Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-05-23

The grand Jury retired at 10
O'Clock to begin its inquiry, j, +.
Mathis, superintendent of the city
schools of Americus. was foreman.
Among the members of the body,
composed of % men, were a number
of leading citizens known as leaders
in the community for law enforce
ment and enemies of vice and crime,
One minister, DR.. Carl w. Minor, of
the First Baptist church and one of
the leading preachers in the South,
was member of the grand jury In
completing his charge Judge Little
John called attention of the Jurors to
the oath they had taken--to ndict
no one through malice, envy or ha-
tired, and to leave unindicted no one
through fear. favor. affection, re,
ward or hope thereof
Lower OHenses Set Out
Thirty-two Of the 36 grand jurors
drawn responded, seven were excused
and two were discharged. there being
the limit of % without them. Judge
Littlejohn in the early part of his
charge called attention to sections
of the code as required by law enum-
Grating numerous offenses set out in
the code. He mentioned tina, all the
otfenses which he was compelled to
call to the attention of the Jury were
lower grade of offenses or misde-
meanors, such as gaming, carrying
deadly weapons, interfering with re-
ligious worship, sale of narcotic
drugs. violations Of game and fish
laws, etc He explained that this
was due to the fact that all major
crimes, such as murder or arson, di-
rectly affect some one and there is
always a prosecutor. whereas there is
almost never a prosecutor other than
the state for gaming violations, and
other minor crimes are in the same
category He said that if the minor
offenses were to be suppressed II
would be only through the honest and
conscientious endeavor of the grand
juries interested in preserving the
rights, peace and integrity of the
county.
Zone reason whv the law says
must call these lesser crimes to your
attention." SAID Judge Little John. "is
that majority of the higher crimes
follow from the lower offenses. 1t
has been my experience that if the
grand iuries are determined to sup.
press law violations of the lesser
grades they have fewer of the major
crimes to come to their attention.
Houic;de. Ear eas Now
The statute makes it my duty. also,
to call your attention to the prohibit
ton law. Since the prohibition law
has gone into effect the courts don't
have over one-fourth the homicides
t.. try they had in II e days of the
open barroom. AndSI want 70 say
that have observed that almost ev-
cry offense that comes before the
court may be traced in some manner
t) illegal traffic in liquor. The IL
ddor laws of Georgia are stringent
They do not permit a man 10 possess
liquor, to say nothing Of make or
sell it, and the supreme eourE has rul-
ed that to possess a spoonful is as
much a violation of the law as ia
possess a gallon. The purpose of
the law is to close all avenues OF es-
cape for the violator: it was not the
purpose of the legislature primarily
to make it crime for a man to pos,
sess liquor strictly for his own use.
But that is the law, and it will be
observed in time that if we keep Ii
duor away from out citizenship We
won't have the trouble we have been
having.
'Ncarly all crimes flow from vio-
lation of the laws against cards,
drink and lewd women. and if these
are suppressed we won't have the
crimes that shame anv community
Here JUDGE Littleiohn paused AM
took from his desk note that hat
been laid there by the sheriff, reat
it to himself. then sat as in dee
study for half minute while seem
inPly assembling words for what h
had to say next. He began.
The Scarborough Case.
81 have been Dragging aroun
over this circuit to the various gran
| iuries charged in the last few week
that, with the great amount of Grim
prevalent in the country--and