The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-11
DAY OF MISTRIALS
THREE JURIEs FAILED TO AGREE:
IN CITY COURT.
WINN, HODGES AND FRASER.
FAMILY FEUD WAS AIRED IN THE
WYNN CASE.


for Striking Him and His Wife.
Trouble Grew Out of Use of Bath
ROOm-JOhn A. hodges Tried for
Cheating and Swindling-FeliX
Fraser, Negro Lad, Was Tried for
the Theft of Sundry Authorizations
pey Smith Fined $40 for Theft of
Morning News-Had Been in Jail
for Five Weeks-Other Cases Set
for Trial Were Not Reached.
Three jury trials occupied the City
Court yesterday. The trials required
the attendance of jurors. counsel.
judge and witnesses, and an expendi-
ture of about 500 by the county. with
the result that three mistrials were
declared.
All three of the trials We're for GRIM
inaI offenses, and two of the three
prisoners were white men. The evil
dence was conflicting and the juries
were not able to decide certain ques-
tons of fact.
In the most interesting of the three
cases a family feud was aired. This
was the trial of Policeman w. S. VIM
upon two charges of assault and bat
terry in both of which J. c. Cope was
the prosecutor. The quarrel between
the two was purely a family affair.
The evidence showed that the families
Of the two men occupied the same
house. The right to the use of the bath
room was what precipitated the trou-
day and found that the other had
nailed the room up. To get even with
him the other nailed up gate on the
premises.
The chickering's between the families
eliminated in a quarrel, in which VIM
says that Cope insulted him. Winn
struck his adversary and knocked him
down. Mrs. Cope came up at that time
and entered her complaint at the way
in which her husband had been treat
ed. whereupon, she said, she was
struck by Winn. The jury. after being
out several hours agreed to disagree,
and a mistrial was declared. Both men
are out under bond. Mr.. Walter Hart
ridge represented Cope, and Mr.. r. L.
Colding. Winn
John A. Hodges, Jr., a young white
man, was tried on the charge of cheat
ing and swindling, the particular Of
Tense being that he represented certain
furniture to be his own. when as a
matter of fact 1t was not his. and
thereby fraudulently obtained SOL from
Floyd & Co. s. II. Zoucks. agent Tor
the company, was the prosecutor The
jury differed as to whether the prison
er was guilty of fraudulent intent, and
no verdict being reached in the course
of several hours elaboration it reported
to the court that it was not likely ever
to agree, and was discharged from fur
Their consideration of the case.
Felix Fraser was tried for larceny
from the house. The case against the
little negro is familiar to readers of
the Morning News. When arrested he
had in his trunk a varied assortment
of articles. ranging in size from a
pocket knife to a bicycle, and in value
from a photograph, with set of rec
ords, to cigarette papers. Two new
suits of clothes still tagged, an out
ing shirt a pistol, several knives and
many other articles of value were
among the things discovered. Fraser
was in the employ of Mr.. G.. w. Lee.
who had latterly had $50 stolen from
him. 1t was thought that the boy had
stolen the money and with it had
bought the articles which were found
in his possession. Some or the jury
thought that the evidence clearly es-
tablished the fact, while others, be-
lieving the negro thought that there
was a reasonable doubt as to his guilt.
And so no decision was forthcoming
There were several other cases set
for hearing before the jury, but these
were not reached. The only other bus
mess transacted by the court was the
Pompey Smith case. The defendant
a negro about 10 years old had de-
manded a jury trial, but decided al
the last minute to plead guilty. The
offense for which he was held was the
theft of a Morning News. The theft
occurred five weeks ago and Pompey
has been in Jail ever since. He was
given a light fine of $40. the court
thinking that in view of his prior in
generation the ends of justice would
be subserved as well by a light fine as
by a heavy one. The prisoner paid the
fine and was released.