The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-10
WHERE IS The RING?
PROSECUTOR INSISTS DEFENDANT
SWALLOWED 1T.
UNIQUE POINT is RAISED.
is THE UNUSUAL CASE ONE OF
BAILMENT OR THEFTs

After Hearing Evidence for Two
Hours in the Glover Case, Judge
Norwood Continued 1t to Give At
tOrneys Time to Solve a Unique
Point which Presented ItseIf-AI-
derman. Clerk of Council, Chief of
Police and Lieutenant of Police.
Detectives and Policeman, All
Testify.
That the ring is emblematic of
eternity seems to be borne out in the
trial of the case against Florence Glow
err. who is accused of stealing a
diamond ring from Arthur Johnson.
The trial of the cases which attracted
a great deal of attention in the Re-
corder's Court, was resumed yester-
day in the City Court before Judge
Norwood. After lasting two hours it
was continued, pending an nvestga-
ton into its legal aspect.
The question which Judge Norwood
his given the lawyers to solve is not
whether the swallowing of a diamond
ring constitutes theft. Such a prop
osition, though given some circulation,
is in itself absurd. The uncontradict-
ed testimony in the case is that Ar
thur Johnson gave his ring to Flor
ence Glover to look at; that the Glover
woman did not give it back that
when he attempted to take the ring
from her finger it disappeared. Wheth-
er she swallowed it. or it rolled down
! ,1Ia
other, is an open question.
The Real Question.
! The real question before the court,
| which STAYED the proceedings yester-
! day, and upon which the court has
! given the lawyers a week to ponder
is whether or not the case is one of
larceny or bailment. Judge Norwood
| said that in view of the evidence he
| thought the point a very pretty one.
And SO the case, already aired sew
| eral times in the courts, each time
| attracting more interest. has been con-
! tinued until next Friday.
The court room was crowded when
! the case was called yesterday AL
| derman Davant, who presided at the
! first hearing in the absence of Re
! corder Mvrick, Chief of Police Gar
! funkel, Clerk of Council Creamer De-
tectives Murphy, Wall, Bostwick, and
| Stark, Policeman Collins and several
other policemen, Lieutenant of Police
! Fleming, and numerous other wit
! nesses of prominence, were called upon
to give their version of the affair
Even these gentlemen differed among
! themselves as to the evidence hereto
| fore adduced.
The WOman's Side.
The woman made her statement. She
| 4 eI, y, n
/ or that she tried to swallow it. She
| offered no explanation of its disappear
! ance, and said she was as much in the
/ dark as to its wherea bouts as any
others in the court. blr
After considerable squa billing had
been INDUCED in. Judge Norwood stop
/ ped the hearing He read from a sec
! ton of the Criminal Code, which de-
! fined larceny as the wrongful and
| fraudulent taking and carrying away
| by any person of the goods of another
with intent to steal He said that since
the prosecutor had voluntarily given
the ring to the defendant there was
question whether the case was one of
bailment or of theft, as laid in the war
rant.
H. E. Wilson and ]. H. Kinkle, rep
resenting the parties at issue, agreed
with the court that the question was
unique one. They will spend while
delving into the mysteries OF the law,
with a view to solving it.
How 1t Occurred.
The case is already familiar to read
ers of the Morning News The row,
which resulted in the loss of the ring,
occurred in a saloon on West Broad
street The woman, the defendant in
the case, admired a ring which Arthur
johnson was wearing, and, at her in
stance he handed it to her. He was
called from the room. and when he
return he demanded it of her. She
refused to give it back, saying she
wished to wear it until the following
day A struggle ensued. Johnson
claims that the woman tried to swal-
low the ring. Some of the witnesses
say he testified at the first trial that
when he choked the woman to keep
her from swallowing it, he felt it going
down her throat.
The woman displayed the scars on
her throat to the court. No one has,
however, displayed the ring. john
son is firm in his belief that the woman
has it, and declares he will push the
prosecution as far as he can.