The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-01
HARDWICK IS TRIED
HE WAS BOUND OVER UNDER A
 HEAVY BOND.
Mir. Harawfck fs . Justice of the Peace fn GenesE County nnd Was Charged With
 Perjury.

Troy, Feb. 2s.--fspeciaI )--C. A. Hardwick. q Justice of the Peace in Geneva County. was tried this morn ing before U. g. Commissioner Tutwiler on warrant charging aim with per- jury growing out of the bankruptcy proceedings recently tried h Mont gomery in the matter of H. ]. Bell & Bro. of Geneva County.
 IL will be remembered that Richard Bell was placed in involuntary bank ruptcy some time in January last by certain prominent merchants of Mont gomary. When the receiver went 70 Hartford to take possession of the as- sets of the estate. 1t was ascertained that some one had removed the goods from the storehouse over night. The creditors at once had the matter in. vestigated, employing the services of special detective for that purpose. An examination was then held before Judge A. E. Stratton. It was on that examination before Judge Stratton that Squire Hardwlck testified. Hes swore to state of facts, predicated upon which these perjury proceedings were based.
 It was disclosed at the examination before Commissioner Tutwiier that Squire Hardwick and Richard Bell met at Bells house and went to the store after the electric lights of the town of Hartford went out; that they re- mained there from 12 o'clock until 3:S0 a. m. loading the goods from the store on to wagons which had been pro- vided for that purpose; that nearly s4.00o worth of goods were taken from the store that night and concealed. some in Florida and some in and around Hartford.
 Several witnesses were examined to- day. who swore to seeing Squire Hard- wick with Bell on that night and also seeing him in the store at the time the goods were being loaded on the wagons. R. M vandiver of Montgom- cry made the affidavit against Squire Hardwick. The evidepce against the Justice was strong, and the Connmis- sioner bound him over in 9i.000 bail to await the action of the Federal grand jury, which is to convene in Montgom- cry fin May next. 1t will be recalled that Richard Bell was placed In tail in Montgomery for contempt of court during the proceedings had before Referee A. F. Stratton February II, 1908. hF
 The creditors of Bell are pushing this matter and several other prosecutions are expected to follow. R, M. Vandiver had the matter of following and trae- ing the goods that were removed in charge, . large quantity of which have 
 about 22,000, Some of these goods were found by Mr. vandiyer in Florida ana have since been brought back into the jurisdiction of the court Julius Stern field. attorney from Montgomery. con ducted the prosecution.
 Deputy Collector John R. Ware of LaGrange. Ga. accompanied by Dep uty Marshal 4. J, Collier, of Rrundidge. and A R. Vickery of Dothan, return. ed to Troy this morning from a most succession raid In Geneva County. One of the biggest seizures was made by Deputy Collector Ware near Coffee Springs. in Geneva County yesterday that has ever been made by revenue officer, tn this section.
 Information was obtained by the of- feers that an Illicit distlliery was be- ing operated near ". r, HowelHs saw mili, which ia located about i've miles from Coffee Springs, and yesterday they proceeded to this location to make search for, the dlstillery, thinking 1t was being Fun on some branch near by. Upon exatnining. a lead trough that brought water from q spring several hundred wards from the mill, to the boiler, they discovered that the trough ran through a pile of saw dust that was about twenty feet from the mil.