The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-07
CAN GET EVIDENCE
j. n. SAUssY, JR., SAYS GRAND JURY
SHOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE.
He TELLS A SPICY TALE
OF POLITICAL CONDITIONS AS THEY
PREVAIL IN SAVANNAH.

Mr.. Saussy Is Taking the Grand Jury
Mt Its Word and Says He Thinks
He VIII Be Able to Give the De-
sired Information or Put the
Grand Jury in the Way of Getting
It-Either This or There Will Be
More Perjury in the Jury Room
Thnn Chatham County Has Known
for a Year.
Justice of the Peace ]. r. Saussy, Jr.,
is taking seriously the admonition of the
grand jury to him ito go forth and find"
evidence of corruption and political de-
bauchery at the last special election. Mr..
Saussy says he will do it.
In the grand jury room Friday after
noon Mr.. Saussy told of two warrants is
sued by him on the day of the November
election for congressman and presidential
electors. The warrants were against L.
M. Pleasant and ]. e. Whiteman, two
well-known colored politicians, and charg-
ed them with being concerned in the pur-
chase of votes.
After he left the grand jury room Mr..
Saussy sent these warrants to the fore
Sheldon, for his inspection, and that of
those of his colleagues who cared to see
them. Yesterday they came back to
him, with the added comment from Maj
Sheldon that there was no evidence
against the defendants upon which the
grand jury could act.
II issued those warrants" said MIR.
Saussy yesterday, "at the special and ur-
gent request of the solicitor general, on
the day of the November election. 1 ex
planned to him then that there were five
or six magistrates in the Court House,
acting as judges of election, who were
accustomed to issuing criminal warrants
and asked him TO make his request OF
them. I explained that though had been
a justice of the peace for some time, 1
had never issued criminal warrant for
anybody.
THE solicitor general insisted and l
issued the warrants and, 1 understand,
the men were arrested but this Is the
last 1 ever knew of anything being done.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Thomas J. Sweeny
told me that the men had given bond
for their appearance, and asked me TO
give him commitment for them. AS the
men had never been brought before me,
and had never been given or waived
preliminary hearing, I declined Mr..
Sweeny's request. He said he wanted to
keep his books straight, and make his
records complete.
"At the grand jury's request I turned
the warrants over to it's foreman and he
sent them back to me with the statement
that there was no evidence upon which to
found a presentment. All know is that
/ issued them at the instance of Mr.. Os-
b0rnp and at his urQent ra01pSf
Mr.. Saussy says there ought not to be
any difficulty in the grand jury securing
all the evidence of election corruption
that it needs. The one alternative, he
said, is that there would be more perjury
in the grand jury room in one afternoon
than there has been in all the courts in
Chatham county in a year.
1.-The grand jury" said Mr.. Saussy, as
not restricted in making it's investiga-
lions to the quality and kinds of evidence
that are admissible before a trial jury. a
witness before a grand jury can be re-
quired to tell what he has heard as well
as what he has seen with his own eyes,
and / am almost prepared to swear that
within its own ranks the grand jury could
get evidence enough to make some par
ties exceedingly uncomfortable
Let the grand jury call before 1t those
who play the game of politics in Chatham
county and let them ask these gentlemen
what they know of the buying and SELL
ing of votes. Let those interxpgated an
swer, without any mental reservation or
any quibbling, about influence and get
ting men to work around the polls and
am willing to promise the grand jury
that it will have evidence enough.
Il think 1 can get the evidence for
| them myself" Mr.. Saussy continued, cor
put them in the way of getting it, and 1
shall be glad to answer to subpoena for
my appearance at the grand jury's next
session. If they are in earnest about
| this matter, the needed evidence is at
| hand If it is not secured it is because
those who know the conditions have no
regard to the sanctity of an obligation
| and no respect for the truth.
! why, have seen man,
said Mr.. Saussy, "sit down
In my presence and fold ballots all day
| long. left the room of the managers to
| go to dinner and when the ballot box
was opened at night 1 found the ballots
l saw this man folding lying in the box,
six and eight wedged together. l had
carried away the key of the box and he
| could not open it, so that he had been
| obliged to shove them in through the slit
in the top
| Now l have just as much doubt that
that man stuffed that ballot box as 1
| have that 1 am standing on this spot at
this moment" Here Mr.. Saussy pound
ed on the floor with his cane And yet"
he continued. there isn't law on the
statute books of Georgia by which he
can be punished. Stuffing ballot boxes,
at a general election, is not crime"
~s