The morning news., 1899-12-04
FEDERAL COURT coNENEs.
U. 5. CIRCUIT AND DISTRICT COURTS
MEET THIS MORNING.


New Government building TO BE
Dedicated to the Purposes of the
Court When Judge Speer Takes
His SeRt-Grand Jury OF the Dis
trict Court Expected TO Assemble
at 10 O'clock and Listen Then to
the Charge of Judge speer-This
Part of the Programme May he De-
Iayed - Prospective Indictments
Against Greene and GaynOr the
Matter of Present Absorbing In
terest.
Judge Emory speer reached the city
from Macon last night and is at the De
Soto, where he WI remain during his stay
in Savannah. Judge Speer's friends We're
pleased TO see that he is looking excep-
tionally wen and that he is apparently in
fine tim for the rather oherous duties that
viii devoEve upon him for the next two
weeks. This is the dur ration of his expect
ed stay.
The Circuit and District Courts have
much work before them, though most of
it viii deyolve upon the strict Court, to
which tribunal all cases in bankruptcy are
confided by the federal constitution. There
are a very ge numter OF cases of this
character that are to be uied, nearly forty
Of which are to be called and adjudicated
when The court meets This morning. The
remainder of these cases viii be assigned
and heard On days during the remainder
of the session.
The grand jury of the District Court
will assemble this morning and the cases
against Messrs. Greene and Gaynor Will
probably be presented to it either then
or tomorrow The engineer officers from
Washington, who were expected to reach
the city yesterday afternoon, did not come
in on schedule time because of a delay in
the arrival of the train on which they
were travelling to Savannah, but were
expected to get in during the night. They
will appear before the grand jury when
the cases against Messrs. Greene and
Gaynor are called. Mr.. John b. Mccarthy
the war department clerk, who appeared
as witness before the Carter courtmar-
tial and who had charge of the depart
ment records that were then introduced
in evidence, accompanies the engineer Of
ficers to Savannah. -3
1t is expected thet the cases will con-
sumo several days at least, even in their
presentation to the grand jury The eYi-
dence Is known to be exceedingly volumA-
nous, and the indictment will probably be
one of the most voluminous papers ever
presented to any other than a military
court in a criminal case. The charges
and specifications in a case before a court
martial seem necessarily TO cover more
ground than is essential before one of
the ordinary courts of the land. How
ever, as there will be more than one count
I'M ho fr,Ii int bat will
turned against Messrs. Greene and Gay
nor they will be voluminous enough.
The court will assemble this morning at
10 o'clock. If the grand jury appears 1t
will be charged at that time, but the fact
that no Savannah man is known to have
been of the panel, combined with the ex-
treme retlcencc of the officers of the court,
leaves the intended programme rather a
matter of doubt. If the charge is not
made to-day it will be as soon as the jury
is brought together and is organized for
the transaction of business. This may
cause the eloquent and Impressive charge
that Judge Speer is sure TO deliver TO be
held over until tomorrow.
The absence of any man from Savan-
nah on the summoned panel of the grand
jury, if such be the case, and the evidence
is all that way, may possibly be account
ed for by the likelihood of the presenta-
ton of the cases against Messrs. Greene
and Gaynor Tor the purposes OF lnolclHeHt.
The belief is al once general and well
founded that the people of Savannah are
so strongly convinced either one way or
the other in reference to all matters con-
nected with The Carter courtmartial that
it would possibly be difficult to obtain a
thoroughly impartial jury in this city,
Some such motive as this has suggested
calling the grand jury from the other
counties of this division of the district and
leaving Chatham out.
This mWning's session of the court viii
be the first in the new government build
ing. The District Court room has been put
in readiness and is quite prepared for the
reception of the court, jury, officers and
witnesses and the transaction of The busi-
ness of the court. 1t will be informally
dedicated when Judge Speer takes his seat
at 10 o'clock this morning.
Ar nTIE THE A'PEcA