The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-13
WANTED TO SERVE
FOR GRANDSON
ASKED GOVERNMENT LAWYER
no LET HER SERVE TIME RATHER
THAN THAT SMALL BOY
SHOULD.

Called Attention to the Fact That
George Davidson, CoIOred, Had
Neither Father Nor Mother
Begged TO BE Allowed to Pay the
Penalty of His Alleged Crime
PitifuI Plea of Old Negro Woman
Succeeded in Getting Her Grand
son Temporary Liberty.
"oh Lordy. Mister District Attor-
ney. don SEN him up. don SEN him
up. Jes' let me go. let me go. Ise
ready t. do the time. De good Lor'
knows Ise ready t do de time"
With these words the aged grand
mother of George Davidson, the IL
year old colored boy accused Of rob
bling the branch Office at Liberty and
Price streets pleaded with Special AS
slstant Attorney General William r.
Leaken for mercy, yesterday, In the
simple belief that all the law requir-
ed was that some one do service for
the ofrense that had been committed,
she asked that she be sent to the peni-
kentiary rather than the small boy who
had been entrusted to her care.
Without this unusual ending to the
case, little interest would have at
tached to It. The witnesses for the
government were positive in their
statements and the chain of circum-
stantial evidence gradually threw net
around both of the defendants that
they were unable to throw of. Con-
viction seems certain and no course
was open TO the commissioner other
than that of binding both defendants
over to the federal grand jury.
The defendants were Benjamin John
Robinson, a negro boy about 20 years
of age, and George Davidson, a negro
not more than IL years. Robinson was
a clerk in the drug store and branch
postoff1ce at Price and Liberty streets
and Davidson was an errand boy and
boot black, having his stand just out
side the store.
Clerk Eating Oysters.
The evidence brought out in the case
disclosed the fact that at II o'clock,
an hour when there was little bust
ness to occupy the attention of the
clerk of the branch office he and a
number of his friends assembled for
an oyster repast. How long this revel
continued the evidence did not state,
but 1t is at least certain that it lasted
until midnight
During the time this was going on.
Robinson is alleged to have been in
the vicinity of the safe, though there
was no direct evidence to prove that
he had tempered with the strong box.
Davidson claims he was in another
part of the store. and he never went
near the safe. where the money was
kept
On Sunday afternoon Robinson failed
70 appear for work. Shortly after 1t
was found there was about SIS miss
ing from the safe, the greater part of
1t in money orders. Robinson was at
once arrested and during the examina-
ton he stated Davidson had received
as much as he had from the proceeds
Grandmother Wants to Serve,
The above, and other evidence com
bined to make the case against the
boy a dark one and even his aged
grandmother, who has cared for him
since the death of his parents, saw he
was certain to be held for the federal
grand jury. She could restrain her
feelings no longer and began begging
70 pc allowed TO serve the time instead
Of the boy.
Please let me go to Jail and turn
him loose" she begged. "Oh I,ordv
Mister District Attorney, don sem him
up, don SEN him up. Jes' let me 60.
ges let me go. Use ready t do the time.
De good Lor' knows Use ready t do
tne time. Please let him go, Mister
attorney. He's done los his NANNY
an. his daddy and he sure not guilty"
Over and over the plea was entered
and at last the governments officer
agreed to let the old woman, who owns
some property, go on the boys bond
IN the sum of 5000. When this was
furnished he was set free, though he
must face the federal grand Jury dur
Ing the latter part of this month. Rob
inson was turned over to the Chatham
county jailor to await the action Of
the United States grand Jury in his
case.