Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-01

Sheriff Thurman, of Dade county,
bringing with him as a prisoner United
States Gauger Charlie Stegall, blew
breeZily into Atlanta bright and early
Wednesday morning, not in the least dis
countenanced by the fact that the whole
state of Georgia had been tearing its
hair and specializing as to their where
abouts Tuesday, wondering If the 'pris-
oner' had escaped, If the sheriff had
been kidnapped; wondering above ali why
the pair didn't turn up in Atlanta Tues
day night where they were anxiously
awaited until after 10 p. m. by more than
half the federal officers of this city
/" why we were ordered to put in our
appearance Wednesday morning." said
the sheriff. land here we are. We never
had any intention of arriving Tuesday.
That was all mistake"
Stegall. whose refusal to testify before
the grand jury of Dade county in an al
legged distillery case, has caused the whole
clash between the federal and state
courts, gave bond I'm the sum of 81, 600 with
United States Clerk Fuller, and will be
tried Friday morning at 10 o'clock, before
Judge Newman.
Collector of Internal Revenue Henry A.
Rucker. also under a rule of contempt in
Judge, Fite's court for advising Stegan
not to testify. but whose removal to Dade
county Was pIGNSllcu Dg a uOidl VIII VI
habeas corpus. will also be tried before
Judge Newman Friday morning, accord
ing to an order issued Wednesday
HOW THEY GOT HERE.
Sheriff Thurman and Gauger Stegall left
Dade county Tuesday morning at l0:40
o'clock, arriving in Chattanooga shortly
before noon via the Alabama Great South
ern. In Chattanooga they spent a pleas
ant afternoon, taking in the sights of the
city. Sheriff Thurman says the story of
Stegall and himself losing each other was
nothing but a humorous newspaper yarn.
He admits that he and Stegall were sepa-
rated while in Chattanooga for short
time. but declares that each always knew
where the other was, though they may
have joked about it a little bit to the
ewspaper reporters who wondered at see
ing a prisoner and his keeper have such
perfect mutual confidence.
Tuesday night. about 10 o'clock, Thur
man and Stegall went to bed In the w. G.
A sleeper, then lying ct the Chattanooga
depot and woke up Wednesday morning
at 7:4O o'clock in Atlanta, feeling in fine
spirits after a comfortable nights rest.
They went to breakfast at the Kimball
house. and shortly before o'clock pre-
scented themselves before District Attor-
ney Carter Tate. in the federal building.
Bond was quickly arranged. after which
keeper strolled off arm in arm, the best
of friends, and later visited the moving
picture shows.
SHERIFF AND PRISONER FRIENDS.
''Stegan is an honorable, straightfor-
ward gentleman" said Sheriff Thurman,
land though the law has compelled me
TO keep him locked up, l have none the
less accorded him the consideration that
a gentleman deserves. He and have be-
Il. H.
lunbecoming in me as a state officer to
express any opinion whatever as to the
LEGALITY of his attitude In refusing to
testify before the court. I am at least
certain that he has acted in all sincerity,
according to his convictions of what was
right"
Sheriff Thurman. by the way. is
''tickled to DEATH" as he expresses it, at
the turn things have taken by virtue of
the advice OF Attorney General Hart
that Judge Fite surrender the prisoner to
the federal authorities.
''I feel pretty certain that Judge Fite
intended to stick to his guns, and fight
to the last ditch" continued the sheriff,
land il the attorney general hadn't advis-
Ell him to do otherwise, I expect would
be on the way to Atlanta right now as a
federal prisoner with the prospect of
breakfasting out at the government peni-
Tertiary instead of at the Kinball, for
II Judge Fite's telegram had not been
received by the federal officers, the Unit
ed States marshal would have come on
to Trenton to arrest both Stegall and
me-"
WHAT STEGALL SAYS.
Charlie Stegall acts and talks with the
quiet composure of man who is sure of
HIS convictions and has the grit to stick
n them to the finish. He says he be-
ueves he acted within the law in refusing
10 testify. and that he will continue to be-
Heve so until the federal couT< rules DIFF
ferently In the event it is found that
stegall could lawfully have answered the
ouestions put to him in the state court
stegall will return to Trenton and tes-
tify. In the event that he is upheld in
his refusal then the matter ends.
MI Stegall is highly appreciative of the
treatment accorded him by Sheriff Thur
man and the other state officers with
whom he came in contact during his i'm
prsonment at Trenton. and says he was
treated with unremitting courtesy.
. CURETON Is IN ATLANTA.
George w. Cureton, former member of
state legislature and prominent citizen of
Dade county. whose indictment for rum
ming a distilery in violation of the pro-
hibition Law, was the case in which Ste