sufficient pun
ishment.
The decision of the court in the forgery
case creates no surprise to those familiar
with the circumstances of the case. The
technical plea was made by Haupts at
torney. MIR w. C. Hartrdge. that he had
been indicted for forging check No. 36,
when as matter of fact the check in
question was numbered 1856 Haupt, in his
statement to the jury, asserted that the
alteration which had been made by him
in the check from the usual form by maxi
ing it payable to bearer" was made pre-
vous to the signing of the. check by the
president of the Oglethorpe Real Estate
Company. Mr. J. =. Williams. If this
was true then the crime was not forgery
aud the Supreme Court may have consid-
cred this feature of the case in OVerrul-
ing the lower court in this particular
case Technical pleas were also made by
Haupts attorneys in the other two cases
which were evidently not sustained by
the court.
The news that Sweat would not hang on
July 2S, but that his sentence would be
committed to life Imprisonment instead,
was favOrably received by many people.
Notwithstanding the young mans way
ward course which brought him to the
brin1 of the gallows, he had few per
sonal enemies. He was a clever. good ma
tured fellow, evilly disposed only towards
himself. and up to the time of the killing
of O'Neil had never been engaged in any
serious trouble. Besides considerable SYM
pathy had been aroused by his relatives
am many people whose names have not
been made known in the matter have in
terested themselves in his behalf. The At
ianta dispatch shows that much influence
was brought to bear through prominent
citizens throughout the state, and this
iniuence was evidently invoked by in1u-
entail citizens here.
While nobody in Savannah was anxious
to see Sweat hang, there was unquestion-
ably a feeling that a justihable hanging
of a white man would have a good effect
upon the community. Many persons, in
discussing the matter, have dwelt upon
the fact that there has not been a white
man hung in Savannah in nearly seventy
years, notwiths landing the many violent
crimes which have been committed by
white men, even in recel6 years, while
on the other hand, negroes who were gull
ty of murder have been convicted and
hung with almost clock-iike regularity. In
many cases in which negro murderers re-
ceiVed the death sentence there was not
even an appeal TO the Supreme Court, the
law being allowed to take it's course with
our Interference after the case had been
passed upon by the lower court. 1t has
been rarely the case that even members
of their own race have interested them
selves in their behalf. This is the case
with Isaiah Scott, who is to pay the death
penalty tomorrow for the murder of his
fg y
10 the Supreme Court and no one has tax
en- sufficient interest in the condemned
man 10 seek even an extension of time
If Scott pays the death penalty to-mor-
row, as it is likely he will, he will be the
fifth negro murderer to hang in Chatham
county within less than a year
Those who have favored c.emencv for
Sweat have contcnded that the ev dence
against him was not such as TO establish
the charge of murder within
The meaning of the law. thai
there was no proof of malice aforethought.
| ana that calm review of the evidence
would show that there was no ADVANTAGE
TO be gained by Sweat IN the removal of
O'Nenl because of the formers relations
with O'Neills wife. The conduct of all
the parties to the affair was SO disrepu-
| table that there is no question that the
pubic mind was prejudiced against Sweat
on this score, if no other.
There seems to be nothing now between
both Sweat and HauDt but the peniten-
! t.ary. The former, who goes with a life
sentence will go much more willingly
than the latter, who has only seven years
to serve. IL is predicted that efforts for
pardons will be made in both cases. In
Haupts case it is likely that the effort
viii be made Immediately in order TO save
him The disgrace of wearing convict
stripes il possible Those who have seen
Haupt at the jail recently state that he
has not vet lost his wonderful nerve. which
has stood him i'm good stead throughout.
ana that he Yet has hopes of some inter
Nention in his behalf which will save him
from the disgrace of the penitentiary.
Sweat was oVerjoyed when he received
the news of the pardon boards recon-
incubation, and soon made the entire iail
acquainted with his good fortune His at
torney, Mir. w. c. Hartridge. was also
well pleased, as he had right to be. To
his untiring efforts in his clients behalf
may well be attributed the clemency which
has saved him from the gallows