Newspaper Page Text
j“The Enterprise
j Covers Every
(Nook and Cor*
°er of Coffee
County and
Then Some”
GW JURT PRESENTMENTS
FEBRUARY TERM OF COURT
We the grand jury elected and sworn
at the February term 1917, of Coffee
Superior Court herewith submit our
General Presentments.
Through committees appointed we
have examined the various institution,
road, convict camps, buildings, J. P.
hooks and such other things as we are
required to investigate and make the
following report and recommendations.
We the committee on chaingang find
the camps well kept and in good con
dition, teams and prisoners well cared
for. „
We further recommend that a cage
be bought at the side camp. In place
of the old twelve man cage which is
totally unsafe and not fit for use.
We recommend that the court house
ad jail be put in a sanitary, condition
at once and kept so.
We recommend a sanitary closet be
built on the outside of the court house
and same kept sanitary.
J. B. HARPER,
J. W. HAT A WAY,
G. R. MOORE, Committee.
We ihe committee appointed tc ex
amine Ji P. and N. P. Ex J. P. books
of Coffee county find them generally
wejl kept except the J. P. books of
1130 G. M. which is badly kept,' no
dates of judgment in some cases, no
amount of ccst itemised.
We recommend that all J. P. and N.
P. and Ex J. P. books be kept*in better
shape and make all records accurate.
B. T. BURKETT,
DAN HORTON,
J. E. LOTT, Book Committee.
We recommend that J. L. Denton be
appointed N. P. and Ex -T. P. of the
437th District G. M. ox Ccui.ee cuonty
to take effect upon expiration of com
mission of B. T. Burkett on March (ith
1917.
We recommend that Dan Horton be
appointed J. P. and Ex J. P. of the
1556 G. M. at the expriation of the
presfht epeumbent.
We recommend that J. H. Peterson
be appointed for a full term to succeed
himself as member of County Board
of Education.
We recomjnend that Geo. Hancock
and Margret Thomas be paid $5.00 per
month each and their names be placed
on the pauper roll.
We find that the committee to have
the county books of the various county
offices examined has employed a com
petant accountant and same is in prog
ress and will be made at the next
grand jury.
We wish to thank our able judge
for fiis charge to our body.
We also wish to express our appre
ciations for the efficient services of
our worth Solicitor General and Sheriff
We recommend that these present
ments be published in The Douglas
Enterprise and Gcft'ee County Progress
and that the sum of $5.00 be paid each.
Thos. Daniels, Sr., Foreman; Sam
ple Smith. Clerk; Dan Horton; Mose
Lott; J. C. Day; J. B. Harper; J. E.
Lott; W. M. Carver; E. P. Jowers;
Archie McKinnon; Thos. Adams; H.
L. Mancil; james Tanner; G. R. Moore;
B. T. Burkett; J. R. Lewis; S. A. Meeks
J. W. Hattaway; R. K. Mosly; J. A.
Moore; Warren Vickers; Jake Vick
ers; John Paulk.
The within and foregoing General
Presentments received and read in
open court.
It is ordered that the same be ad
mitted to record and published as
therein recommended. In open court
SHERIFF TANNER POURS 400
PINTS WHISKEY INTO SEWER
On last Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff
Tanner loaded the 440 pints of whis
kev, which had been seized from one
L. H. Bennett and ordered poured out
by the Judge, on a wagon and drove it
up to the big sewer in the center > f
Douglas, at the interaction cl Ward
street and Peterson are., and proceed
ed to take each bottle separately, un
cork it, and in the presence of hun
dreds of people, poured every drop of
each bottle into the sewer, saving the
VOLUME XXVII, NUMBER 12
The criminal division of Superior
court convened last Monday morning
and has been in session throughout
the week, probably, adjourning today
(Friday). It was first thought that
the coui't would hold until Saturday
night or extend into next week,
but three of the big murder cases were
passd for the term, viz: J. F. Hill, J.
S. Burns and Dan Shepherd. Two of
these defendants are on bond while the
third, Dan Shepherd will be confined in
jail until the next term, in lieu of bail.
