Friday, 7th November 1913: Thomas Is Given Chief Judgeship, The Atlanta Constitution

Reading Time: 6 minutes [987 words]

J. B. Ridley, Luther Rosser,

Jr., and Chief Judge Will

Serve Four Years, McClel-

land and Hathcock

Two.

E. D. Thomas is to be the chief judge

of the new municipal court for a term of four years.

J. B. Ridley and Luther Rosser, Jr.

will also serve for terms of four years.

L. F. McClelland and T. O. Hathcock

will be judges for terms of two years each.

These appointments were announced by

Governor Slaton just before he left the city late yesterday afternoon for

Dublin. The commissions of the new judges when issued will date from January 1,

1914.

Much Pressure Brought.

Not often has such pressure been

brought upon a governor as was brought upon a governor as was brought in

connection with these appointments. While it was a foregone conclusion that he

would name the men recommended by the judge of the superior court of Fulton

county, there was fierce competition among the various applicants for the chief

judgeship and also for the four-year terms.

Before the governor reached his office

Thursday morning there were many callers waiting to see him on behalf of one or

the other of the men and others had called up Secretary Jesse Perry and

arranged for appointments.

The governor very patiently heard them,

although it took up the greater part of the day, and therefore it was late in

the afternoon before he could announce his decision.

Will Contest Law.

Attorney Robert H. Jackson of the law

firm of Gober & Jackson, has been retained by justice of the Peace W. T.

Jordan to make a fight on the constitutionality of the new municipal court,

created by act of the recent legislature. The appearance of Jackson in this

capacity is believed to be the first gun in an organized battle by all of the

justices in Fulton county who will be automatically wiped out of office on

January 1 of next year unless they can make a legal stand against the new

tribunal.

The attack on the new court will be

made as soon as the court officials, yet to be named, begin spending any of the

countys money, declared Attorney Jackson on Wednesday afternoon.

It is expected that several other

justices of the peace will stand behind Judge Jacksons fight against removal.

PAGE 1, COLUMN 3

BOLD AUTO THIEVES

KEEPING POLICE

BUSY

Chief Beavers Declares That All

Offenders Will Be Prosecuted

To Full Extent of the Law.

Stealing automobiles is one of the

most popular pastimes in Atlanta, according to the police, who are receiving

calls almost daily from car-owners whose machines have disappeared. It is

thought that the cars are taken by a crowd of young hoodlums who desire the

pleasures of joy-riding free of charge, as the cars taken thus far have all

turned up, although far from the places from which they were taken, and

somewhat the worse for wear.

A big Overland touring car, belonging

to H. E. Mosely, of Marietta, was taken from the curb in front of the Columbia

burlesque theater Wednesday night and was not recovered until late Thursday

evening, when Call Officer Evans found the abandoned machine at the corner of

Washington street and Woodward Avenue.

K. F. McKintry, 469 Peachtree street,

left his Marmon touring car in front of the Empire building Thursday evening,

and returned five minutes later to find that it had disappeared. It is a

four-passenger car of a dark-blue color. Up to an early hour this morning, all

efforts of the police to locate the car and the thieves had proved fruitless.

The police authorities are aroused over the bold thefts, and are determined to

put a stop to the practice, Chief Beavers declaring that any offenders of this

class apprehended will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

PAGE 7, COLUMN 1

A RECIPROCAL DUTY.

Chief Beavers has wisely taken up the

matter of impressing upon the parents and people generally of Atlanta the

importance of reciprocity in insuring the safety of children upon the

traffic-congested streets of the city.

Obviously, it is impossible for the

drive of any form of vehicledray, truck, or autoto make the streets safe by

his own unaided efforts. He must have the co-operation of those who use the

streets for other than traffic purposes, pedestrians, in other words, who are

forced to negotiate street crossings.

Een when the man in the street

exercises the utmost possible vigilance, accidents are likely if pedestrians

fail to observe due caution. The reciprocal duty of watchfulness applies with

especial force to children. Naturally headlong and impulsive, they need to be

taught the fundamental principals of self-protection with relation to street

traffic.

Under natural conditions the streets

belong to traffic and the sidewalks to pedestrians. Vehicles never use the

sidewalk, and so as long as the pedestrian, child or adult, stays there he is

safe. But pedestrians are compelled upon occasion to cross the street and that

is where the menace lies.

Parents who wish to minimize accidents

should, therefore, drill constantly into the mind of the child that the mere

act of stepping down from sidewalk to street is dangerous unless extraordinary

vigilance is exercised. Teachers should devote a part of one day a week, or,

better still, a few minutes each day, to the same task. Such tuition will

protect the child in his youthful days, and as well inculcate the involuntary

vigilance that will follow him after he has become an adult.

The police of Chief Beavers is to be

commended. It is aimed at one of those city perils that increase with growth,

and it is sought to be implanted in such manner that in the Atlanta of the next

generation people will be so trained in precaution as to bring accidents to an

irreducible minimum.

PAGE 6, COLUMN 4

COPS TO

USE WHISTLES

TO CONTROL

TRAFFIC

A metropolitan system of traffic

management has been inaugurated by Chief Beavers along the lines of methods

used by New York, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia police. Beginning at noon

yesterday, traffic policemen will command vehicles and pedestrians by the whistle

system.

The whistles signals have been arranged

in this manner:

One blastnorth and south traffic has

right of way to proceed, while east and west traffic is held in check.

Three blastsemergency and possible

danger. At the sounding of this signal, all vehicles and pedestrians must not

proceed over the crossing. This signal is to be used in case of approach of the

fire department, ambulances, runaways or any other emergency.