Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-06-04
The First Case Of Divorce in South Carolina

three petitions for divorce came up for hear.
ing before Judge Orr on Friday last. Two
of the applications were from tho wives of
wicked husbands, one from the husband
against the vito. The first case was from a
lady, Mrs. Mary Il. Cameron, residing in
Charleston, for divorce from lor husband,
Robert Cameron, in Philadelphia, from whom
she was by his cruelty compelled to separate
several years ago; he having also since tho
separation unlawfully married another woman
in Pennsylvania, with whom he is now living.
Tho unlawful wife On application furnished
an affidavit stating that the husband repre-.
scented himself us a widowcr; and so she mar
ricd him in Ignorance of the existence of the
lawful wife. Judge Orr, after hearing the
petition and evidence, readily granted the or
der of divorce i'll this case, on motion of Per.
ry q Perry, solicitors for the petitioner.
The other parties all reside in this county.
The applicants were represented by Mcssrs.
Sullivan T. Stokes. Judge Orr granted the
order Of divorce in the case of Mrs. Amanda
9. Londcmau from the husband, Fyarcis 81
L%cndcman, who, it was proved, had cruelty
treated her and had married taken up with
another woman. IN the ca, 81 tho petition
Of John W. Walker for a divorce from his
VITO, Mary, j. Walker, on the allegation of
Der dcscrtion some six or eight years ago, and
hcr violent temper and abuse which OCCASION
cd 1T, and the hopclcssncss Of a reunion, tho
Judge was not satisfied that ho ought to grant
tho husband a divorce, but intimatcd to the
counsel that he would further consider the
case.
These arc the first cases of divorce that
have ever boon granted by a law court in this
State. 10 be sure South Carolina was always
a barbarous State, aud it must doubtless be
gratifying to our Down-East friends to witness
this giant stride that we have takon in the
race of civilization. 1t is reconstruction in
it's most practical sense; that is to say, VIC
arc rapidly assimilating ourselves and our laws
to Down-Eastcrn IDEAS. Who knows but
that in a while WI may have blue laws, and
there is even a possibility that We may in time
boast a race Of Anna Dickinsons. Room for
reconstructed South Carolina
Ey~ Speaking of the business before tho
Circuit Court iu Abbeyillc, the "prcss"
says:
"Thc new bills found by the Grand Jury
involved no eases of very aggravated charac.
ter. No bills were given out against those
citizens Of our District against whom charges
had been preferred Of completely in the killing
of Randolph. The Attorney General Cham
bcrlain, it is said, was expected up to attend
to these cases, but did not como, aud wo have
our doubts whether he ever will come. The
Grand Jury ignored tho bill. charging DR..
NJ, Z. Taggart, A. B. Kennedy and John
Brooks with the killing of q negro at White
Hall, at the election last fall"
--~-%+$-----
BRUTAL MURDER.--A negro girl living
on the farm of Mr. George Morris, about sew
on miles from Barnwcll village, was murdered
by her father, Nelson Sanders, on the 23d
inst. Upon examination, the body was found
covered with bruises and sears from head to
foot. There were two large scars on her head
From what we could learn, it appears she was
CoiCutcu W ucatH. LHc laJner was 10unu
guilty of the murder, by the jury of inquest,
and will no doubt receive tho punishment he
deserves.
New ORLEANS, May ga dispatch from
Jacksonville, Texas, says that shc proceed
ings of the military commission engaged in
the trial of citizens charged with the murder
of George w. Smith, have so far been con.
fined to the examination of Major GUSTS, in
command Of the post at the time of killing,
Lieut.. Dubois, and the two freedmen, who
escaped. The cvidelc &C of tho officers and
freedmen conflicts badly. The officers both
swear that all parties engaged wore disguised;
tho negroes swear exactly tho opposite. Tcs.
testimony of tho two negroes also conflicts
a large crowd is in attendance, and great in.
tcrcst manifested. Over one hundred wit.
ncsscs arc summoned to appear juno 7th.
RICHMOND, Va, May %, 1s6o.-Thc COL
orcd State Convention adjourned today, af.
ter adopting q series Of resolutions requesting
Gen. Candy to give colorcd men representa-
ton upon the benches of Courts and Ia exc
cutivc Offices and on juries of the State urg-
ing Republicans to vote for the Constitution
fran,o1 bv tbo Ctoto ro,.. ,