The grand jury worked faithfully
until Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock
they adjourned for the term.
Their presentments appears elsewhere
on this page.
Clerk Haddock and Sheriff Tanner
have been complimented generously on
the manner in which the have conduct
ed their end of the court and it is
freely predicted that both of them will
make the county most efficient officers.
The MeCranie case took up most of
the week, while u grea 1 number small
er cases were tried andAnany pleas of
guilty were entered. The docket was
very heavy but this term has cleared a
great number, due to the efficiency and
hard work of Judge Sumnierall and
Solicitor Dickerson, both of whern
were untiring in their efforts to dis
patch business.
Besides the Sullivan Shepherd and
G. F. MeCranie cases, the following
cases were disposed of this week:
State vs Charlie White, assault and
battry, plea guilty, 6 mo. or $50.00.
State vs Henry Stevens, selling
whiskey, plea guilty, 12 mo. or SIOO.
C? i- -u 0 »-r> T? p| CTj r v ' TV. C
ceny, plea of guilty, 12 mo.
State vs W T . M. Dobson, selling whis
key, plea guilty, 12 mo. or $250.00.
State vs W. M. Dobson, having too
much whiskey, nol prossed.
State vs®Mex Merrett, simple lar
cery, plea guilty, G mo. or $50.00.
State "Vs J. W. McQuaig, forgery,
plea of guilty, 12 mo. or SIOO.OO.
State vs J. J. Graham, violating
prohibition law, plea, 12 mo. or $250.
State vs J. W. Colbert, violating
prohibition, nol pressed.
State vs Joe Walden, selling whis
key, plea guilty, 12 mo. or $150.00.
State vs G. H. Hall, concealed pis
tol, plea guilty, 9 mo. or $50.00.
State vs Theran Kirkland, selling
whiskey, plea guilty, 6 mo. -nr $50.00.
State vs *Geo. S.hady, abandonment,
settled.
State vs Charlie Fountain, assault
with intent to murder, plea guilty, 12
mo. or $500.00. , z
Agricultural Day
Monday, March 5
Fine lot of speakers representing
State Agri. Dept., State College of
State Experimental Stat
ion, R. R. Agricultural Agents.
Everybody in county invited to come
and bring baskets. Remember date
and place, Monday March sth at Court
House. Speaking begins 10 o’clock.
this February 15th, 1917.
J. I. SLMMGRALL,
Judge Superior Court of Waycross
Circuit.
bottles only.
It proved to be a sensational a flair
as it drew hundreds around an in
cident like this not oecuring frequently
in this city. This was the whiskey
found in an auto near Douglas last
week which was driven by L. H. Ben
nett and wife, both of whom were
arrested, Bennett entering a plea of
guilty for violating the prohibition
law. He was fined $250. by Judge
Summerall and the whiskey ordered
poured out by the court-
THE DOUGLAS ENTERPRISE, DOUGLAS, GEORGIA, FE8.17, 1917.
The Enterprise Publishes the Legal Advertising of the City of Douglas, Cffee County and County Commissioners
WHAT ABOUT
THE HOSPITAL?
Editor Enterprise:
Since your editorial of some weeks
ago relative a hospital 1 have been
looking for something else on the sub
ject for as you saw there is no one
thing so vital to the interest of Doug
las and Coffee County at the present
time, nor will there be at any other
time, until one is established, as a
hospital. Just why Douglas people
and Coffee county people can’t see and
understand that fact is as inexplaina
ble as the fact that all intelligent peo
ple in this Bible land of ours don’t
practice the Christian religion.
It- has been argued that “It could
not be made to go” that “The only
way a hospital could be made to go
in Douglas was for some man who has
sufficent personality to draw support
to it to build and run it.”
This statement from a man outside
the asylum is axiomative that there is
one out who should be inside. As
your editorial said. How does the
churches go? How does the schools
go? How does the Elks Club and the
Kracker Club, if you please, go? They
go because this people nave their mon
ey behind them and make them go,
and I chaltnge any one to show that
either of these save the churches a d
schools arc worth the one-millionth
part to Douglas Coffee County, to
humanity, tc society or to God that
a hospital is.
