The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-12

-..fdera Occasional ily-f 1shfnS Nc
os as TriRfng, Worthless.
r,..s and If Brought Before Him
warrants Will Impose the Limit
os the Law-Court scored Three
ia Of Hope Negroes Convicted
Yesterday Morning of Gambling.
81 wish here and now to put you and
ali of your ilk on notice of how this
curt regards your standing. The
s.,+ that now and then you catch
.t-,re of fish or dredge a bushel of
o,,stars does not place you beyond the
zach of the vagrancy law. If any of
,o,, are brought before me on va
erancv charge, such plea of being
dsharmen will not save you from the
,;,,it of the law.'-Judge Norwood to
Isle of Hope Negroes.
In no uncertain words Judge Thomas
n Norwood in the City Court yester-
dav scored the loafing class of ne
qroes that frequent the Savannah re-
sorts.
He plainly stated that in the eyes
of the court the negro who only oc-
casionalIy catches a string of fish or
dredees a bushel of oysters to offer
for sale is a vagrant, and that no
mercy will be shown them by the
court if brought up on that charge.
The position of Judge Norwood on
this question was defined in imposing
sentence on Marion Collins. Walter
M Willie RI OF n
three Isle of Hope negroes convicted of
gambling. Collins was sentenced to
pay a fine of SIS or serve twelve
months on the chaingang, and the 9TH
er two were given their choice of a $50
fine or a years service to the county.
Collins, Brown and Quarterman
were arrested by Chief Deputy Sheriff
Sweeny as being members of the gang
of loafers and petty criminals. who
were terrorizing Isle of Hope residents,
and making the roads in that vicinity
unsafe for travel after nightfall. There
was no proof of their being implicated
in the attempted robbery of an Isle of
Hope resident, but there was convinc-
ing evidence that they were members
of the gang that rendezvoused near
Isle of Hope to gamble away their
meager earnings.
Changed Their Pleas.
When the cases against the three
negroes were called, Col. Robert L.
Colding appeared for Quarterman, At
torney Thomas Hill for Collins, and
Attorney Kinckle for Brown. AS
sistant Solicitor Charlton appeared for
the state. Pleas of not guilty were
entered in all the cases and the TAX
ing of evidence began.
The testimony was so overwheln-
ingly against the accused that Col.
Colding and Attorney Kinckle with
drew the pleas of not guilty in the
cases of their clients and substituted
the plea of guilty. Collins declined
to change his plea and as a result,
when adjudged guilty, drew a heavier
fine than the other two.
Men Considered Migrants.
in imposing, sentence Judge Norwood
lectured the men severely and stated
he considered them and their ilk as
Migrants. He read the section of the
code relating to vagrancy and stated
if any of them were brought before
him on that charge he would impose
the limit of the law. Among other
things the court said in the course of
his remarks to the convicted:
Though it has not come out in the
evidence in this case, the court has
heard many complaints regarding the
class Of negroes who loaf about the
water resorts near the city. The COM
plants have been numerous, and Sc
rious crimes have been charged against
you.
As a rule the class to which you
belong is composed of trif1ing, worth
less negroes who have no business
at large. / wish here and now to put
you and all of your ilk on notice of
how this court regards your standing.
The fact that now and then you
catch a string of fish or dredge a
bushel of oysters does not place you
beyond the reach of the vagrancy law.
IT any of you are brought before me
on vagrancy charge, such a plea will
not save you from receiving the limit
of the law"
Sentences were then imposed as Civ
Ell above.
Besides the three negroes who were
Yesterday sentenced to the chaingang
mere are eight others implicated in the
Isle of Hope crowd that are being
sought by the county officers. If ar
rested they will be brought before the
city Court on a charge of gambling
or vagrancy and the fate of the three
men last tried indicates that no mercy
VIII be shown them.