Saturday, 13th September 1913: Attorneys Jab At Each Other’s Face In Broyles’ Court, The Atlanta Georgian

Reading Time: 12 minutes [1993 words]

More than a hundred spectators witnessed a near fight between Thomas Bishop and Charles Hillier, attorneys, with offices in the Temple Court Building, in Judge Broyles court at police headquarters Saturday afternoon, when Bishop accused Hillier of violating the ethics of the legal profession.

The trouble grew out of the case of W. A. Jarell, who shares Hillier's offices, and who was arrested on complaint of G. P. Parks, engineer of the building, who asserted that Jarell signed bonds without being a licensed bondsman.

It came out in court that Jarell signed the bonds on condition that the prisoner retain Hillier as his attorney.

Then it was that Bishop accused Hillier of violating the ethics of the profession, and asserted he would prosecute him for it.

Hillier made a face at Bishop and jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

Bishop returned the jab, with interest.

Hiller struck at Bishop"and missed.

Bishop struck at Hillier"and missed.

Friends separated the belligerents, and Judge Broyles delivered a lecture on the proper behavior in court.

Jarrell was fined $15.75.

PAGE 1, COLUMN 6

Slaton Rules

Negro

Slayer Must Hang

Will

Varner, a negro convicted of murder in the Newton County Superior Court and sentenced to be hanged, was denied a commutation to life imprisonment by Governor Slaton Saturday.

Varner shot and killed the 6-year-old child of his wife while endeavoring to shoot her when she refused.

PAGE 3, COLUMN 1

JUDGE ARTHUR G. POWELL ARRAIGNS THE POLICE FOR ANTI-SPOONING CRUSADE

In an interview Saturday Judge Arthur G. Powell, late of the Court of Appeals, came vigorously to the defense of Atlanta's spooners and asserted that in the recent instances of police interference the officers of the law had arrayed themselves on the side of no sense against common sense.

Judge Powell made an interesting analysis of State rights and individual rights, weighed with judicial care the merits and demerits of kissing, and the attitude the police should take in the enforcement of laws governing morals, said the judge:

I don't think the present situation is so much a conflict between the rights of the State and the rights of the individual: the thing at which the community stands shocked is the deplorable lack of judgement displayed by the police in the handling of a particular case.

Must Use Common Sense.

The State is supreme, of course; without the supremacy of Law and Order individual liberty is worthless.

There is nothing in any true view of individual liberty is worthless.

There is nothing in any true view of individual liberty which would prevent the State from making hugging and kissing a jail offense if it were necessary to the best interests of society to do so.

But even then those enforcing the law should use some common sense.

The practical phases of the question are these:

The girl with the proper sense of pride and decency is not going to let a man to whom she is not engaged kiss her either in private or in public.

The woman who is truly bad will hardly limit her activities to kissing.

Between these two extremes lies a middle class, the girls who are not altogether bad but who are a little fast; and from time immemorial the boys have been chasing this class of girls and hugging and kissing them in dark corner or wherever else opportunity presented itself.

Now, suppose a policeman finds a boy on a dark seat in the park or on the excluded portion of the Capitol grounds kissing a girl, what should he do?

If the couple is engaged"well, they are within their legal and moral rights and privileges, if they are not making their spooning to ostentatious.

If the couple is not engaged, either the girl is fast or she is bad.

If she is really bad, the police do not need to arrest her merely for hugging and kissing.

Does Not Require Disgrace.

If she is merely fast (and this is the case most probably of all those who have been supposed), to arrest the couple and take them to jail would be an outrage, irrespective of what might or might not be the law, rule or regulations on the subject. That is the way to make bad women out of fast girls.

"In any of the supposed cases, if the policeman would only let his presence be known, the performance would immediately end.

The situation doesn't require that the girl should be disgraced absolutely. If the girl has a mother, the mother should be notified, and I am old-fashioned enough to believe that unless the girl is entirely too old, a good, old-fashioned spanking with the back side of a hair brush properly administered by the mother would be a much more appropriate corrective than arrest and jailing.

This thing of arresting people for trivial offenses which might be expediently handled otherwise is what disgusts us. The public should respect and feel kindly to every police officer, and yet so long as the spectacle of the police arresting for minor delinquencies of conduct is constantly before our eyes, we can not feel toward the police just as we should.

Could Condone Killing.

The police do not seem to recognize the humiliation, the disgrace, the deep mental pain a decent man feels at being arrested; and to arrest a woman or a young girl"I couldn't blame a gentleman who would kill a policeman to prevent it, where the arrest was not absolutely necessary, where the woman had not committed some serious offense.

It is so much more intelligent for the police officer to handle minor affairs with a word of caution, or, if the offense be graver though still slight, by giving a copy of charges, than it is for them to make an arrest and to hustle the offender off to the station in the Black Maria,' that I can't understand the lack of sense some of them display.

"It's not a case of conflict between the rights of the State and the rights of the individual, it is a case of conflict between sense and no sense.

