The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-06
PAINFUL IGNORANCE
DISPLAYED ny CANDIDATES OF
ELECTION DAY CORRUPTION.
FOUR BEFORE GRAND JURY
SCREvEN. McALPIN, THOMSON AND
WELLS ALL WERE WITNESSES.


PoIIs-SOme of the Candidates
Heard of Headquarters. But visit
ed Them NOt-Mr. Thomson Carried
His Under His Hat-Capt. McAIpin
Did Not Consider Amount of His
Campaign Expenses Any of the
Jury's Business, Hut Came Around
when Urged.
The grand jury had the four candi-
dates for office at the last special cleo
ton, one of the lieutenants of one of the
candidates and a justice of the peace
before 1t as witnesses yesterday after
noon.
Mai. Thomas Screven and Capt. Henry
McAlpin candidates for ordinary, Mr.
Thomas F. Thomson and Mr.. David
Wells, candidates for tax collector. Mr.
j. l. Killorin, one of Capt. McAlpin's
most active and ardent supporters and
partizans, and Magistrate j. r. Saussy,
Jr., were the witnesses whom the grand
jury Intercepted. in its quest for infor-
NATION on the subject Of political cor
ruption at the special election.
The stray bits Of information that
of the grand jury room do not indicate
that any massive store of new informa-
tion was accumulated, but something,
certainly, was learned, and the grand
jury, confident in the belief that it was
on the track of its prey and that its hunt
was to be crowned with eventual success,
faced the world, after the session was
f,,Jr
Maj. Screven was the first witness on
the list and the first called Foreman
Sheldon started the ball rolling by ask
ing the new ordinary how much he con-
trbuted to the campaign fund for his
election. and Maj Screven answered the
question frankly.
He told the grand jury. always in an
swer to questions. that he had not bought
any votes and had no definite informa-
ton how the money he had furnished
had been expended. In a vague and gen.
eral way he understood that it had gone
for campaign expenses. Possibly Maj.
Screven meant though he did not say
So that it had been used to employ men
to perform that service known already to
the grand jury as work about the polls
The equivalent of this is Influence" As
William Logan, one of the negro witness
es the grand jury examined at a previous
session explained, the market value of
mans influence depends upon the num-
Der of votes he controls, he who is able
to control only his own vote being nat
urally of less value than his more for
tunate brother. who controls four or five.
Maj. Screven had also understood,
vaguely, that there was such a thing
as headquarters for his Campaign Com
mittee. but he said he had never been in
side them and knew nothing of what hap
pened there.
When Mr.. Wells, who was Maj. Screw
ems ostensible running mate on what was
called the Citizens Club or administration
ticket, was called into the jury room, the
grand jurors took a slightly different
tack Mr.. Wells said he had seen no
votes bought, either with liquor or money,
on the day of election. He had not seen
any liquor bought, either.
One grand juror wanted to know If the
witness had seen the inside of his cleo
tion day headquarters.
NO" said Mr.. Wells. There was a
place pointed out 10 me as the headquar-
tiers, but when l saw it there were so
many men packed against the door that
one couldn't get within twenty feet of
it," Here the Interrogation of this wit
ness ended.
how much he had contributed to the cam
paign fund, and to whom he had given
it. This omission seemed really to dis
appoint him.
Il wish they had asked me-" he said
after he left the jury room. Il would
have told them and 1 would have told
them TO whom l gave it, too. I'd like to
know what became of that money myself"
Mr.. Thomson, next interrogated, said
fhaf ba had seen NOT hing M anV head
quarters around the polls on election day
His own, he informed the grand jury,
were under his hat.
About this time the grand jury wanted
TO hear from Capt McAlpin. He, how
ever, had taken the mineral that indi-
Gated the day of the month on his sub
poena to indicate the hour of the day
and was waiting for o'clock to arrive,
instead of making his appearance at A.
A deputy was sent out to find him. who,
explaining to Capt. McAlpin the mistake
of fact under which he labored. secured
his ready and prompt attendance before
the grand jury.
For a moment or two after Capt. Nc
Alpin's appearance in the grand jury
room the members of that body spared
for wind and played for an opening.
After they had exhausted their
store of preliminary questions and
found out that Capt. McAlpin had not
bought any votes or seen any bought or
sold, or seen any drinks bought or sold,
they wanted to know how much the cleo
ton had cost him This question, and
this Capt. McAlpin seemed to consider
1.-THE most unkindest cut Of ALL" was ask
ed by Alderman James NJ. Dixon.
with all due respect to the grand
jury" said Capt. McAlpin, II don't con-
slider that any of their business
Grand Juror Dixon was outraged. So
were some of the other members Of the
grand jury and Solicitor General Osborne
was hurriedy summoned. Asked for an
official opinion on the subject, he said
that Capt. McAlpin could only refuse to
answer such a question on the ground
that It would incrimnate him. As the
witness at once repudiated any desire TO
refuse to answer on this ground. he told;
reluctantly, II must be confesesd-but, he
told.
Just what he told nobody, but himself
and the grand jurymen, know, and they
won't tell. Mr. Dixon's estimate, based
on what purport TO be exact figures, is
s1S,2 200 but Il is understood that Capt.
McAlpin did not own up TO quite so much.
His answer 90 the grand Jurors question,
however, did not place the amount OF his
campaign expenses at much less than this
estimate.
MIR. Joseph J. Killorn. who was prom
inently Identified with the McAlpin forces,
was asked questions similar 10 those put
20 the other witnesses lie admitted that
n.