The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-07
JURORS AND GAMES
"JoHN DOE" SUBPOENAs MADE
THINGS LIVELY AROUND THE
COURT HOUSE.
TEN INDICTMENTS RETURNED.
TWO WE'RE FOR SUNDAY LIQUOR
SELLING.


Charged With GambIing-Groves
and GiIdea Indicted for Sunday III
quor Selling Many Witnesses
Were Summoned and Business of
Good Government League Was Not
Finished-SeveraI on the Waiting
List-Mr. }. s. Collins Had Been
Summoned rs a Witness Against
"Doe"-He Did Not Know of a
Game and Did Not Go Before Jury.
There was an unusual interest yes
terday in the proceedings of the Su-
perior Court grand jury. John Doe"
was the principal offender, against
whom a score >or more of witnesses
were summoned to testify.
Mr.. Jacob S. Collins, candidate for
ordinary, was one of the witnesses.
His subpoena was issued at the in
stance of the Good Government League
and Mr.. Collins was supposed to testi-
fly as to a certain gambling game al
legged to have been in operation in a
Barnard street hotel.
In the grand jury room
the defendant, John Doe" changed
ed with the usual lightning like rapid
ity to somebody else. On the inside was
w. C. Groves, but Mr.. Collins did not
get that far. He answered the sub
poena, and was in the witness room,
but he did not testify. He notified At
tcrney Wilson for the League that
some mistake had evidently been made.
He had not been in any gambling room
and knew nothing of a room operated
by Groves for gaming purposes. This
statement made by Mr.. Collins to coun-
sci was sufficient, and he was not pres
ent before the grand jury. Mr.. Collins
was not at the Court House many min
utes, but the fact that he had been call
ed as a witness by the Good Govern
ment League soon became street talk.
The witness room looked like a re-
cruiting station during the Spanish
American war. There were all sorts
and conditions of people there. The
greater number of them had been sum-
moned by the League and were intend
ed as witnesses in gambling and liquor
cases. Not one half of them testified
and ten indictments were returned
against saloon men charged with doing
Sunday business, and sports charged
with bucking the tiger. The sporting
only two saloonkeepers were indicted.
They are w. c. Groves, who is
also indicted for keeping and main
tanning gaming house, and Neil Gill
dea. There are other saloon men on
the waiting list who Will receive the
attention of the grand jury at it's next
session, which will probably be Tues
day. 1t is said that the proprietors of
some of the West Side bars are on
the anxious bench, and some of the
witnesses who were not used yesterday
are from that quarter of the city.
Those indicted for gambling are Jim
Mehrtens, Slaughter Wallace, T. A
Dean. Jim Doss, w c. Groves, Bernard
Joyce and Simon Sternberg. Bench
warrants for all of those nam
ed in the special indictments
were signed by Judge Falligant and
placed in the hands of deputy sheriffs
for service. The court officers were
unusually mum about the indictments
and refused to give out any informa-
ton. 1t is not known what bond will
be required, and not even the names
of those indicted could be secured from
the sheriff's office. The officers were
particularly anxious to make the ar
rests at once.
At l o'clock this morning not an ar
rest had been reported at the county
each arrest was made, but the deputies
had been painfully silent up to an
early hour this morning. 1t is prob
able that some of the sports had, be-
gun to get suspicious and cashed in
their checks before the deputies start
ed on their still hunt. Others certain
ly remained in the city. One of the
men indicted stated during the day
that he had some time since passed
the game up, and that the meeting of
the grand jury in the afternoon was
of no concern to him. He was one of
the first balls that rolled out of the
wheel, and will probably be greatly sur
prised when touched on the shoulder
by an officer and told what has hap
pened.
The sporting fraternity, as a rule,
does not get in circulation thoroughly
until the early morning hours. The
officers will get in their work with
their bench warrants, if the birds have
not flown. at that time. That those
who have dealt in chips are stirred up,
there can be no doubt, and to them
and others, the finish appears to be in
sight. Apparently it is not the inten-
ton of the league to let up one whit,
and as long as game is in progress
the spies will keep active. AS far as
is known the paraphernalia of the
sports is still in the places formerly
used as public rooms, and no attempt
has been made to dispose of it. 1t
may be that bag and baggage the
members of the fraternity will seek
pastures new before the winter
months. Not all of them by any means
are in a position to take up an occupa-
ton that is recognized and regarded
as legitimate.