PAGE 13, COLUMN 1

MANGUM MAKES SHERIFF'S RACE FOURTH TIME

Three-Corner Fight Between Him, Mayo and Wright Holds County's Interest.

Formally announced candidates for Sheriff:

Sheriff C. Wheeler Mangum, to succeed himself.

Captain William M. Mayo, of the Atlanta Police Department.

Chief Deputy City Marshall, L. O. Wright, who served six years as Sheriff of Newton County.

Prospective: Chief Deputy Sheriff Plennie Miner.

Candidates for the office of Sheriff are grooming themselves for what promises to be the hottest Sheriff's race in the history of Fulton County.

With the date of the primary not more than seven or eight months away, and with the city primary of September 30 attracting practically no attention, the would-be Sheriffs are having things politically all their way.

Of unusual interest is the announcement of Sheriff Mangum that he is very much in the race, which is directly contrary to the persistent rumor that he would not run.

His announcement was re-affirmed Friday morning.

Upon the decision of Sheriff Mangum rests Plennie Miner's entry into the race.

If Mangum sticks to the finish, Miner will not enter, feeling that his duty as a loyal friend to the present Sheriff, whom he declares has done much for him, would prevent his running against him.

Only Strong Men in Race.

Whether the race will he between Mangum, Mayo and Wright, or Miner, Mayo and Wright, it is sure to be warm.

Each man already has a strong following, while each is perfecting a ticket of unusual strength.

In addition to this, it is quite probable that no one in the county has a larger personal acquaintance than any of these four men.

Captain Mayo has an enviable record with the Atlanta Police Department, with which he has been connected sixteen years, holding the rank of captain six years.

Prior to this, he was special sergeant three years.

He was born in Jasper County, near Brighton, but was reared in Butts County.

He came to Atlanta in 1895 to visit the Cotton States Exposition and liked the town so well that he decided to make it his home, and has been here ever since.

Plennie Miner has been with the Sheriff's office for five years, and has won friends by the hundreds by his genial personality and the ability displayed by him in handling the duties of chief deputy.

His handling of the huge crowds attending the Frank trial drew many complimentary remarks.

He hails from Gwinnett County, where life as a farmer boy made him grow tall and gave him muscles to match.

Wright Has Long History.

Chief Deputy City Marshall L. O. Wright has been a resident of Atlanta fourteen years.

He had a good political career behind him, serving as Sheriff of Newton County six years.

He knows the political game like an astrologer knows the stars, and has acquired an acquaintanceship here of immense proportions.

He has not perfected his ticket, but in his formal announcement has named Walter C. Lawrence as his chief deputy.

Lawrence is well known in Atlanta.

He has been general manager of the Westview Floral Company, twenty years.

Sheriff Mangum is now serving his third term.

He carries a few more years than his opponents, but his nerves are steady and he can take his revolver and pluck a half-dollar at 30 paces.

He is a Confederate veteran, enlisting In March, 1862, and fighting throughout the last three years of the war.

He was only sixteen years of age when he enlisted.

He was born in Fannin County.

Sheriff Mangum, in making his announcement, declared that he knew there was some sentiment against him but that he had only done his duty.

Mangum Defends His Record.

Some sentiment has been raised against me because I do not handcuff my prisoners, but I do not believe there is a right-thinking man in Fulton County who will entertain a prejudice like this against me, said the Sheriff.

I did not handcuff Leo M. Frank, neither did I handcuff Jim Conley or Newt Lee.

As a matter of fact, I have never handcuffed but two men in all my time In the Sheriff's office.

There was some criticism because I accompanied Frank personally and because he was carried from the jail to the courthouse in an automobile. My reason for escorting him was that I felt it was my duty. There had been threats made against him and I felt that if any of the Sheriffs force was to be exposed to harm that I should take that risk upon myself.

The automobile belonged to one of the deputies and did not cost the county anything, while as a matter of fact, I walked Frank three or four times.

The only time I ever handcuff men is when a long string of prisoners is taken a long string of prisoners is taken to the courthouse on Monday mornings, when we have them on a long chain. This saves the county fully $60 for each trip, as it would be necessary to have at least thirty more men acting as guards, while we now use six for the handling of these prisoners.

Miner Loyal to His Chief.

Plennie Miner has been urged by a Iong list of friends to get into the race, but unless Sheriff Mangum drops out he will be found fighting for his present chief.

I would be an ingrate if I ran against Mr. Mangum, said Mr. Miner.

If I have any ability as a Deputy Sheriff, it has been acquired by the opportunity he has given me, for he gave me a job when I needed one. If he runs, I will be out working for his re-election; if he doesn't, I will be in the race.

To be perfectly plain, I would go out and shovel coal at a dollar and a half a day before I would run against Mr. Mangum, for he is one of the best friends I have.

Captain Mayo will probably announce his ticket of deputies some time in the next two or three weeks.

He already has several lined up, but doesn't care to make them public yet.

Indications are that the primary will be held in May, a decided sentiment favoring an early date.