The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-18
POLICE NOT TESTING
ABOUT ORDINANCE
Smart Negro Made Money When
.'Crossing Grass Plat" Ordinance
Was Passed.

"Crossing Grass Plat" Ordinance
Was Passed.
No arrests were made yesterday for
crossing grass plots and no cases were
docketed.
The superintendent is reasonably GER
tain, however, that there will be some
thing doing to-day. Those who vio-
lated the ordinance, and it was no
ticeable that there were some who did
were careful not to do so when any
of the police were in sight.
The orders given each relief during
the day showed that the city authorl-
ties are in earnest when they say that
cutting" through the squares must
stop. These orders from the Mayor
through the head of the police depart
ment. will be read to each relief prob
ably for several days, and the men
will be fully impressed with the fact
that they must make arrests. IL is
promised that the Recorder will see to
it that the offenders are given reason
to remember why they were arrigned
The activity of the police at this
time brings to mind the working OF
clever negro crook when the ordinance
was first passed. The negro, who is an
all-around thief and a particularly
smart one, is now serving sentence
on the changing, hut he was never
arrested for the many tricks he turned
with the assistance of the crossing
the grass ordinance. No reports OF
his operations were ever made at po-
lice headquarters, and the story came
through his counsel, to whom he made
several voluntary confessions.
Immediately after the passage of the
ordinance signs were painted and
placed in the squares, so that all who
walked might read. These signs, and
not a few of them are still to be seen,
warned those who offended that fine
of $25 would be imposed for single
walk on the grass.
1t was the season of excursions and
the rural visitors were wont to look at
the tree tops and second-story Win
dows, rather than at such a plebian
thing as grass, something that they
had in abundance at home. This was
where the black swindler got in his
double cross"
He provided himself with a tin
badge, issued by some fake detective
agency for a small consideration, and
calmly waited in the squares for suck
ers. The head-in-the-air visitor would
not get very far on the grass before
he would have his attention called to
the warning IN DOlQ Dlack letters. Inc
pseudo officer would express all man
ner of regrets at having to arrest a
stranger, and particularly white man,
but he would declare that his duty
must be done.
He explained that the city fathers
had found it impossible to catch Of
tenders with uniformed men and that
for this reason he had been employed
to do the work. Invariably Mr.. Tank
| Town would start out for the police
station house with visions of a term
on the changing, while the grass kill
ed his crops. In nearly every case he
would express a willingness to pay
from 81 to IS for his release, that is
for the trouble he had put the sup
posed officer to, and this would end the
case.
According to the negro himself he
made quite a neat sum in this way on
| excursion days. But the ordinance be-
gan to be violated so generally and the
regulars" became so Indifferent, that
the negro was forced to do more
hazardous work, which finally resulted
in his conviction. Inasmuch as he is
now sojourning on the county works
the police have no fear that any false
arrests will be made.