Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-05-26
THRASHINC BEST
FOR DEFACERS
OF WIRZ SHAFT,
ASSERTS JUDGE
Grand Jury is Told Affair Should
Not be Magnified Too
Much.

some warm -blooded Southerners for
the defacers of the Wirz monument
at Andersonville then, forgetting the
affair would have been suitable
handling of the situation, according
to Judge q. A. Lttlejohn, of the Su-
perior court in mentioning the Incl
dent in his charge to the grand jury
this morning. 1t was toward the end
of lengthy charge that Judge Little
john brought up the affair
There is another matter | wish to
bring to your attention" he said in a.
quiet tone, "and | scarcely know what
should be said to you about it. | refer
to the defacing of the Wirz monument.
1t would be mistake to magnify this
matter too much 1t was an outrage
Gus, diabolical act; that is my per-
sonal opinion. l don't say who did
the work, for | always hold an open
mind until jury of twelve men stand
up and tell me who is guilty of an
offense, but / am giving you my per-
sonal view of the affair. | believe
that if some warm-blooded Southern
ers had given those who did it a good
thrashing and let that be the end OF
it, it would have been better for all.
May Keep Them Away.
"As for those who are said to have
been implicated and who have escaped
from the Jurisdiction of Georgia, if we
do not get them back we may forever
keep them out of the bounds of our
state.
THE affair was an insult to the peo-
pie OF the South, whether it was done
in a spirit of deviltry on the part of
boys or not, but / believe it would
be a mistake to magnify it too
much'
The grand jury. consisting of %
men, organized itself by the election
of Crawford Wheatley as foreman.
The principal part of Judge Little
johns charge was made up of details
which the law prescribes he shall call
to the attention of the grand jury. In
his close he touched upon the League
of Nations and its importance to the
world.
There is one other thing to which
l want to call your attention, and it
is matter we ought to be thinking
about" said le "All the world is
torn and crying out for some means
whereby there shall be no more war.
This is true not only here but all over
the whole globe. Mangled men, be-
reaved women, orphaned children of
all nations and all tongues, are cry
! ing for it. 1t is not a change of boun-
| daries but peace that they seek | am
/ speaking of the League of Nations,
which will be put before the people OF
this nation soon Not by referendum
of course, but nevertheless before the
people, for public sentiment will de-
/ termiIe whether the United States
senate accepts the League of Nations
Or not. If the senate sees unmistake-
ably that the people want the League
it will be ratified. Isn't war just as
apt to come without the League as
with it? More So Then why not try
it? If it prevents war while and
then fails, we haven't lost anything,
anyway"
Is Murder Trials In Circuit.
At another place in his charge
Judge Littlejohn in cautioning the
jury to investigate the carrying OF
deadly weapons declared that he had
tried sixteen murder cases in six
counties of this circuit since January
l. "And in everyone of these, except
four, / believe in which women were
concerned, both parties carried wea-
pons," he said.
He declared that S5 per cent. OF
the cases against negroes are for vio-
Iations of the law against whisky
gambling apd carrying concealed wea-
pons.
There is no reason to carry wear
pons in this country" said he. Some
people say there is, but there is not. "
He touched upon the prohibition law
violations, declaring the lard can
stills to have become quite men
ace" He aswed for diligent in
quiry into mislemeanors. "The thing
that destroys the peace and quiet OF
a community is not that there is now
and then homicide" said he, but
it is the little offenses, which usually
have no prosecutors unless the grand
jury takes them up
Judge Lttlejohn touched the jur!