The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-08
STEVENSON WAS NOT GUILTY.
CHARGE OF CHEATING AND
sWINDLIsG DID NOT HOLD.

lin Were Df-=RP0fnted at His
NOn-COnvietfon-Ste Claim
ed to Represent S-oDOo-ul-O
Corporation in Chicago Which
Was FHrnIshfnE Members of His
society With Goods at Greatly He
dueed Rates-The scheme Has
Been worked Elsewhere in Ger
sia A. WeII-A Large Batch of
Petty Criminal Cases Disposed of
in the city Court
TIE weekly c-l---zl -zc5ues q the Ciry
Corr vas u1-s-z-ly veH ATTENDED yes
Tz-1aY Eorrlzz. case c. sp@-iaI Interest
% t1e eo-o<a5 pop-lzt-9a bang OF triaL
Joan Stevenson. ccIoze3. Ezs charged
zlra creating ard Smiling Stevenson
las posed a. tns agent OK the Co1soildare5
FEoeszle Szpu4y Company q Cniczgo. q
oorp5-z-o1 walsh purported 10 nave
capital q * - 5sZ zaLch. ns Claimed.
vas operate5 especially to- the purpose
Ct elzsl-zZ poo- peope Ike t1e co.ored
folks - o5lz1n gods al greatly reduced
cost IC orss=r 70 OBTAIN tie beLsdrs Of
ta=5 - tie corporation, however. Il vas
Necessary 10 o=coz@ q member q Jhe 80
c5ecy- wa.-a Ezs managed oy Stevenson
For taz, ices ranging from SO 70 $40
a zoCta were charged
To- prospectus Of Ire company offered
% p-o11re for tae subscribers anything
-r7n pair q s1o@s 10 fo1r-horss wag-
O. c. from Paper q needles 70 a seslskiE
= - ard t5at AZ about half the cost for
from TIE regular retail dealers. Stevenson
= 4 p-s1si55= taizer ard he succeeded in
getting q number of men b@Tz q MS So
ci=ET. TIE members Were not only re-
q-ir=5 10 pay Cl=lr DolthIy dues. but they
Eer= sls3 Required 20 pay the cost o any
srt--.e was-a E1ey orjsr=d- \ number Of
OF 5=-s were szkeu ~ Stevenson ard some
O. teen we're 1.l=1- II the majority o.
cszss however. eiE1er the goods were W.
sz-.ztzcto-v q more we're received Ii de-
Fesoue5 II the evidence that Stevenson ID
order zo5zs from some %ortEern house.
51t t1zt -1sy were shipped c. o. D and
that u some Instances he was unable 10
pay tire amounts due. W1icn accounted
for b. failure 70 deliver the goods
Ii arzl-y dawn=1 upou IRE subscribers
that they were receiving very Ettle for
tae money which Trey pad in, ard the
result was 9 warrant for SleFenson's ar
rest O. trz charge q cheating and swind-
lznz Ire testimony Of some Of the wiz
1esses vas very amusing. TIE witnesses
testified that they had been promised al
so-ls OF articles for tnetr money. such as
cooking stoves silk dresses hats. shoes
ard wearing apparel q every decription.
some had gotten nothing and others had
go-tsn a part q what they had ordered
Medical attendance was among the other
5enefcs 70 b. conferred by the associa-
ton.
Stevenson is a negro about - years OH,
ard looked more Ike q country pres cher
than q shrewd swindler. HIS clothing was
sha bly, and he did not have the appear
ance that would b expected o. the agent
OF a 80 90. 90 corporation. Mr. William
Pease represented Stevenson. and claimed
that il had not been shown that the Con
sOlidated Wholesale Company Of Chics 60
DID not exist. and that Stevenson was not
doing business as its authorized agent
Judge Norwood held that while there
were suspicious circumstances connected
with the transactions II was evident that
Stevenson did represent something. ard
as there was an element OF contract in
these dealings the mere fact OF failure to
perform the contract did not in itself con
stirute cheating and swindling He ac-
cordingly he'd that Stevenson was not
guilty Of the charge against him.
The same business as that conducted
BY Stevenson has been operated very sue
cessfuily for the operators IL other por-
tons Of Georgia. In Atlanta and Wash
ington the negroes have been defrauded
out Of large sums % money By the smooth
takers Of their own race who represent
ed themselves as being agents for some
large corporation which was ready TO fur
nisn them supplies Of every character at
greatly reduced rates. The swindlers col
lected the money and appointed day
when the supplies were 10 De delivered
and this was usually the last heard Of
them. Stevenson seems TO have been the
only one who mace any attempt to carry
out his contracts and remained to face
the music.
There was very large criminal docket
before the court, which was disposed Of
as follows:
An assortment of white and black va
grants who were arrested for stealing
rides on the Florida Central and Peninst-
lar Railroad were sentenced 10 pay fines
Of s. or spend three months each on the
chain-gang. They gave their names as
Frank Rose, Perry Commodore. Lem
Durham Henry ChOker, John Muslin and
John Williams
Jim Cobb, for larceny Of q pair Of shoes
was sentenced 70 pay a fine OF g or sDend
three months on the gang.
W. 7. Burleson. d solder. was given the
same sentence for carrying concealed
weapons
Ella jefferson, charged with stealing
pair Of shoes vas discharged.
Dottie Allen, for larceny from the housa
was given 81 or Y months
Rooert Bo.den. r. f. Holmes and ] Z.
Holmes were found guilty of the charge
Of vagrancy.
Peter Murray. sailor. was found guilty
OF riotous conduct on shipboard. bat was
afterwards released.
Hackless Gilbert and Ben Burden plead
guilty to stealing brasses from the cen
tral Railroad and were given IS or six
months each on the gang.
Sandy Griffin for the larceny Of BARRIERS
too.s, was sentenced to 80 or y months
Moses Barnweil was find $2j or siv
months for carrying a concealed weapon
Willie Richardson, the negro youth who
snatched a poke book from Mrs. John
Smith, was find $50 and costs or tu-eIve
months on the gang
Henry Emery, colored vagrant was
given s. or three months.
Andrew Young and Frank Toby-1,. 49,