The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-22
IN BAR OF THE PLANTERS.
GROVES ADMINISTERED HEATING
or WHICH PETIT COMPLAINED.

Row Happened at 4 O'Clock and
within Half an Hour Petit Was
Telling His story to the Grand In
quesf-Men Are Brothers-in-Law.
Trouble Began With References
by Groves to the Good Name of a
WOnan-GrOves Gave Petit Two
Black Eyes and Left Him with
other Marks of the Fray-other
Indictments Returned by Grand
Jury-Justice Not Nominated.
Yesterday afternoons session Of the
grand jury of the Superior Court was
enlivened by the testimony given by E.
V. Petit. against w. C. Groves. Upon
the testimony thus furnished the grand
jury indicted Groves for assault and
battery.
The offense was committed not much
more than half an hour before the in
dictment was returned The defendant is
the proprietor of the Planters Hotel, and
the man to whom he administered the
beating which actuated the grand Jury
in returning the indictment is his broth
er-in-law. The two men married sis
tiers.
The trouble began and ended in the
bar of the Planters. According to the
story told by Petit, Groves had been
making remarks about some young wo-
man, known to both of them, which ne
consirered offensive.
Il told him he was a - liar" said
Petit, but he kept on talking about this
lady. l told him he was a - liar, three
or four times, and after while he came
up to where l was, pulled me away from
the bar, struck me one blow in the neck,
that stunned me, and then began to beat
me at his pleasure. I was at his mercy
and could not defend myself"
In testimony to the truth Of this state
ment, Petit exhibited two black and bruis-
ed eyes and other Commissions on various
parts of his head and face. lie said that
his back had been Wrenched by the rough
manner in which Groves had clasped him,
and that he suffered much from the eff
fects of the bee ting which had been
given him, upon so little or no provoca-
ton.
AS soon as he felt wen enough to walk,
Petit carried the story of his wrongs to
the grand jury, which was then in ses-
sion, and told it all that had happened.
This resulted in the return of the indict-
ment for assault and battery, and the
arrest of Groves upon a bench warrant,
signed by Judge Falligant Groves gave
bond for his appearance before the Su-
perior Court.
John Hill, negro, was indicted for
mayhem. The indictment charges that
Hill bit off the left ear of L. B. Brown,
without any rhyme or reason. The ex-
traneous evidence is to the effect that
Hill had won the affections and stolen
the charms of Browns wife, and that
when the injured husband went to the
home of the man who had wronged him,
for the purpose of trying to induce his
wife to return to him and her duty, Hill
met him and started in on his ear. That
organ he chewed completely off, and
would have destroyed others, so it is
said, had not Brown awoke to his dan
ger, managed to get razor out of his
pocket and started in to do little carv-
ing on his own account
Jim Smith Stoddard, Henry Jones and
August Meicher were indicted for bur-
glary. These three young white boys
were indicted at a former session of the
grand jury, but it was found that the
indictment was defective, in that it al
legged incorrectly the name of the owner
of the premises which the boys had
broken and entered, and from which they
.ad stolen whisky. The first Indictment
was mol pressed, therefore, on yesterday,
and new one, in which the name of
the man whose liquor store had been en-
tered, j. Rosenthal, was correctly given,
was found and returned.
NJ. Cole was indicted for larceny from
the house. the indictment charging that
he stole $53 in money from the residence
of Cliff Shuman. Jack Wilson and A.
Gasperinich were indicted for selling to-
bacco and cigarette papers to a minor,
Hall Watson, a pupil of the public
schools The indictments fret found in
these cases alleged the sale of cigarettes,
which it was found the evidence would
rot sustain. Therefore the first indict-
ments were mol pressed and new ones
found
When the grand jury returned with its
presentments, Foreman f. A. Cults start
ed in to announce to the court the name
OF the man who had been selected to fill
the vacancy caused by the resignation Of
Mr.. c. D. Kline, notary public and ex-of-
ncio justice of the peace for the Third
district He read a letter from Mr.. Kline,
in which that officer stated that he had
forwarded his resignation and requested
that his successor be named as soon as
possible, so that he might turn over to
him the books and accounts of the Of
fee
Mr.. Cults stated that the grand jury
had complied with this request and had
Hdmeu MT hnneS successor ana started
IN to announce the nomination to the
court. He was interrupted by the solicitor
general
II your honor please" said Mr. Os-
oofne, there is no use in the grand jury
making any nomination now as no APP
polntment can be made until the Cover
nor has accepted the resignation of Mr..
Kline. The grand jury had better defer
me nomination until its next meeting"
Judge Falligant said that he could not
make the appointment until he had been
advised OF the action of the Governor.
ana that, therefore, IL might be as we'll
lor the grand jury to defer its report and
recommendation until abe next meeting,
10 be held next Friday.
This course was followed and the grand
Jurors would not say upon which of the
nan dozen applicants for the position their
oholce had fallen. 1t was said upon the
streets last night that Mr.. II. V. Hohen-
stem was the lucky candidate. with what
uesree Of truth could not be accurately
earned. 1t is true, however, II the ru-
NOR is true, that the grand jury has made
an excellent selection.
Gold Mine for the Vacationist Free
Well. summer time makes us think of