The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-19
Especial to The Messenger. J

Greensboro, n c., May 17-At lie
criminal term OF the superior court
held here last week, there were great
many cases On the docket against par
ties charged with violating the proli
bition law which went into effect ne"e
January first Many of these parties
had been sent on to court by the MAY
Or several of them having been in
Jail several weeks because of inabil-
ity to give bond for their appearance Go
two of them being women. About
twenty of these cases were against par
ties out in the country for retailing
contrary to the provisions Of the gen
eral prohibition law which has been in
force and generally regarded in Gull
ford county outeide of the city of
Greensboro for more than a quarter OF
a century. These cases were sent up
by a magistrate, and in one of them
the defendants were found guilty and
were punished b. Judge PEBBLES. In
the cases coming up for violating the
city law almost in every instance ex-
cept where the defendant pleaded gull
ty, the cases were discussed before
they reached the jury. One of these
cases tried Monday against woman
who had been in Jail for some time.
The jury convicted her on the eviden ce
of a negro named Joe Stroud, who had
been employed by the police to "catch
up with blind tigers, at so much a
catch. The next Cay when the sOli.i
tor prayed judgment, Judge PEBBLES
said he did not feel that a verdict on
such uncorrobOrated evidence of paid
spy ought to stand, and he set it aside,
giving the woman another trial. He
said there was enough crime commit
ted which was unpunished, to encoEr-
age citizens into committing crime, he
evidence given by Joe being that he
would go in and get drink or try
to- buy bottle from some one, while
the police stood outside waiting to pay
him the money ior his information
obtained by buying liquor with money
also furnished by them. Independent
of this Judge PeeDles said it was offer
ing premium on perjury to encourage
the lowest and most disreputable char
acterS to swear for pay that he pur-
chased liquor there being a possibility
of it's not being tIue. The same day
another retailing case was being tried
and the witness who is now the chief
of police was testlfying in behalf of
the state that he broke into the home
of the defendant and found quantity
of bottles smelling liquor and some
filled with liquor and he confiscated
the property and arrested the owner
of the house on charge OF retailing.
There was no evidence that hte de-
fendant sold any liquor. Judge PeeD'es
almost drove the officer from the staud,
asking Solicitor Brooks by what au-
thOrity any citizens house could be
broken into and his property confiscat-
ed, and said such testimony was not
proper to go before jury to convict
any citizen on. The answer made "
Solicitor Brooks was not only a reve-
lation to the citizens of Greensboro
but it produced a sensation which has
only increased since it became known
that such law had been passed by the
last Legislature.
No doubt the members of the Leg
islature who voted for this law, will
be equally surprised with the citizens
of Greensboro when they read it.
Solicitor Brooks read the following
sections of law enacted as an amen J.
ment to the city charter, being mum
bered section 119 and 120, reading as
follows:
Section 119. That when any person
shall attempt to buy or procure intox
icating liquors at the request of an
other person, said liquor to be pur
chased or procured from third per.
) son, then the party delivering such
liquors so attempted to be purchased
) Or procured, shall be deemed prins
facie evidence of an illegal sale on ths
part of the person making such de
livery, and that whenever any person
firm or corporation shall deliver to all,
tother person, firm or corporation OF