The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-21
HIT THE COMMISSION
MILD SENSATION CREATED BY
GRAND JURY's PREsENTMENT.
AFTER JURY COMMISSIONERS.
COMMENTED ON STRIKING NAMES
FROM JURY LISTS.

Board Was n Reelection on the In
teIligcnce of the Men Whose
Names Had Been Taken out of
the Jury INSTRUMENTATION j.
$. Collins RepIy-snys That While
the Commission Was sworn to
Secrecy Ii Had Good and Sufficient
Reasons for It's ActiOns-Why Most
of the 80 Names Were Taken
From Grand Jury Box.
When the comment of the grand jury
on the action of the jury commission in
taking certain names from the jury
lists was made public yesterday, there
was a mild sensation at the Court
House, much discussion and some crit
icism. The reference of the jury to
the jury list is as follows
I'm the performance of its duty, this
jury has seen fit to inquire into the
jury list of this county. 1t has ap-
pointed a special committee to look
into this matter That committee has
made its report, which has been adopt
ed and is as follows:
I'm compliance with your instruc-
lions we have Investigated and learned
that the jury commissioners in a re-
cent revision of the jury list, have
seen proper to take out of the grand
jury box and thus disqualify from jury
service altogether a large number of
citizens who have been in the habit
of serving upon the grand jury.
THE law provides that all male
citizens of this state, above the age
tics or insane, who have resided in
the county for six 90 months and be-
long to the class designated as the
most experienced, intelligent and up
right persons are qualified and liable
| to serve as grand Jurors, unless ex-
| empted by law Our understanding is
that it is not in the power OF a jury
| commissioner to take name out Of a
box unless he is prepared to say that
| the citizen whose name is taken out
| is not qualified, under the law, for
| jury service. This claim will hardly
be made as to the citizens whose names
have been taken out"
List of Names Stricken OFF.
The following grand Jurors have
been stricken from the jury list al
! together: Messrs William H. Adams,
! Clarence G.. Anderson, George w. An
derson, James M. Barnard, r. A.
! Blandford, F. d. Bloodworth, John E.
Burgess, John ]. Carolan, Fred L..
Cooper, w. G. Cooper. Charles A. Cox.
Horace A. Crane, E. A. Cults, A S.
| Delannoy, Emil Eckstein, John M.
Egan, M. L. ExIey, Aaron Ferst, John
| w. Fretwell, Robert G. Gaillard, John
j. Gaudry, Beirne Gordon, w. E. Guer-
ard, r. n. Hancock. E. H. Hinton,
Daniel Hogan, John w. Hunter, F. S.
Jette, 7. F. Johnson, Lewis Kayton,
Henry Kolshorn, Mills B. Lane, j.
A. E. Moynelo, Lee Roy Myers, w. c.
McDonough. James McGrath, Andrew
McGreal, John j. O'Neill, Albert L.
Rees, Joseph Rosenheim, G. NJ. Ryals,
Clement Saussy, James r. Sheldon, w.
D. Simkins, A. A. Solomons, H. M.
Stoddard, James Sullivan, S. E. Theus,
II. N. Theus, c. II. Wilcox, w. l..
! Wilson, Thomas e. Youmans and John
r. Young. Other names have been
| taken out where the parties appear to
be exempt by law, and, for this reason,
they are not given.
Transferred to Petit Jury.
The following have been transferred
to the traverse jury list Messrs. Lee
G.. Armstrong. Oliver T. Bacon, John
d. Carswell C. "A. L. Cunningham, S
l.. Gerst, Christopher P. Gray, H. H.
Hull, r. NJ. Hull. Lawrence Kelly
John J. Kirby, William I. Miller p.
e Minis, w. C. Neidlinger, W. J.
Robider, Abraham F.. Smith, John w.
Smith and r. II. Tatem.
The presentment went on to say:
"Over 500 names have been taken out
of the traverse jury box. These citizens
are made no longer eligible to jury duty
and the public has been denied their
services as jurors. We suppose that
in most of these cases it will not be
| claimed that these citizens are not
qualified, under the law. to serve and
do not belong to the class known as
intelligent and upright.
I'VE feel it our duty to call atten-
ton to the action of the commission
ers, and to submit that it is not con-
templated by the law that they shall
| take any name out of the box unless
they know that he is exempt by law
or is not qualified. under the law, to
serve"
The jury commission is composed OF
w. S. Rockwell, chairman; j. s.
Collins, J. K. p. Carr. Max Lehwald
and Frank S. Van Giesen. Mr.. Rock
well, chairman of the commission, lives
at White Bluff. and could not be seen
last night.
MIR. Collins Comment.
Mr.. ]. S. Collins, another of the COM
missioners, who was seen in reference
to the presentment, said that the sug-
| gestion, that because a citizens name
was left out of the grand jury box
the Jury commissioners thought these
citizen not upright and intelligent, was
harsh, unnecessary and untrue.
Some of the names of the best citi-
zens in the community appear in the
list of fifty-seven in the presentment,
said Mr.. Collins. MANY of these are
my personal friends. All names omit
ted were omitted for good and suffi-
cient reasons. My oath of office re-
quires that l keep the deliberations OF
the jury commissioners secret, and for
that reason l am unable to properly
reply to these statements in the pre-
sentiment.
"a glance over the list will show
that four of the gentlemen omitted
were in the transportation department
of a railroad; four or five of them are
bank men, and very busy; the names
of four or five more are not to be
found on the tax digest one of them
is in the service of the United States
| government; at least six or seven
whose names appear in the list furnish
ed by the grand jury, are over age.
have no doubt that if twelve or
fifteen of the others We're Intercepted
by Mr.. Young he would find that pos
sibly some requests had been sent up
asking that their names be dropped.
| 1t will also be found that two or three
are physically unable to serve. 1t will
also be found that a number have
| served the county continuously for
/ nd toe.