The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-02-18
MATTER OF DEFACINC
SCHOOL PROPERTY
STATEMENTS BY THE MAYOR
AND CITY ATTORNEY.
Council Directs City Attorney tt
Draw Ordinance Including All
Public Property.

EAt q "O0IAAS VI wy S~
Tuesday night Mayor . Blease said
there was a matter for which some
people had. been prone to criticize
him, and in regard to which he de-
sired to make a public statement.
"Last Saturday a week ago. said
Mayor Blease, II came down here to
hold court, and the room and the
hallway were full Of little white
boys ranging from twelve. years Of
age up, and some grown men. l
came into. the clerks office and asked
the clerE>iif he had anything for
trial. He said there was nothing on
the docket. About that time Police
man Franklin came in. I asked him
what all those children were doing
here. He said, This is crowd Of
boys accused of breaking in the
Pope school building, breaking out
glass, and writing vulgar things on
the walls. I said, You have a pretty
good crowd. He said, Yes, sir. He
pulled a paper out Of his pocket and
said, I don It know how to docket it
yeti don't know which ones to
make defendants and which ones to
make witnesses. I said, I haven't
got anything to do with that, l
would rather not discuss it with you;
I have to try these boys if the case
is brought and I don't want to say
what you should do and what you
should d.not do. He. said, They say
they. won't say anything unless they
are put under oath, in which case
they say they will tell the truth,
and I want to ask you what to do.
I said, My advice to you is to go to
the board Of trustees Of the graded
schools and let them decide whom
they want to prosecute, and when
they decide you arrest the ones to be
prosecuted, and bring them here IN
the proper manner. He says, Well,
but we want some legal advice. l
said, You have a city attorney, and
that is what he is paid for; go and
confer with him, and when you and
he and the trustees agree as to which
ones you want to make defendants,
YOU come to me and I will make out
the. warrants for you, and we Will
have the ones to be made defendants
arrested, and subpoena the ones to
be made witnesses, and until then
you take no steps. He says, Then l
can let these boys go home? | said,
Yes, sir, you can make the announce
ment that there is nothing here
against them. He went out, and AL
derman Baxter came in about that
time, and I repeated to him as nearly
as I could the conversation [ had haa
with Policeman Franklin.
'',Sinee that time I have been ln-
formed that certain people have said
that I said that because certain peo-
ple's children were involved that the
matter had been dropped. l have
made no such statement, and don't
know now who was accused OF being
in the affair, don't know one ;thing
about it, and haven't tried to find out
anything, because if they are tried
they will be tried before me, and l
did not want my mind prejudiced
for or against them. I have simply
waited for the action of the board
of trustees and the city attorney. l
have heard a good deal of severe
criticism because something hasn't
been done, and I want to make this
statement, and I hope the represen-
tative Of The Herald and News, who
is present, will publish it,
City Attorney Eugene S. Blease
said that he wanted: to state frankly
in beginning the statement which
he desired to make, that if council
called on him for any opinion he felt
it his duty to give it. "However," "
he said, II would advise council
oftimes that things which come with
in the knowledge of the city attor-
ney should not be made public in the
newspapers, and oftimes should not
even be made public in council meet
ing. 7 feel that way because IN the
prosecution of my duties as city
attorney I feel the same as It 1 were