I will have nothing to say of the
Elks Club because I do not know. I
am not an Elk nor never expect to be.
All 1 can say is that it has a bad
reputation.
How about the Ki acker" Club. It
v.'u; i.vk;. ' . hod e.’.mar., e 1'
or more citizens took $5000.00 of their
money to start with and later added
more find brough; it into existence and
it goes because each one pays one dol
lar or perhaps more per month to
make it go. Who would so display
! their ignorance as to assert that a
hospital \vould rot go under similar
circumstances? Yet I challenge any
one to show where the Kracker Club
is worth one cent to any one, to
humanity, to socicy or to any one else
save to these whom it gave employ
ment and when weather conditions are
favorable an accosior.al bath to some
who prhaps wou'd not otherwise get a
bath. It furnishes seme amusement
to some, but I am constrained to be
lieve that some of that is of a question
aide character, at any rate a member
told me that some of the functions
were not of the character that he
would want his sisters mr daughters
to attend.
But it is not my purpose to knock
the Krackei Club. I am just stating
i some facts for comparison and if pos
: sible to get people to thinking. Whpt
I would like is fur some one to explain
to me is the patriotism and Christ
ianity of a Citizen* who will furnish
unlimited amounts if necessary to es
tablish and maintain an institution, if
indeed it can be called an institution,
like the Kracker Club and permit a
hospital, a health restoring, life saving
Christian institution dose its doors
for the lack of funds upon which to
opera te.
Won’t the members of the Club do
as much for a hospital ? $5000.00
woud build one sufficient to meet pres
ent needs, and one dollar a month
fro each of 100 citizens together
with the income of the institution
would very near make it go. Can you
afford to do less?
Your editorial suggested that the
ladies take hold of it as the ladies of
Waycross a’’e doing. 1 agree with you
that this is an excellent suggestion.
I learn that the ladies of the Wo
mans Club are going to build a Club
House, I have no criticism to offer
because I do not know what it will be
worth, but would it not be more in
keeping with that God living, God
fearing, soothing distress relieving
spirit, so charactistic of good women
to build a hospital instead? Think
; about it ladies. Which would Jesus
i build?
People of Douglas wake up from
your sleepy lethergy, ; ome down from
your lofty selfish perch, stop youi
mad rush for notoriety and advertis
ing that does us all harm and start
something that will do us good at
AND COFFEE COUNTY NEWS
EDITORS HERE
The third meeting of the Eleventh
District Press Association was held in
Douglas on last Monday, with about
a third of the publishers of the district
present.
A business session was held at which
many matters of interest to the pub
lisher was discussed. Mr. D. A. Byck,
of Savannah, a well known business
man, yt&s present and made the meet
ing an address which was full of help
ful information for the members pres
ent.
Dinner was served at the New Doug
las Hotel at 1 o’clock, the hosts being
the local newspaper men. After din
ner another short business session was
held and a ride give the visitors to
the Kracker Country Club. . The meet
ing then adjourned to meet in Bruns
wick on March 13.
Among those present, were Volnoy
Williams, of the Wave-roes Journal-
Herald. Lee Herrin, of the Ware Coun
ty News, B. T. Allen, of the Pearson
Tribune, H. Jchr.sen, of thcßlackshear
Times, E. L. Turner, of The Valdosta
Times, W. T. Shytle, of the Adel News,
A. C. Sweat, of the Nashville lie.aid,
D. A. Byck, of Savannah Fred Rick
etson, of the Coffee County Progress,
and W 1 E. Frier, of the Douglas Enter
prise.
Cal. L. E. Heath s
feme Is Burned
About ten o’clock this morning the
fire'alarm was turned in when it was
discovered that the reader.?o cf Col. 1,.
E. Heath, on Sellers street, was on
fire. The department responded quick
ly and in a very short time the flames
were checked and the lire extinguished.
It seems that the fire originated in
the roof, as that part of the building
was on fire and had burned some time
before the occupants of the house
knew anything of it. The alarm was
turned in before Mrs. Heath, who war
in the house, knew of the fire.
