The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-13
Y0IITHFUL GANG
FOUND GUILTY
oF HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
ORGANIZED SOCIETY" PROB
h NV TO EMULATE JAMES BOYS.

Oefcndants, All Negroes About
ye,rx of Age, Tried-Onc of
Them, After Being Sentenced to q
in the Penitentiary,
.,,,ed with other Prisoners and
IA lie Guessed He Would Have
,,,,i.l.ers when He Got Back.
vitb the trial of Elijah Wright,
Inv Johnson, and Albert Mordica.
~ coored. in the Superior Court yes
'.rasv morning there came to light
-, existence of society" whose
-.oh,bIe object is emulation of Frank
and Jesse James. The boy Johnson
oIso showed all the characteristics of
the hardened criminal.
The boys are all between IA and 10
,.oars of age. They were indicted on a
.harpe of robbery, the state claiming
.bsv had held up one James Robinson
aud taken from him the sum of 81,
after threatening him with a stick, a
knife and a revolver.
Johnson and Wright were tried to-
eerber and the trial had progressed
but few minutes, when it developed
that Johnson was the ring-leader. The
how Robinson told of having met the
members of the Society" and showed
them his money, a total of $1.02.
story of the HOId-Up.
He left them shortly afterwards, but
had progressed but d short distance
when he was attacked. Johnson held
pistol to his face and Wright a knife,
while Mordica went through his clothes
and took from him the 81. He graph
ically told of the hold-up and of the
business-like command of johnson to
Hold up your hands"
on the witness stand Johnson told
Of the Society" but volunteered little
or no information as to it's objects.
He partially admitted being in the
hod-up. though denied the essential
parts of the story. Wright claimed
absolute innocence.
Not Impressed by Trouble.
During the time the jury was MAX
ing up it's verdict Johnson sat in the
sheriff's Office with the other prisoners
and laughed and joked about the case.
He did not seem to be at all impressed
and when the jury's verdict of guilty
was read, he looked up into the gall
leres and laughed.
The jurys verdict found him guilty
Of robbery by force and violence"
and Wright guilty of robbery by in
timidatiOn." In pronouncing sentence
Judge Cam called the attention of the
negroes in the gallery to the increase of
robbery among their race and stated
that this court is going to break that
practice up
was Given SIX Years.
He then lectured Johnson severely
and sentenced him to six years in the
penitentiary, stating he made the SEN
tence heavy as the prisoner did not
seem all impressed with his offense.
Wright got off with twelve months on
the chaingang. Later Johnson's SEN
tence was reduced to four years.
Johnson walked from the court room
with an air of bravado and careless
ness, though Wright seemed to be deep
ly affected. AS Johnson turned to
leave the other prisoners hand-cuffed
in the sheriffs office, he rubbed his
hand over his face, laughed lightly and
said: Il guess when sees yo' all agen,
Use done goin' t have whiskers."
MOrdicn's Strange Actions.
Just before court adjourned for the
morning session, the boy Mordica was
brought into the room for sentence,
When Judge Cam asked him why he
had taken the money, to the aston
ishment of every one he replied: Il
didn't take it. My lawyer done tole me
| plead guilty an 1 do" Judge Cam
at once turned to the boys attorney,
Mr.. George Hayward, and instructed
him to try the case.
When the case was called Mordca
mad changed his mind. He faced the
court and delivered an eloquent plea
Tor mercy. He promised vehemently
never to do anything bad again if the
court would let him off lightly, and
then he admitted having had a hand
IN the robbery.
Judge Cam lectured him severely on
the evil of his way and then imposed
sentence of $25 fine or three months
on the changing.
Counted UD the Reduction,
AS the boy sat in the Sheriff's office.
waiting to be taken back to the Jail.
was noticed that he was busily en-
sdged running the index finger of the
Iight hand over the four fingers of
ule left hand. At the same time he
yIoSely studied the large calendar
hanging on the wall.
BOY, what you counting?" asked
oa attorney who was sitting in the
.7 M1lordiea grinned and then answered:
ta Inc detective done tole me 1 gets
Ioun day off every month fob bain'
good, Use done figgered hit out an
gets free on Oct. l." Then, as
iI'ough fearing more trouble was
lining up, he quickly added, Use
,,a aIn goln' keep away from this
jean place when Use loose, too"
V60,- --s-e-s-