The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-15
OPPOSED TO coNSTABULARY.
cHAIRMAN DALE THINKS COUNTY
noEsN'T NEED MORE PROTECTION

This Question Again to the Public
observation-disclosures Slayer Wait
cd Two Days Before Giving Him
self Up, During Which Time No
E6ort Was Made to Arrest Him.
county officers Complain They Are
Not Encouraged to Effect the Ar
rest of Criminals-Chairm Dale
states the Position of the County
commissioners on the Subject.
The recent shooting of T. C. Inwood by
1oseph Wittmark, on the White Bluff
shell road beyond the corporate limits of
the city, has revived the agitation in
favor of some more efficient protection
for the residents Of the country districts
Of Chatham county than they enjoy I'M
der the somewhat dubious judicial sway
of the justices of the peace and their con-
stables.
A county constabulary or police force
under the direction and control of the
commissioners, the duty of whose men,
bers it would be to patrol the sparse-set-
lied sections of the county, to preserve
order and prevent the escape of crimi-
nails has been suggested. Such constab-
MARY force is maintained in Fulton coun-
~. and is said to work we'll there and TO
do much good in the prevention of crime.
The case of Wittmark furnishes an il
mstration of the service a constabulary
force might perform for Chatham coun-
~. The shooting of Inwood was done on
Monday and it was not until yesterday,
two DAYS after the commission of the as
SAINT that so nearly terminated the life
of his intended victim, that Wittmark
came to the city and gave himself up. In
such time, had he desired to do so, he
might have placed such distance between
himself and pursuit that his arrest would
have been virtually impossible, and quite
impossible without the expenditure of a
considerable sum of money.
The sheriff. officers say that they are
not encouraged by the county to arrest
criminals and that even the necessary
expense that they incur in reaching the
spot where the criminals are located is
dead loss to them. as the county refuses
to reimburse them for this outlay. After
compliance with certain formalities the
officers may be authorized to expend the
necessary amount of money, but to com
ply with these formalities requires time,
and criminals who know that they are
wanted for important crimes are not
won't to linger long in the same locality.
While the officers are arranging to have
the county reimburse them for travelling
expenses and buggy hire, the intended
prey is far and away and out OF ther
reach.
The officers of the county, in this con-
nection recite an instance that illustrates
the point and their position in the mat
ter Some time ago there was a homi-
eide at Monteith, which came very near
being double homicide and in which
band of half a dozen or more negroes
were implicated. A posse of officers set
out to effect the arrest of the suspected
men. They were arrested, brought to the
city end lodged in Jail. The bill for the
hire of the trap in which they made the
trip to the country and brought back their
prisoners was disallowed' and has never
been paid. Such cases as this the DILL
GERS say, discourage them, and they see
40 reason why they should bestir them
selves to effect the arrest of criminals
when not only do they not receive thanks
but even payment of their necessary ex-
penses is refused.
Chairman Dale of the Board of County
Commissioners is opposed to the establish
ment of a county constabulary or any
IQllS Oh l0e IKE CtldIdClSI. DuCil d lOIce
is not necessary, Chairman Dale thinks
and would do more harm than good.
'In the first place. said Chairman Dale
TO a Morning News reporter, mo such
force is demanded by the people of the
country districts to whom the question
appeals more closely than to any other
residents of the county. Crime in the
country is very infrequent. the escape Of
the criminal for any length of time. when
the crime committed is of any import ance,
is more infreQuent still, end as a whole
the inhabitants of the country districts,
white and black, are lawabiding citizens,
whose character and behavior will COM
pare very favorably with those in the
same station of life in the city. 1t is rare,
indeed, that ony crime of great violence
is committed beyond the tWo-mile limit
that fixes and bounds the corporate juris-
diction of the municipal authorities
In the second place such a force of
cons tabulary as is suggested by some i'll
informed individuals would be a consid-
cradle expense. Estimating 1t at the low
est possible amount, it would not
o.. De much less than $4,000 Or
5000 year. I do not feel like
1aYoring the expenditure of this sum of
the taxpayers money without being able
10 see wherein lies the benefit. But with
niue crime to suppress and but few GRIM
!ha4s to arrest, the position of constable
would be sinecure, to be conferred in
NiiiS w tne dominant faction, as a reward
OF political merit and as pay for political
services rendered, upon the faithful Ward
peelers would be constables and consta-
pes would be ward heelers. Let us have
zone with the system, or at any rate not
increase its burdens"
don't see what good the establishment
o. SUCH force would do. and can see in
Il the possibility of very material evil. I
peHeVe that the taxpayers money should
pe expended for the taxpavers' benefit
ana not thrown away upon idle schemes
no, devoted to enriching a few of the
POLITICALLY pure in heart, at the expense of
me many who do not enjoy that qeustlon-
able distinction"
AS for the complaints of the county
9lncers that they are not reimbursed for
'nelr outlay in effecting the arrest of
'I-mlnals, the commissioners are not re-
spohsible for this state of affairs We arc
10 lawmaking body, but are placed In
oHlce to execute the laws as we find them
atN sworn to do this exact thing, neither
lillTe nor less Tho a