The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-26
FINE SYSTEM CONDEMNED.
GRAND JURY DISCUSSED 1T IN NO
UNCERTAIN on FALTERING TERMS.


in Defiance of the Law and Public
Sentiment - Prohibition, Not Lii
cense. the Theory of the Law, Says
the Grand Jury-Corruption at the
Polls Game in for Its share of
Official Condemnation - ApprOpri-
alton for County Education In
creased to $4,000 - Roads and
Drainage in Good Condition.
The general presentments of the grand
Jury of the Superior Court were returned
yesterday afternoon. They contained the
grand jury's strong and vigorous protest
against The system of filming the oft-con-
victed proprietors of gaming houses and
the ayerment that this system had alto
gether failed to cope with or prohibit the
evil
The gambling question and the alleged
corruption at the polls on the occasion OF
the last primary election, are discussed
in the concluding paragraphs of the pre-
sentiments The grand jury makes inter-
esting suggestions along these lines, sus-
gestions more or less in accordance with
those made by thai OF the June, 1899 term
of the court. On this subject the present.
ments say;
Relative to the gambling evil and other
hidden offenses, the machinery of the law
seems defective, in that ii is daeult for
the grand jury, with the means at its
disposal. to readily obtain the evidence
necessary to authorize the indictment of
these offenders, and we recommend that
each grand Jury be empowered to select
ia.+ q N detective. who
shall be solely under its direction and
control, and If ne cessary a law be pass
ed to this effect. In our opinion this
would result in the correction of serious
evi s, which now are said to exist IN the
community and which cannot be satls-
factory and thoroughly dealt win uhuer
present conditions.
I'VE respectfully submit that the plan
h retofore pursued of fining parties con-
Victed of keeping gaming houses, has Ut
terly ia led to subserVe the pul pose OF the
law, which is the suppression, ana not the
licensing, of this great evil. This crime
fourishes in our midst as it has never
done before, Notwithstanding our courts,
the immense expense to the taxpayers
which courts cost and the large sums
brought into the registry of the courts,
from which the tax payers get no beneht.
We recommend a severer punishment
than the filming of these offenders, whose
repeated anu Oeldnl NiCldllpllD VI law
and public sentiment affect and disgrace
the community,
by request of the grand jury, Solicitor
General Osborne appeared recently be-
fore the grand jury, and made the follow
ing statement of his opinion of the law;
that 1t is not the duty of the selicitor gen
eral TO hunt up cases of violation of the
law against the keeping of gaming houses
nor to send in indictments with the names
of witnesses TO substantiate the indict-
ments unless such indictments are the
result of charges, with the names fur
nished of the witnesses, sent to him by
the grand jury, or other parties. That his
special bailff is for his own use, and not
for the use of the grand jury, and that
it is no part of the duty of the said batlin
to report to him violations of the gam
ing house law, or to furnish evidence to
support an indictment Further that 1t
is the duty of the grand jury to hunt up
these cases. procure witnesses, and initi-
ate Proceedings. by senSirg to the solicit
ter general such Information as may be
necessary and to instruct him to draw
up bills of indictm mt ia conformity there
with. Further that the officers provided
under the law for such use by the grand
jury, are The sheriff and his deputies. He
further stated that it was well known
that in Savannah, Thunderbolt and other
places in the county, barrooms and clubs
were selling liquor on Sunday, in viola
ton of the law, and that ii WAS the duty
Of the grand july to hunt up these cases,
and procure witnesses for the conviction.
of all such offenders. These statements
were made by the solicitor general in his
capacity as legal adviser of the grand
jury. In conformity with this advice the
grand jury has used every effcrt TO OBJ
tain evidence to bring to trial the keep
ers of gaming houses in this county, as
will appear by The true bills sent in to
your honorable court. and by the infor-
nation which we have prepared for the
next grand jury.
las this grand jury's srm of office ends
this week, it is impossible to take up the
Investigation into the bribery and corruD-
tlon, alleged to have been practiced at
the recent primary election. We recon-
mend TO the next grand jury, that they
make a thorough inquiry aid that If they
find the evidence proving the truth of
these rumors, they indict every one eth
er giving or receiving br.be. We appeal
TO the judge, and other officers of the
court, to do their utmost to convict and
after conviction, to mete out the extreme
penalty of the law to all guilty parties.
The permanence of our great republic de-
ponds upon the preservation of the purity
of the ballot and it is besides our duty
to this community, to bring home to the
bride giver. and the bTibe-taker, the real
tzaion of the Nervousness of this crime
and the certainty that punishment will
follow the commission thereof"
The pres sntments were read to the
court, after the grand jury had been an
hour in session, The uncertainty as to- the
exact hour when the presentments would
be read and the inability on the pare OF
the general public to forecast their in
teresting DETAILS had prevented any very
large attendance, and when Mr.. John NJ
Bryan, the clerk of the grand jury. be-
gan TO read, there were but few others
than the court officers present
The budget OF the county expenditures
Tor the fiscal year was returned with the
general presentments- 1t makes but one
change in that prepared and submitted
by the County Commi ssioners, an increase
in the appropriation for purposes Of public
education of $4,000. This Increase brings
the toial appropriation from the county
up TO $4,000, but still leaves it 5000 less
than the Board of Education thought
would be necessary. With this exception
the budget is identical with that the Coun-
" Commissioners formulated. Its present
total is S239, $50.
n Ia to