The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-02
WILL Be BUSY TERM
JUNE SESSION OF SUPERIOR COURT
TO START WITH A RUSH.
JUDGE FALLIGANT'S CHARGE.
EXPECTED TO BE of EVEN MORE
THAN USUAL INTEREST.

of system of Filming Persons Con-
victed of Keeping Gambling
Houses, Expected 10 Draw N Spicy
Answer From Judge Falligant.
The Question Almost Certain to
BE Discussed-FOur Murder Cases
to Be Investigated by Grand Jury.
Civil and Divorce DOclxets VIII BE
Called.
Tho June term of the Superior Court of
Chatham county will convene tomorrow
morning at 10 o'clock, when the grand
jury for the term will be impanelled and
sworn, and Judge Falligant's charge will
be delivered. 1t is expected that the
charge will be of even more than usual
interest.
For this expectation there are two rea-
sons. The grand jury of the last term
of the court furnished the first one, when
it called attention to the increase in
amount and offensiveness of public gam
bling in this community, arraigned the
system of alternative sentences that had
been inflicted in the past as clearly i'm
potent either 10 suppress or decrease the
vice and strongly urged that in the fu-
ture persons convicted of keeping gam
bling houses should be sentenced to
terms of Imprisonment and not permit
ted the privilege of expiating their Of
lenses with a fine. 1t is likely that
Judge Falligant will have something to
say on this subject.
The law makes it his duty, indeed, to
charge each grand jury specifically in ref
erence to the laws designed for the sup
preston of gambling and this always
IL.
40 the grand jures of his court. 1t is not
likely that when he is talking of gambling
and the best methods of its suppression,
he will fail to say something of the grand
jury's presentments on the subject.
The second reason for the expectation
that Judge Falligant will have spicily in
teresting things to say springs from the
recent criticisms of Rev. Sam p. Jones.
Mr.. Jones, like the grand jury of the
March term of the court, seemed to be
impressed with the conviction that to fine
convicted gamblers served to encourage
rather than to suppress the vice, and
though he had many complimentary
things to say of Judge Falligant, he con-
demned the practice in good, round terms.
1t is regarded additionally likely,
therefore, that the court will have some
thing to say of the manner In which gam
bling is punished.
The names of the grand Jurors who have
been summoned 40 appear in court to-
morrow morning have already been print
ed in the Morning News. From the panel
of forty so drawn and summoned the
twenty-three who will constitute the grand
jury of the next term will be selected.
The others of the panel will be excused.
The grand jury will take up its work
of investigating crimes committed in this
county recently on the very day 1t con-
venes. The witnesses in four murder
cases have been summoned to appear be-
fore the grand inquest tomorrow and
other criminal cases are also to be inves-
tigated at its first session.
The most important of the murder cases
and that in which the public has taken
the greatest interest is that of w. H.
Johnson, the young white man who killed
his father-in-law, John II. Scott with a
knife, carving his unfortunate victim al
most literally 10 pieces. Johnson claims
that the homicide was committed in self
defense and after successfully effecting
his escape surrendered to the police two
days after the killing. The evidence, so
far as it has been yet adduced. does not
bear out the theory of self-defense, but
it certainly does show that there was
strong provocation for the killing in the
manner i'm which Scott, rendered bestial
in habits and character by long over-in-
diligence in liquor, had treated his wife
and daughter.
The grand jury will also investigate the
killing of William Newsome by Frank
Jones' alias Frank Pitts, that of Mat
thew johnson, by Elijah Shaw, and that
OF Joe Brazil, by Henry Johnson The
homicide last mentioned was committed
at Bloomingdale, fifteen mics from the
city. about two years ago, and johnson
claims to know nothing about 1t. The
two other killings were recent occur
rences, and in both cases the identity of
| the man under arrest with him who did
| the killing is admitted. The only ques-
tion for the grand and petit juries to
determine is the guilt or degree of guilt
of the defendants. Both homicides were
committed quite recently. both within the
city limits. and both were reported in
full la the Morning News at the times
of their occurrence. They are still fresh
| in the public mind.
| Witnesses have also been summoned to
| appear and give evidence against St. ].
r. Armand. the Central Railway clerk
who was recently arrested, at the inst!
| CATION of Frank s. Van Giesen, for
| larceny after trust. Mr.. Van Giesen. in
the affidavit upon which the warrant was
| based swore that Armand had collected
| and converted to bis own use something
| like sixty dollars in money, which be-
| louged to the prosecutor and in the col
lection of which Armand had acted as
| his agent.
The grand jury will investigate the
| charge of assault with intent to rape,
! preferred against Dan Williams. a negro.
by the father of the little white girl,
years Old. upon whom the alleged Grim
! inal assault was attempted.
Besides the work so mapped out for its
grand jury the Superior Court will trans
act other business. The civil docket will
| be called tomorrow morning for the as
| sgnment of cases. and divorce cases will
also be assigned for trial on set days
| during the term. 1t IS customary to try
a large number OF divorce cases on Tues
day, the day following the first Monday.
and this custom, It is likely. will be fol-
lowed. The divorce docket is full and
| there is enough of this business 20 keep
a jury busy for two or three days, even
when IL works at the rate of speed with
which such cases are disposed of in this
county,