The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-07
DEPUTY SHERIFF
WATCHING BAR
COUNTY CASHIER ON DUTY.
FURNISHED SURPRISE TO PATRONS
OF JOHN NPRAE'S SALOON.

Deputy MeIdrim the First TO Omciate
and He Was Succeeded by Deputy
Durham Bar Closed Promptly
Last Night at Observation-Disclosures in
saloon Petftioned Judge Cam 10
Dissolve Partnership and Name
Receiver to Wind Up the Business.
Though no dispensary law holds in
Georgia, patrons of John McRae's sa-
loon at No. 346 West Broad street,
found county officials in charge yes
terday.
Back of the bar was a dusky hustler
doing out the drinks. Near him stood
a deputy sheriff keeping a watchfuI eye
on the business and making change
when customers flashed more than the
price of their drink. At one end of the
bar sat Mr.. McRae-also watching-a
sort of ex-officio proprietor
The deputy sheriff to first go on duty
was Mr.. Meldrim. He served until aft
er nightfall as cashier and overseer,
and then Deputy Sheriff Durham took
his place. He served until midnight,
at which hour the bar promptly closed.
The habitues of the place were all
out last night, but there was little lev
ity going on in tn bar. Small groups
congregated about the room and dis
cussed the unusal scene and speculated
on what was doing. Many gulped
their drinks down hurriedly and then,
keeping a watchful eye on the deputy
sheriff ducked for other places.
The reason for the county assuming
charge is a falling out of the partners
and the preferring of charges by one
against the other. The silent partner
is Mr.. P. C. Buffkin and he it is who
makes charges against McRae. He
took the first step toward turning the
bar over to the sheriff by filing a petit
tion in the Superior Court asking that
the firm be dissolved, and that a re-
ceiver be appointed by Judge Cam to
wind up the business.
Buffkin's Charges.
In the petition Buffkin states
that some time ago he put certain
amount OF money in the business. aid
in McRae in refitting the place.
In order that he might help build up
the business, he claims, he gave it his
personal attention, and devoted much
time to it. According to his allegation
he was general lookout.
After the partnership had been in
existence for only a short time, Buff
kin alleges, McRae began drinking to
excess. His actions about the place
are claimed to have been intolerabIe
and the petitioner could not endure
the conditions which Were made by his
partner. he says.
He then, he alleges, asked McRae to
settle up the business and refund the
money which he had put in as partner.
This he claims his partner persistent
ly refused to do. His only remedy
then lay with the courts, and to them
he applied, praying that they dissolve
the firm and name a receiver to wind
UP the business
Charges Are Denied.
McRae denied the charges in
every particular. According to his
statement. the preferring of charges is
the method that Buffkin took to wind
UP a business which had not PANIED
out as well as he had anticipated.
HE went into the business expecting
to make considerable money" said Nc
Rae. Circumstances were such that
ii did not pan out as we'll as he an
ticipated, and he Immediately became
dissatisfied. AS a means of winding
up the business and getting back the
money that he had invested, he pre-
ferred the charges and asked for a re-
ceiver.
The charges are unfounded. You
may say that 1 deny them ALL"
No formal answer to the charges
has been filed as yet. 1t is expected,
however, that steps will be taken to
resist the appointment of a permanent
receiver and to arrange settlement
on some other basis.