Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-22
VICE AGAIN MENACE TO =:
GIMP BENNING; ;COURTO OF,
= COLUMBUS is BLAMED
Telegram From Washington Says City Is In Grave
Danger of Losing Its Great
Asset

order that it may apprise the public
Of what is impending-seems to be
that the whole crusade against the IL
licit liquor traffic in particular has
broken in two in the courts Fur
thermore, that lack of cooperation
on the part of the courts-small fines
and Light sentences, where sentences
are imposed at all-has had the eff
feet of discOuraging the police; with
the result that those heretofore en-
gagged in the liquor traffic, but WHO
have been on the rum of late, have
again taken courage"
The Court Record.
The Ledger prints copy Of re-
port on the City courts record foI
law enforcement, prepared by Capt
Walter C. Rathbone, provost marshal,
throwing light on the situation, as
follows:
Subject: Liquor prosecutions,
Columbus, Ga, since crusade against
liquor traffic began up to April 16:
l. The records of Mr. Early John
ty, show the following facts:
(a) Number of cases handled be.
fore City court, referring to liquor
traffic-90.
(b) Number pleading guilty-87
(c) Tried by jury-3. All three
were acquitted by the juries.)
e.. There have been no liquor
cases tried before Judge Munro OF
the Superior court since the crusade
against liquor by the military author.
tiles began.
3. The maximum fine and impris
onment possible under the Georgia
laws in these liquor cases is as fol.
lows:
IL months on the county chain
gang-and months confinement in
the county jail-and 81 100000 fine
and court costs.
a. Of the 81 cases in which 4
plea of guilty was made by the de-
| PENDANTS, one (1) received months
chaingang sentence; two (2) were
sent to the county Jail for one month,
All of the others received fines, as
tabulated below:
Two $4,000.
"Three $4,000.
1.-TWO $3.50.
1.-TWO $4,000.
Three $250.0O.
-Four $4,000.
eleven $4,000.
Zone, $500.
Two $4,000.
mine $4,000.
"One $500.
Nine $4,000.
1.-TWO $500.
''Twenty-seven $500.
Five $4,000.
"One man received a 81. SO fine
Where Blame Lies
Commenting on which the EnqU:r-
er-Sun says:
From the foregoing it will be
seen that while all other instrumen.
talit;es of the law have been exert.
ing their maximum effort to suppress
this crime, the City court has in no
case imposed maximum sentence.
The City court has in no case i'm
posed one-half the maximum sen.
tence. The City court has in only two
cases imposed one-half the maximum
fine. 1t has imposed a chain gang
or Jail sentence in only 8 out of 81
cases, whereas in every case it could
have imposed sentence of II months
on the county chain gang and 6
months confinement in the county
jail The City court has imposed a
sentence which would act as mild
deterrent in only 9 cases in which the
fine was 100000 to $500.00. The
City court has imposed fines Of less
than $4,000 in 56 cases and imros-
ed fines of $500 or $4,000 in 50
cases, punishments 50 ridiculoUsly
small when compared with the maxi
Mum furnishing power as to lrake tho
act of the City court an encourage.
T;leyltt for the commission of crime
rather than a deterrent"
The whole situation, coming like
a bombsheIl, has stirred the city deep
ly and there is talk of mass meetings
and other methods of dealing with
the problem. Some development is
expected within the next few hours.