The people gathered quickly and
everything in the house was saved and
only slightly damaged in the removal.
The roof was burned thru and the
house will have to have a complete
roof anew. The fire did not reach
thru the top walls.
It is understood that there is suffici
ent insurance on both residence and
furniture to cover all losses.
Sullivan Sheplierd
G 1 m Life Sentence
Sullivan Shcrtliei’d was fried at this
term of the court, being charged with
the murder of Matt Cleveland, an aged
negro, at VVillacccchee, last April. The
jury in this case remained out for
seven hours, returning a verdict at
7 o’clock Saturday night, of guilty,
with a recommendation for mercy. The
court sentenced Shepherd for life. We
are advised that a motion for a new
trial will be made.
This was the big case of last week,
lasting from Thursday until Saturday
night. The state was assisted by Jno.
W. Bennett, of Waycross, and the de
ferment was represented by Attorneys
T. A. Wallace, W. W. Bennct and J.
Mark Wilcox. Both sides fought the
lease hard from start to finish.
There was a large list of witnesses
in this case but the most damaging
testimony was that of Dennis Sears,
who was charged with complicity in
the same crime. He swore that he
was with the Shepherd brothers when
they filed the fatal shot.
Dan Shepherd, who is also in jail
under a similar charge, will not be
tried at this term on accent of absent
witnesses.
home and abroad.
If the people of Douglas only knew
what OtheT - people say about those
jconcerning this hospital proposition
their pride would burn in them un
(til they would use in their indignation
and stamp it put with a magnificient
, well equipped no.-pita’.
AN INTERESTED CITIZEN.
JURY MAKES MISTRIAL IH
GEO. F. miF CASE
Airs. J. T. Reiilian
Dies Thursday Night
The city received a shock last night
about ten o’clock when it was announc
ed that Mrs. J. T. Relihan had died
suddenly at her home on Gaskin ave
nue, death coming suddenly and ap
parently without warning.
Judge J. T. Relihan was at the K.
of P. lodge meeting and went home
(about 9:30 when he found his wife
prostrate on the fioor in h:r room,
dead. She was alone in the house at
the time of her death and from an ex
amination of her body, the physicians,
who were immediately called in, aid
that death only a few minutes -before.
She jyas subject to heart trouble ana
was probably the cause of her sudden
death.
I'he matter of holding an inquest
Was discussed but Coroner Sims de
cided that, one was not necessary, as
the deceased had just died, her body
being warm.
-■ ixt- han had been complaining
of late with her .vide troubling her
and when she was found, her lacing
had been slackened, she apparently
trying to make herself comfortable.
She had not undressed for bed, and it
is believed that her .heart failed and
she fell to the floor.
Mrs. Relihan was about 58 years of
acre, a devoted member of the Baptist
chu'\ji, anct her whole life had been
one of service to her family and
friends.
j She and her husband came to Doug
j las about thirty years ago, coming
| from Liberty county, and since that
jtline have lived continually here.
! Besides her husband, she leaves five
sons and three daughters, viz: Ran
dolph, Cleveland, Carroll, Edwin, Cap,
Mrs. E. K. Wilcox, of Yaldcsta, Mrs.
i Dick Hurst, of Florida, and Miss
| Daisy, who is attending school in Val
•dcsta.
Mrs. Hurst had not been advised
up to nine o’clock this morning, it
being unable to locate her. Mrs. Wil
|cox, Miss Daisy and Cap Relihan, all
arrived Friday mor -mg fi-mvi y- w-
Mrs. ! Relihan had been married
j twice. The present marriage nas —-
jered a period of over thirty years. SR^-
j.was well known for her devotion to
her family and her whole life hav
: keen spent in the splendid training
! she has given Tier numerous children
j The funeral will be conducted at ;.
icemetary tomorrow (Saturday), the
j party L aving .the residence at 10
[o’clock. Rev. T. S. Hubert, of the
! Baptist church v ill conduct the cere-
I
; mony.
j The active pall bearers will be
[Messrs. T. S. Price, Oliver Peterson,
jO. F. Deen, J. J. Willingham, N. F.
| Goodyear i nd Dr. Jno. M. Hall.
