Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-22

ton between Superior Judge George
F Monro ana the Muscogce couaty
grard jury over the presentmcnts Of
the 9rand Jury which are believed
to have criticized the coutf and which
| Judge Monro refused to receive or
| permit to be made nublrc had sub
sided today following the publica-
ton local paper this morning of a
statement from the grand jury which
set forth the main recommendation
contained in the presentments. The
statement contained not a word of
| criticism of any court, and Judge
Monro has made no report upon it
for publication. A statement from
him during the day is said to be pos
sible
What caused the breach between
the grand jury and the court is not
known positively, but it believed that
the grand jury ought to comment on
the banding Of liquor cases in this
county. The statement of the grand
jury as published stated that a rec
ommendation of chain gang senten-
ces for liquor violators had been
made and that separate court for
Muscogee county outside of the city
of Columbus also had been recon-
mended. 1t also said it had recon-
mended more diligent pursuit of
bootleggers by officers and stern
handling of pistol toters.. 1t also rec
ommended abolition of the fee sys-
TEN.
After being discharged yesterday
by Judge Monro the grand jurors
met outside the courthouse and de-
cided to publish their statement. It
was expected they would publish that
portion of their presentments which
Judge Monro had forbidden and
thereby place themselves in contempt
of court. In view of the expressed
determination of the court in a talk
to the grand jurors when he sent
them back to their room for delib-
Grafton after refusing to accept their
report it was expected that the whole
grand jury would find itself ordered
to Jail today after the publication Of
the Objectionable matter. Inasmuch
as this did not appear, however, no
such contingency arose.
Judges Yelled Threat.
The feeling of Judge Monro was
expressed to the grand jury in the
following language as he sent thern
back to their room:
"Your body shall not intrude upon
my prcrogatives and the respect aid
dignity of my court. You shall let
NE perform my duty as | Sc. it and
you shall perform yours under the
Ia9s as | give tn. \ - you as jurors.
I I'M calm and i tcrrf,cI, but deter
mined, gentlemen. IL the worst
comes you will have brought it upon
yourselves. You may 60 to your
room, gentlemen"
The grand jury was in their room
perhaps 20 minutes. Upon return
ing to the court room, the judge ask
ed the foreman if the body was ready
to make report ,whereupon Mr.. Dud-
ley proceeded. "If your honor
please, after due and deliberate con-
sideration and careful investigation
and in view of existing conditions,
we feel disposed to cooperate with
the court in every way we can and
we have prepared presentment and
would like to read it in open court,
whsrcupon the judges reply was N'no
| sir" and leaving the bench he call
ed w. H. Dismukes presentments
chairman, into the conference room
few minutes later the other jurors
were called in and Judge Monroe ap.
peared somewhat agitated as did
some of the jurors. 1t was evident
that his request to expunge had not
been comlpied vita. A couple of
minutes elapsed and Judge Monro
entered the consultation room with
the jurors as referred to in the be-
ginning of this report.
Court In Disorder.
At this juncture the court was
thrown somewhat into disqquiet, most
everybody apparently feeling privil-
eyed to stand and talk at will. Thom-
IS H. Shanks, as president of the To-
cal bar association, mounted the ros-
trum, called attention to the fact that
court was in session and at his sug-
| gestion that there be order, quiet was
( somewhat restored.
! Nearly every lawyer in the city
and some 200 business and profes-
sional men were present when Judge
Monro convened court.
The judge re-charged the jury, ex-
! planning his position in regard to the
presentments and then the grand
jury retired. Subsequently Judge
Munroe held conference of some
length with the grand jurors in their
room. The net result was that the