The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-09
NO INDICTMENT
BY GRAND JURY
OF THUNDERBoLT MANAGEME
FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE
SABBATH LAWS.

Evidence of Ministers Was Hearsay
and Not Considered by the Jury.
Rev. A. NJ. williams Sprung Sur
prise by Telling Foreman That He
Could Name a Grand Juror Who
'knew of His own Knowledge"
Wrote the Jurors Name on Slip
of Paper and Handed it In-Rev.
w. A. Nisbet Hints at Prear-
ranged PIan-Ministers Will Try
Again.
Because the only evidence adduced
by the ministers who went before the
Superior Court grand jury yesterday as
witnesses against the Thunderboit
management was hearsay, the grand
jury refused to return an indictment
against the Thunderbolt management
for violating the Sabbath.
The only two ministers who appeared
We're Rev. A. NJ. Williams of Trinity
Methodist Church and Rev. w. A. Mis-
bet of the Westminster Presbyterian.
The summons came as a great surprise
to DR.. Williams, who is not a member
of the Ministerial Association, which
has been conducting the crusade.
Despite this fact, DR.. Williams
sprang the feature of the hearing Oil
the grand jury. Foreman Wales ].
Watson asked him if he knew of his
own knowledge of any violations. He
replied that he did not, but that he
could give the name of a grand juror
fAybn did "a
him to write this name on a slip of
paper. DR.. Williams did So and hand
ed in the name.
Rev. w. A. Nisbet was unable to
state anything of his own knowledge,
though he handed in a list of names of
those who, he said, did, and stated
that they could all be reached and
brought before the grand jury within
an hour if it was desired. The jurors
declined, however, to bring in an in
dictment on hearsay evidence, and the
matter has been dropped for the pres
ent.
Hints at COncOcted Plans.
Rev. w. A. Nisbet, who has lead the
crusade, when informed later that the
grand jury had declined to return any
indictment of the Thunderbolt man
agement said, among other things:
Il did not much expect that they
would. l gave them a list of names
of those who knew of the violations of
their own knowledge and suggested
that they be called. My evidence they
barred because it was hearsay.
Il do not say that the whole matter
was, concocted plan and 1 do not, say
that it was not The grand jury in
formed me that this was their last
meeting and that the matter could not
be discussed further. While 1 do not
say that this is in accordance with a
prearranged plan, 1 do say that the
| grand jurors might have presumed
that we would not go to Thunderbolt
on Sunday and participate in these vio-
! lations, therefore they might have pre-
sumed that we would have had moth
ing of our own knowledge.
I'VE shall now present to the next
grand jury a list of those who do know
| this of their own knowledge. And we
| shall present it sufficiently early to
allow them to act upon it before their
last meeting.'.'
DR.. williams Statement.
When asked about the rumor that he
had presented the name of a grand
| juror as a witness, DIR. Williams smiled
| and said:
Eyes, that is true. When 1 stated
that there was a grand juror present
I
his own knowledge, Foreman Watson
| quickly handed me a slip of paper and
| said that 1 should write the name on
| that and hand it to him, and not call
| the jurors name. 1 did so, but could
not help wondering if Mr.. Watson ex-
pected me to call on him to give evil
dence. l handed in the name of Mr..
F. +. Jones.
"The summons to appear before the
| grand jury came as a surprise to me.
Had l known of it Saturday l should
certainly have gone to Thunderbolt
| last~Sunday afternoon, and taken a look
around at conditions. / did not expect
| a summons. as 1 have not been at
tending the meeting of the Ministerial
Association, but as l will do what
can always to help other ministers, l
did the best l could before the grand
jury yesterday"
Rev. D. S. Edenfeld and Rev. J. A.
Smith, the other. two members of the
Committee of Ministers. appointed to
look into the affairs, were absent from
| the city yesterday, and could not be
served with summons.
AS a matter of fact the meeting of
! the grand jury yesterday was not it's
last, as the general presentments have
not yet been made up, and a meeting
| will have to be called for this purpose.
DRINK WAS TRYING