The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-09
THEY WANT TO GO TO JAIL.
DARIEN NEGROES, CHARGED WITH
MURDER, DON'T LIKE STATION
HOUSE.

Five Men Whom Detective Stark Ar
rested in Darien for Alleged Com
pIicity in the Murder of Arthur
Hamilton Sued Out Writs of Habeas
Corpus Before Judge FaIIigant.
Claim Superintendent of Police
Screven Has no Right to Their Gus
tody-Their COunsers objection to
Rigid Examination by Detectives
the Probable Explanation of the
Move.
Five habeas corpus proceedings were in
stituted in the Superior Court yesterday
before Judge Falligant, the compliments
being the five negroes whom Detective
Stark arrested and brought up from Da-
lien last Sunday, and who are charged
with having been implicated in the muir
der of Arthur Hamilton.
The applications for writs of habeas
corpus Were made on behalf of the negroes
by Messrs. Harrison & Myrick, who have
been engaged to defend them. The appli-
cations recite that the negroes are held
by Superintendent of Police Thomas
Screven, at the police station house, with
out warrant or authority Of law. They are
charged with the commiss on of felony,
and, it is contended, the proper place for
their detention is the county jail.
Judge Falligant granted a writ directing
the supe, intendent of police to appear in
court with his prisoners or to have them
there, at $3.50 o'clock this morning, when
the legality of their detention will be ex-
amin into
1t has been rumored about town that
one of the negroes, Nick White has made
a confession, in which he duplicates his
companions, Tom Evanston, Dick Wilson,
]. Read and Smith King, in the commits
sion of the crime. 1t is customary to sub
Ject prisoners suspected of crime 20 a
rather vigorous examination, when they
are confined at the station house, and it
IS just possible, the attorneys think ii
wiser that the prisoners be taken to Jail
where they will be able to select their
vlslotrs. When the negroes are thus in
a position to make up their own visiting
list, it may be regarded as certain that
the members of the detective force will
be excluded from this favored circle
In some such desire on the part of the
attorneys and their clients lies the prob
able reason of the application to Judge
talllgant for the writs of habeas corpus
MI. Harrison seid yesterday that it was
quite possible that an ignorant negro,
when he had opposed to him the quick wits
OF men who made the detection of GRIM
mails and the punishment of those arrest
ed his business, would say something that
could be used against him on the trial
even though he were perfectly guiltless of
any offense.
Ihere are ways of making the dumb
TO speak, that are well known to the de-
tectlves and it may be that some of these
methods have been applied in the case of
the negroes from Darien. In the county
jail, the prisoners will not be required to
see anyone they do not wish to see, and
in this manner their conversations and adj
missions, If they are guilty, and inadver-
tent expressions denoting guilt, If they are
not guilty, may be kept from reaching
those by whom it will be used to their
future disadvantage
1t is understood that the law only per
mlts the detention of suspected persons
at the station house for a period of twen-
ty-1our hours, when the crime with which
they are charged is a felony. This. at any
rate, is the understanding of the law that
Messrs. Harrison & Myrick maintain and
that they will urge before Judge Falligaut
this morning