The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-02
GAMBLERS Played
JUDGE BARROW DECLARES $50
CIAL GAMES" WORSE THAN THOSE
"IN DIRTY DIVES DOWN TOWN"
SAYS CRIME OF MURDER FINDS
TOO MUCH A HOME.

Judge BarrOw's Caustic Remarks to
the Grand Jury Concerning Exist
ing EviIs-DecIared 1t Is for the
Grand Jury to Act-Defined the PO-
sitiOn of Court in the Matter-COm-
| mended the Action of Former
| Grand Jury in Appointing Experts
to AuditNCOunty's BOOks-Said the
Custom Exists in other Counties.
| Brought the Beef Trust Again 10
the Attention of the Grand Jury.
| Judge Barrow, in his charge to the
| grand jury of the Superior Court at
the converting of the December term
yesterday, gave expression to some de-
cided views on the question of gam
bling. He called attention to two diff
ferent phases of the evil, and declared
that between the social game where
money is bet and the game that is car
ried on in the dirty dives down town."
he considered the former the worse.
After reading the sections of the code
on gambling, Judge Barrow said: I'm
this connection your attention is called
to the fact that in order to constitute
the crime of gambling, it is not nee
essary that the betting or playing for
money should be done in a gambling
house or in a gambling room. 1t is
crime in this state to bet at a game
in any place within the state. If half
dozen gentlemen get together in the
parlor of one of their houses and go
into what is called social game" of
poker and bet money on it, they are
guilty of crime.
ut does not make any difference how
much velvet and mahogany there may
be in the surroundings, nor how high
the social position of the parties may
be, it is my duty to tell you, and I
do tell you, that they are violators of
the law. In some respects it is worse,
this form of gambling, than that car
ried on in the dirty dives down town,
because the example which such men
set to the rising generation is more apt
to contaminate than that of the trash
who generally frequent keno rooms.
The Courts Position.
"I want to repeat to you what have
said already to one or two grand jul
ries, not only in this county, but in
other counties and that is that you
ought to be mindful Of the fact that no
one can do anything towards the pun
ishment of the offender and violator of
law unless you move. The solicitor
general is nothing in the world but an
instrument in the eye of the law to
carry out the will of the grand jury
as manifested by bills of Indictment or
special presentments.
The petit jury cannot take hold of
it until you act. l am powerless to
act unless you move-just as powerless
as one of those gentlemen sitting out
there. There is no way known to the
law of bringing a felon into court and
Furnishing him in this state unless he
Is indicted by the grand jury Prima-
rily, therefore, the responsibility for
investigating and furnishing those who
commit crime rests with the grand
| jury. 1t lies at the door of the grand
jury to institute the prosecution.
Too Much Murder
THE crime of murder seems to find
home in Chatham county. If a man
wants to kill another he waits until he
gets him into this county and then he
knocks him in the head or shoots him."
These were Judge Barrow's words to
the grand jury. 81 don't think that
there are any two opinions about the
fact that crimes of all sorts in this
community are, to say the least of 1t,
not on the decrease"
In this connection the court referred
to the killing of Mr.. Baker in Colonial
Cemetery, in which matter no more,
he said, was done than if a stray hound
had been shot, despite the fact that the
murder was an audacious one, COM
mitted in the heart of the city, at an
early hour in the evening. There was,
he said, no investigation of the mat
ter. and no indictment found.
1.-THE last grand jury, the grand jury
for the June term, said Judge Barrow,
appointed two citizens of the county
business men and expert accountants
to inspect and examine the books OF
the various officers of the county. They
were Messrs. Gaudry and Tyson. am
told they-have made their report, and
they will hand it to the foreman. The
law allows the grand jury of one term
to appoint such experts and the experts
make their report to the next grand
jury. So their report will be handed
to you for your information. 1 am
happy to know, from what 1 have
heard, that the affairs of the county
are in excellent condition, and that
the books of the various officers are
in proper order; thus showing that
whatever else may have been done,
there has been an honest adminiStra-
ton of affairs in the county. That is
what l expected them to find.
An Existing Custom.
"The custom of employing experts
to examine the books of county Of
ficers prevails in many of the counties
of the state. 1t happens that / have
held court this fall in three or four
counties of the state outside of Chat
ham, and in these counties the grand
juries had selected one or two citi-
zens of the county-business men-to
inspect and examine the affairs OF the
county, whose reports were made to
the grand turieS at the terms when
i presided. This is similar to the law
governing the examination of banks,
both state and national, by expert ex-
aminers."
Anent the Beef Trust.
Judge Barrow again paid his respects
to the Beef Trust in charging the ju-
rors as to regrating, engrossing and
| forestalling. THAT MEANS" said the
court, buying up beef. bread stufTs,
cattle. ETC.. and controlling the prices
| thereof so as to make it hard on the
consumer. The last grand jury inves-
| tigated the subject. and while they
1 had every reason in the world to be-
| lieve that some of the packing houses
| in the West were guilty of this prac-
| tice. they had been unable. up to the
! time of the adjournment of the June
| term, to secure the necessary evidence
upon which to base indictments The
| combination called the Beef Trust"
| has assumed ereater prOportiopS of