The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-15
GRAND
JURY ROOM SCENE
AND SCORED THE MEMBERS.
HABBATH IN THEIR HANDS, SAID
REV. DIR. A. NJ. WILLIAMS.


day Dissertation at ThunderkOIt.
Saws Members of Grand Jury
Were Guilty of Arrant Hypocrisy.
Had No Part in the Movement but
Il Proud to Have stood by Those
who Had.
In a sermon on THE Sabbath in the
Hands of the Grand jury" at Trinity
Methodist Church last night, Rev. DR..
A. NJ Williams, the pastor, handled
the grand jury without gloves.
DR.. Williams described the scene in
the grand jury room during the recent
Investigation of the alleged Sunday
violations at Thunderbolt. The SER
mon was based on the text, Jonah lis,
"They that observe lying vanities for
sake their own mercy"
In discussing the improper observ-
ance of Sunday in Savannah DR.. Will
lams said:
In resistance of this great evil Sa-
vannah owes Mr.. Nisbet and these
ministers who have co-operated with
him a debt of gratitude. Some seek
TO make his fight for Sabbath observ-
ance appear ridiculous. The true view
of him is that of a moral hero. With
popular sentiment strong against him,
with the ministry divided, some cater
ing to time-serving applause, others 81
lent meath the cover of ministerial dig
nifty, he deserves to be honored as
man of conviction, courage, devotion
TO the word of God.
L can say this as this fight has not
been mine In no meeting of the Min
listers Association, in no conference as
TO methods, in no service on commit
tee have / had part. To my surprise
l was called before the grand jury.
Partially and accidentally prepared 1
was able to point out the hypocrisy of
that body.
Il am proud, however. to have been
called to stand by this hero. Nisbet is
worth a whole lot of grand jurors and
thousand cringing sycophants to
public opinion.
Grand Jury's Hypocrisy.
THE use of the word hypocrisy as
applied to the method of the grand
jury is deliberate. 1t is surprising how
men in the aggregate will do what the
individual will spurn. These men were
guilty of arrant hypocrisy. One def
milton of the word is the acting a false
part. That jury never had the least
intention of finding any true bill. The
summoning of preachers as witnesses
proves it.
They may have desired to show up
the preachers in an absurd light. IN
this they failed. They succeeded in
presenting a sham. If they were in
earnest why did they not summon the
witnesses given them. one. at least,
was on hand, even in their midst. Too
late, they claimed. They could have
met the next day. Such a course
would have shown good faith. Surely
Chatham county had rather pay the
extra cost than have one of its jures
branded as palpably insincere.
Scene in Jury Room.
my experience was not only short,
and also very. cute-sworn in solemn
form.
Know anything of your own knowl-
edge of Sabbath violations at Thun-
derbot?
NO, but I can give you the name
of a man that does.
The august foreman's face was a
study. lmpatience, mingled with
certain dread lest the name uttered
might have too familiar, too personal
a sound. 1t took three deliberate
declarations from me before 1 could
even get a sheet of paper showed to
me.
on it I wrote the name of a grand
Juror! Great anxiety to investigate,
indeed! Great effort to play a false
part in investigation and score one
on the preacher.
Plenty of Witnesses.
thousands of men, women and chill
dren ride to Thunderbolt every Sunday
ana the jury has the immortal eleven
n their niCnnGaI
FOUND there, so many of them they
cannot see them. But the grand jury
user. l VIII guarantee that that jury
mas not organized a total abstinence
society sworn to abjure the Sunday
charms of Thunderbolt.
sworn to present all violations of
raw Is this not a likely place to find
competent witnesses. In fact, the name
OF one was given them, for l did it
myself. I know it of my own knowI-
edge. The silence of the Jurors oath
OF secrecy must be kept, even if that
part OF 1t about presenting is neg
lected.
No, the honorable gentlemen decide
II VIII be easier, nicer, more popular
70 look in the most unlikely places.
80 they summoned-pass. over teeming
Lnuhderbolt, go by intervening Chat
nam, begin in Southeast Savannah:
overlook the hundreds of citizens till
you come near the northwest corner
oi the city. pause over the furthest
on white preacher in the whole city.
ne is the one most unlikely to know
anything of his own knowledge, and
we nave sort of grudge agin him,
anyhow We can act our farce with
nm confuse him with the hearsay'
Iad and get the laugh on him. Now,
One only proper name to give this pro-
Nedure Is unvarnished hypocrisy.
stupidity of the Method.
Not only is this process hypo-
critical. it is also stupid. It does
not TOOL anybody. straightforward
ness and fairness is genuine Ameri-
anlsm. This is neither. 1t is not
iesal but every honest man i'm Chat
nam county would prefer the Jury to
nave given the direct reply to the
ministerial Association.
we refuse to take this matter up
ause the public indorses Sunday
4. Evasion Of the issue in a perfunctorv
Investigation is triflng with ones oath