The news & observer., 1905-12-21
LEFT A CLEAN DOCKET.
Jdee Ward and Solicitor Brooks
Please Lovers OF Justice and
Despatch


today after one of the most strenuous
terms ever held in Guilford Judge
Ward makes a model judge in many
respects. but none more SO that in his
uniform courtesy and his wonderful
faculty of keeping things moving fast.
without any sign of a rush or haste.
He and Solicitor Brooks make a pair
| that any novice can safely draw to.
He has left here the cleanest crimi-
nal docket known in many years. His
sentences have been numerous and his
fines renumerative as we'll as correct
i've. Nearly three thousand dollars
have been collected in fines and about
forty were sent to the roads or Jail.
In the LIQUOR cases Judge Ward has
by his sentences of those who were
guilty, done great deal to break
up the fast increasing violations Of
the prohibition law. He has not been
lnhuman in his punishments. but in
every case where subsequent informa-
ton showed that he might have inn
posed excessive penalties. he has not
hesitated to make change. His last
acts at this morning. showed this. In
the case OF the fines Of $500 each
against Sol and Julius Cone. he re-
duced the fines 500 each and in the
case of w. S. DifIie he reduced 1t from
$500 to 500 and this afternoon the
money had all been paid.
In the case of an old negro man,
eighty years old convicted of retailing,
he reduced his sentence from ninety
days to thirty days He was even more
magnanimous. and on appeal from
lawyer S. G.. Bradshaw ordered the
police to restore the jug of a gallon
and a half of corn liquor. which had
been confiscated. to the old man or
to his attorney. before Christmas.
Christmas"
Col. James T. Morehead made the
following appeal: "Your Honor. I do
not know the nigger or his name, but
he was the fellow who was sent to the
roads four months on the testimony
of spy Stedman. who had given him
money to buy whiskey. II he had had
any body to defend him and hadn't
pleaded guilty, and had gone to the
jury, he would have been acquitted.
In behalf of humanity and Shristmas
| ask your honor to reduce the negro's
sentence I've got nothing To do with
il except as q. citizen and lover OF
fair play
"rll make il the least possible. re-
"Pll make it the least possible,
responded Judge Ward. make ii 30
days, Mr.. Clerk"
Last night when court adjourned 1T
a
groes pending before the jury. This
morning one of the defendants came
up missing and the case had to stop
Solicitor Brooks took mol pros as to
the defendant present Robert Lee,
and mistrial was ordered as to the
absconder, Sam Ingram. The lawyers
were guying Colonel Staples who made
a speech for Sam before court ad-
journed last night. They said Sans
a,,1 aQt11
to her son as thev emerged from the
court house in a group of sympathiz-
ing friends Il clare - Ffawd boy
lawyer sed all dat cud be sed for yur
you'd jist es we'll trabble. '.s, This MORN
ing Sam had "trabbled" and broke up
the court
A Very Important Question.
The Cape Fear Manufacturing Com
pany brought a claim and delivery
suit yesterday afternoon against the
Southern Railway for two cars or
lumber. The plaintiffs say that the
company claimed freight charges on
very much exaggerated weight OF
lumber hauled from the Coast Line
part of the road. That upon demand
by them to have the cars re-weighed
they refused unless $3.50 per car was
paid for re-weighing. 1t seems that
one of the yard mon of the railroad.
not knowing of the refusal of the
manufacturing company refusing TO
weigh the lumber weighed it himself
and gave a corrected weight, making
much less than the original weight
which had been complained of. The
plaintiffs offered to pay freight ac-
cording to corrected weights, which
the railroad refused. refusing also to
deliver the lumber. and the claim and
delivery for it's possession was brought.
The action will develop some very i'm
portant points to shippers, equal III
extent to that developed by the suit
of the Greensboro Ice and Coal Com
pany in trying to compel the railroad
to deliver the coal on its side tracks
The Finance Committee of the
North Carolina Railroad Company
met in Burlington today for the pur-
pose of examining the book vouchers
and accounts of the treasurer, prep-
aratory to making their report to the
board of directors and the stockhold-
ers at their annual meeting to be held
in Greensboro in January. Mr.. c. O.
McMichael of Madison. a member of
the committee on the part of the
State spent last night here on his way
to Burlington. leaving this morning.
The Southern Railways "Christmas
express special train was put on yes
terday, reaching here from Washing
ton last night at seven o'clock. This
train will run daily until December
{ 27th.
| ST Leo's Ho-cital. the magnificent
| structure on Summit Avenue. now
| under construction is fast nearing
completion. 1t is expected to be
ready for occupancy by the first of
March and then the landscape gard
ening will be all that is left to be
done. The hosr ital will accommo-
date IT'S patients and will cost
S125.000.
At a meeting of the Library COM
mittee last night it was decided that
the exercises attendant upon the
formal opening of the new $4,000
Carnegie Library building be held
about March 1St. Rev. Dr. Crawford
was named as a committee of one to
confer with certain gentlemen whose
! presence will be desired on the occa-
| sion of the opening. The exercises
| of the opening will be on a scale COM
mensurate with the importance of the
/ event
| The Normal and Industrial and the
| Greensboro Female College will close
! tomorrow for the holidays. The