The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-11
LIFE SENTENCE
FOR CAR-WRECKER
FULL LIMIT OF THE LAW
IMPOSED BY JUDGE CAM on Ne
GRO. NICK MCINTOSH.

Court Characterized the Crime as
the Most DastardIy That Had Ever
Come Before Him for TriaI-Iives
of Women and Children Endan-
Eered without Cause-McIntosb
characterized as a Vicious and
Turbulent Criminal With no Re-
gard for Rights of Others-The
Limit of the Law a Fitting Pun
ishment.
For attempting to wreck a Thunder
bolt car Nick Mcintosh, colored. must
spend the remainder Of his life at hard
labor in the penitentiary. This was
the sentence imposed by Judge Cam in
the Superior Court yesterday morning,
after referring to the crime as one
of the most dastardly that had ever
been tried before him.
The evidence against the accused
was purely circumstantial, yet step by
step the prosecution built up it's case
until there existed little doubt of the
guilt of the negro. Motive and all the
other elements necessary to convict
were brought out by Assistant Solicit
tor General Charlton.
1t was shown that the negro had
been put off the car near the trestle
at Bonaventure Cemetery because of
disorderly conduct, and that as he left
he made vague threats about getting
even with the conductor and the wom-
an with whom he had had a quarrel.
Little attention was paid to the threat,
the motorman and conductor looking
upon it as merely the boast of the
negro.
on the return trip the car struck a
board that had been nailed upright be-
tween the cross ties of the trestle. Only
the fact that the obstruction was of
decayed wood saved the car from be-
ing pitched from the trestle, filled as it
was with women and children. FOrtu-
nately, the piece of wood broke and a
fatal accident was thus avoided.
All of these features were brought
out at the trial. the desire for revenge
given as a motive; the proximity to
the scene of the crime of the defend
ant, and other smaller details. In his
own behalf the negro could make no
better statement than a general denial
and failed altogether to establish his
Whereab bouts.
Plain Talk by the Court.
In passing sentence Judge Cam heav-
lily scored the prisoner and his crime
and then imposed the heaviest sem
tence known to the law with the ex-
ception of the death penalty. In pro-
nouncing sentence Judge Cam said:
The jury has returned a, verdict of
guilty against you. The evidence
brought out at the trial shows that you
made a causeless attempt to wreck
a trolley car, an attempt for which
you could have had no reason what
ever. The car had as its passengers
the sake of avenging an imagined
grievance against the conductor you put
all their lives in danger. The crime
is the most dastardly that has come
to the attention of this court.
You placed a number of innocent
lives in danger because of your ut
ter disregard for the rights of other
people, the rights not only of the white
people, but of the people of your own
race. Such characters as you have
no business in a civilized community.
A Vicious, Turbulent Character.
The court has evidence that only
two years ago you were sent TO the
chaingang for one year for using OPP
probrious language on a street car in
the presence of ladies'. You appear
TO be a turbulent, vicious criminal,
with no regard for the rights of others
You and your class must understand
that patrons of the street cars have
the right to ride unmolested and with
out annoyance from such characters.
Under the law the penalty for your
crime is life Imprisonment save in
cases where the jury recommends you
to mercy or to light punishment. In
such cases it is from five to ten years
in the penitentiary. In a case made
out by circumstantial evidence alone,
the presiding judge may, in his dis
erection, limit the punishment to be-
tween five and ten years.
Imposed Limit of the Law.
I'm your case the jury has not
seen fit to recommend you to mercy.
In the vast majority of cases the YER
diets of juries are but reflections of
the public sentiment of the communi-
ties for which they act. Though the
case against you is one of purely cir
cumstantial evidence, the court will
abide by the verdict of the jury, and
has no inclination to tighten your pun
ishment
Such characters as you should not
De alloWed 10 remain IN any commune
~. The sentence of the court is that
YOU be taken to the penitentiary and
there confined at hard labor for the
term of your natural life"
The prisoner did not appear to be
impressed with the heavy sentence. He
merely bowed slightly to the Judge and
then turned and left the court room,
under guard of deputy sheriff.
The general sentiment, expressed by
those in the court room and by citizens
generally who heard last night of the
case, was that the sentence was richly
deserved. Only commentator was