The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-10-31
The Facts Of the Case.

To The Public.
The following clippings are from
the Columbia Journal and Maury
Democrat of this week:
Wednesday afternoon Of last week
an effort was made to have the grand
jury bring in indictments charging all
the saloon keepers In the county with
illegally doing business. and County
Court CLERK Luther Thomas for fail
ing to issue their license properly.
The grounds of the case were, that an
applicant for q license to sell liquor
must take an oath that he will not
permit gambling on his premises, and
that he will not sell liquor to minors.
The books of the County Court Clerk
show that every applicant for license
has signed this oath and given bond
for the observance of 1t in case he
himself was not deemed proper secur-
ity. It was claimed that inasmuch as
the clerk aid not require the applicant
to hold his right hand that no oath
was admin stored, and therefore no
license had been issued and that sa-
loon keepers were doing business lille.
gally. The Grand Jury failed to
bring in any indictments and five of
the members asked to DO relieved from
duty. This was done and the follow
ng substituted Messrs. F. J. Ewing,
J. P. Borwnlow, A. j. Nichols, d.
g. Helm and George Harlan.
The jury still refused to return any
indictments in these cases ana there
being no other business before it, it
was dismissed.
Clerk Thomas stated that neither
he nor his predecessors IN office had
required the applicant to hold up his
hand, deemlng that the signing Of the
oath and gling Of bond for its obser-
ance was sufficient. -Maury Democrat.
County Court Clerk Thomas exhibit
ted his records of licenses with the
required bonds of $500, in each case.
Ali dealers had singed this bond and
oath. When they signed this they
were all asked: ''Do you solemnly
swear to the above9" Without reading
the oath all ANNOUNCED 81 do. =
Clerk Thomas is of the opinion that
this constitutes an oath as much as
ANYTHING could be given. All the Ii
quor dealers except one acknowledged
that they had been sworn. Column ia
Journal.
The above IS not true stat ement OF
the facts. II Clerk Thomas had done as
he is credited in the above doing, why
did he 20 all around just few days
ago ana swear them all over again, and
take new bonos9
And why did he send his deputy
post haste to Mt. Pleasant to swear the
liouor dealers down there and take
bonds from them9
am reliably informe1 that this
took place in Clerk Thomas office
while the grand jury was In session !;
A saloon keeper applied for IL
cense. The clerk. or his deputy
told him to hold up his hand and be
sworn. The Liquor dealer was sur
prised, and asked why So; you
haven't been doing it," To whic h
the clerk answered, ''no, l know l
haven't; but naming another dealer
has been indicted and convicted or
gambling, and John Latta tried to in
dict him for perjury on his license.
and all that saved him was that had
not sworn him; ana Latta is making
a big kick about it, and will have to
swear you now. .
Why all this surprise and explana-
t,on if everything had been all regular
an d right before thatf
And further, il Clerk Thomas has
peen regular and right in the dis
~ his plain. sworn duty, and