The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-30
GRAND JURY BOYCOTT
REV. A. vi. WILLIAMS SAYS
MERCHANTS HAVE BEEN
THREATENED BY GAMBLERS.
WARNED TO LET UP OR WOULD
FEEL THE EFFECT.


ing He Declared to BE Elements
of Anarchy-The Public Apathy,
the BOycotting of Jurors, Intimi-
datiOn of Witnesses and the PO-
IiticaI Obligations of Prosecuting
Attorneys He Said Operate to De-
These anarchists even apply the boy
colt to jurors. Walk down Broughton
street and find out how MANY men
have felt it. Why, the honorable fra
ternity has already sent word to some
of the members of the present grand
jury that they had better let up or
their business would feel the effect of
it," said Rev. A. M Williams in speak
ing of the gambling evil in his sermon
last night on Elements of Anarchy
in Savannah
Despite the inclement weather
large congregation heard the sermon.
In speaking of the various elements of
anarchy which combine against the
present agitation, Mr.. Williams said
that the grand jury gag is the most
sensational preaching and preachers
seeking notoriety tx frequently advanc-
ed. In addition to these he declared
the other anarchistic elements operat-
ing against the administration of the
law are the apathy of the public, the
boycotting of the jurors, the intimi-
dation of witnesses, the political obli-
cations of prosecuting officers and the
suppression of the pulpit.
The anarchist, he said. has a way
of getting in his work on witnesses.
and he called upon the public to keep
it's eye on the cases which are the
outcome of the grand jurys investi-
cation last week.
Would you believe" he said, that
one of the famous nine, so eulogized
by our honorable court, was caught in
years gone in intimidating witnesses,
in bull-dozing them and threatening
them with lynching if they did not get
out of the way? Still he is an honora-
BILE man; so are they all-all honora-
BILE men Qf you let the judge tell
it,"
Charges to the Jury.
"A peculiar phenomena of the past
week is the amount of charging to the
grand jury. The judge seems to have
abandoned the rifle policy and brought
out the double-barrel charge. One bar
rel was charge to the jury, and the
other was a charge at me-" said Rev.
Mr.. Williams.
THE judge seemed anxious to get me
hnfnra fIo
why. The essential charge 1 made
was that policy gambling was very
prevalent. Concretely stated, one man
thought there were a thousand places
where policies could be bought. 1t
was only an emphatic way of stating
the general proposition, which l have
found no one to doubt
why all this about honor and truth?
All my man could swear was that from
his general observation in his business
tours around the city he believed there
were as many as 1000 policy shops here
AS to my own truth and honor, I will
not boast or protest. think l can say
with absolute confidence that 1 do not
believe there is a person in his right
mind or heart in Savannah who does
not know that l have both If any
one should come and tell me the con-
trary, l would not believe them. l
would think that they were either teas
ing me or trying to make me mad.
Now, l am so serene on this subject, l
am not going to get mad
Preacher and Jurors.
Rev. Mr.. Williams said that perhaps
the periodical talk about summoning
preacher before the grand jury was
but an effort to intimidate the pulpit
and get it afraid to speak out on
public evils. He said that while he
had nothing to say about himself he
had too much respect for his brother
clergymen to believe that they would
be hushed by any such policy" not
withstanding the awful danger of be-
ing tortured by a grand jury"
Rev. Mr.. Williams had something to
say for the first time about the So
licitor general. In this connection he
said
Another element tending to an
archy is the danger of entangling DO
litical alliances on the part of the
states prosecuting attorney. When
such officer is brought under political
obligations of any kind to the law
breaking element there is great dam
ger OF the law succumbing to the OBJ
legation. Look at the condition in
which the man is placed. On one side
the moral interests of society, the con-
stitution of the state, the violated
law, the oath of office; on the other
side is the support rendered in
the campaign, perhaps the large con-
tribution to the campaign fund. the
pressure of the faction profting by
such support. To which win the man
be loyal%'
A Friend of Savannah.
Rev. Mr.. Williams said that because
he had been forced to call attention
of the ugly condition of things in Sa-
vannah some people might think that
he was not true friend of the CITY
Far from that being the case" he
said. Il love Savannah as truly as,
any person In it." Its geniality. he
declared attractive and it's benevolence
near the top of the standard He said
that he had touched no person inten-
tionally in treating the subject. but
since his name had been used in at
least one public utterance. he would
have to depart from his rule.
Il want it distinctly understood that
l have no unl1ind feeling for the Judge
If there is man in Georgia enshrined
in my admiration it is this name. n
was my privilege to know the courtIv
parents of the judge. For three wears
the sweet voice of his sainted sister
rang out in hymns of praise in the
church to which we belonged. Three
or his brothers-able. true, and noble
We're my college mates. It would give
me the greatest pleasure to see new
lustre added to the honored name nv
a brilliant record of courage. fdelitv
and success in overcoming the fearful
forces OF evil that pervade our COM