The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-05-20
JUDGE YEOMANS TOUCHED
UPON A NUMBER OF LIVE
TOPICS IN TERRELL COURT.
TAXES ARE UP 600 PER CENT
Requires $40 Out of Every Bale OF
Cotton Produced in State to Settle
With Tax Collector. Slot Machines
And Gambling Severely Scored.

Terrell superior court convened on
Monday morning at 9 O'Clock with
Judge Yeomans presiding and Sollci-
tor General B. T. Castellow and Court
Reporter ]. B. Bussey in their places.
The grand jury was organized with
w. L. Pace as foreman, II. Lewis
secretary and ]. H. Slade balm.
Judge Yeomans' charge to the
grand Jury covered number OF sub
iects of timely interest, and was us,
tened to with close attention by all
who were in the court room.
In referring to the prevalence OF
crime he made a strong plea Tor law
enforcement, and impressed upon the
grand Jurors that they had an import
ant duty to perform in this respect.
He said there were 400 homicides IN
Georgia last year, and that in the last
twelve months Is persons were killed
in the Pataula judicial circuit almost
as MANY as in the city OF London with
population of several million people.
Eight of these were in Terrell county,
and only one has been brought to the
bar Of Justice, one is under Indictment
and one is in Jail awaiting trial. -Four
of the Savings were in Early county,
and three Of the perpetrators OF the
crimes have been convicted; Jour oc-
Cured in Randolph county and three
of the accused have been convicted,
and two were in Miller county and
both defendants have been tried.
He called attention OF the jurors to
the statute against gambling, and
laid particular stress on slot ma
chimes and punch boards. He said he
had more respect for men who sat
around the card table than the opera
tors of these nefarious devices, who
give the youth of the land their first
lesson in the game of chance and often
resulted in them becoming confirmed
gamblers. He said that in a neighbour
ing county to Terrell there is a man
who operates a slot machine and takes
in as much as $500 on Sundays.
Dry Law Violators.
The necessity for enforcing the pro-
hibition law was impressed upon the
Jurors. Judge Yeomans said he does
not belong to that school OF thought
which considers the infraction OF the
prohibition law greater crime than
murder nor does he agree with those
who would not punish the maker or
seller of whisky. He stated that the
prohibition law should be consider
ed just as any other law and
violators should be brought to the bar
of Justice and punished the same as
violators Of other statutes The vend-
ing of whisky, he said, is doing {
great amount OF harm and should be
stopped by enforcement of the pro
hibition law He said he had been
informed that there is in opera
ton in Terrell county a 60-gallon cop
per still, which was moved here from
another county and located convenient
to a place where there is gambling
and fishing on Sundays. This, he told
the grand jurors, they should investi-
gate and take such action as the facts
warranted.
There is more crime, he said, i'll the
United States in proportion to popu-
laton than in any other civilized coun-
try on the globe.
Tax Burden Serious Matter.
Judge Yeomans called attention tc
the rapidly mounting cost of govern
ment and the greatly increased tan
burden. He said that in 1000 the state
collected as tax from the people S..
$4,000, and in 1928 tax collections fol
state purposes only had grown to $13,-
$4,000, and it is estimated that the
extra session OF the Legislature made
appropriations that will increase ex
penditures next year several million
dollars. Taxes have increased 900 pei
cent in the last Is years, he said. The
tax bill. he asserted, represents 81
out OF every bale of cotton the state
produced last year. One person out O
every 10 is an office holder, and O
those over 10 years OF age one out O