I ’R< >TRACTED SERVICES.
The Enterprise is requested to an
nounce that, a protracted series oi
srvices began at Chatterton yesterdaj
(Friday), and will continue until Sun
day night next week.
Some prominent workers will be
prsent in this union meeting, and the
public is invited to attend.
275 MORE PINTS WHISKEY
TO BE POURED INTO SEWER
Sheriff Tanner made another whis
key haul last Wednesday afternoon
in this city when he arrested J. J.
Graham and J. W. Talbert, who claim
ed to be fromfMacon. They were in
rh-rgo of on automobile which con
tained 275 pints of whiskey and were
going from .Jacksonville, Fla., to .Ma
con, they claimed.
The two men were indicted ny the
grand jury, it being in session, f»r
violating the prohibition law. and J. J.
Graham entered a plea of guilty be
$1.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
Help L'S
By telephonir
News Items
Numbers (
44, or 106.
I The case of the state vs Geo. F.
j MeCranie, chagcd with embezzlement,
j was taken up Wednesday morning and
i the jury was secured by noon. This
case proved to be the big case of the
week, due to the prominence of the
(defendant and the gravity of the crime
with which he was charged. The same
grand jury which indicted MeCranie
also returned bills against his nephew,
M. H. MeCranie, who was assistant
cashier of the l ank, and also Thor,.
R. Cox, the bookkeeper who left the
Bank of Willaeoochee about (he tine
the shortage was discovered and was
i found in a few weeks in New York
City.
The case was hard fought by both
sides, every inch of ground being con-
I tested. The main witness for the
state was Thos. R. Cox, who placed
the blame of the shortage of $31,009.
on G. F. MeCranie, the cashier. The
evidence of Mr. Arnold, the state aud:-'
tor who examined the bank and found
the shortage, was also damaging to an
extent although he did not place the
blame directly on anyone. Sullivan
Shepherd, who was a witness in the
case, refused (o testify.
The case went to the jury at
o’clock Thursday afternoon, after tl a
barge by Judge Sumrnorail. They ;o
turned once for the Judge to recharge |
them once on certain law. They re
mained out until about 9:30 o'clock
Thursday night, when the sudden
death of Mrs. Relihan was announced
to the court, and her s\m, Mr. J. C.
Relihan being- one of the jurors, Judge.
Summerall decided to declare it a mis
trial and the case took that direction.
It would probably have been a mis
trial if the jury had remained out all
night, as it is understand that the jury
was hopelessly divided in their verdict.
The state was assisted by Judge J.
W. Quincey, and the defence was rep
resented by Judge F. W. Dart, Judge
W. C. Lankford and Col. Maijc WiL
cox, of Hazlehurst. All five of tho
lawyerr, in the case made arguments
and their speeches were listened to by
a crowded house. Attorneys Dicker
son •• - i Wi ! ox made their arguments,
on Wednesday night, while the other
three were delivered on Thursday
morning, Judge Quincey closing for
the state, finishing- his argument about
noon when the court adjourned for
dinner and charged the jury directly
after reconvening.
2 Absent Witnesses
Fined S2O. Ef ch
Judge Summerall has set a prece
dent on dealing with absent witnesses.
Two of the witnesses in the case of
the state vs Dan Shepherd were ab
sent when the case was called this
week, and both of them had to be
sent for. They arrived Friday morn
ing in company of the officers and
both of them brought oefore the courts
Excuses were rendered by both, but
the court thought them not sufficient
and having had some trouble before
with absent witnesses, decided to strut
now with dealing with them. He im
posed a fine of S2O. each on them, or
20 days in jail.
VICKERS
GREAT FIRE SALE
fore the eoyrt, while the case against
Talbert was dismissed, as the evidence
showed that he had nothing to do w th
it.
Judge Summerall passed a sentence
on Graham at once, inposing a fine fo
$250., which was paid, and ordered
that the 275 pints of whiskey be pour
ed into the sewer, of Douglas, making
a duplicate exhibition similar to the
one in which Sheriff Tanner engaged
last Monday when he poured out over
400 pints.