The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-12
URT IN EDGisIJE1
Mixed Timcs-Ncgro Lavycrsfls crest
Ing Murder Cascs-Thc GranNsS3ry Ig-
norcs the Bill In the Cnsc ofr!le AddI-
son-CrcssyvcII Homicide. -
lpnoM OUR own cosaRsroxDKSrl

EDCslrcLD, October g.
Our Circuit Court began y full session here
judge did not reach here in ti.nc on Monday to
do any business. Tuesday was occupied I'm
orgunizing tho luries. The grand jury con-
sisted of eight whites and eleven blacks; petit
jnrJ. No. l, was composed entirely Of blacks,
and No. 2 had considerable sprinkllng.
Several negro cOnstabes were employed about
the courthouse, and Hubbards men were on
hand in goodly numbers Solicitor p. L. Wig
gins was present for the first time, though It
has been nearly year since his election to
office. He Is n Northern man, resides ut Beau
FORT and It lis Is said buying cotton there Mt
was present, and, 1t Is reported, ut the request
of the solicitor, to assist him, In the discharge
Of his duties. His conifefes, WhIpper and
Wright, who appeared In public on the stage
In the courts In the lower part of the circuit,
have not made their appearance.
On "Wednesday til, court was occupied In
the trial of the case of tho State vs. Thomas
w. Blcasc, for the murder of John a. Ruther-
ford. These were both El!!tc men, and the
Jury consisted OF nine whites aud three blacks.
The solicitor was assisted in the prosecution
by Major Joseph Abncy and II. b. Elliott. The
defence was conducted By Messrs. Butler and
YoumanS and Major j. NJ. Baxter, OF Ncwberry.
The facts of the case as deduced from tho owl
1snce n,f were about Ss follows: In June last,
ticment OF some business matters between
them. ~ quarrel cnsled, In the course Of
which Rutherford entered Blease's house in n
room, got his gun, and returning met Ruther-
iord OH the piazza, AMI ordered him to leave
his house: Ruthcrf0rl then advanced on him
with Knife drawn, and received the fatal shot.
The prisoner introduced no testimony.
The argument was opened by Leroy F. YOU
mans, Esq, in vigorous, telling speech This
was the FIRST cnsc In which lie had defended Il
csmna ts before an Edgesld ry
aoiiity and zeal and learning was brought to
the mid of the State in bringing offenders to
ln!sticei and yet, wltha lie was specially dis
tinguished for his uniform courtesy and fair
dealing. His argument in this Instance only
proved that he Is equal TO the emergency on
either side Of the case. He was followed by
Major Abney and Elliott on the side of the
State. AS this was the first speech here by
negro lawyer, II attracted n pretty full court
room. lie spoke the usual length of time In
quite fluent style. was temperate In tone,
anu, upon the whole, made u fnir legal argll-
ment. Major Baxter closed for the prisoner.
The jury after short absence returned o YER
dict OF mot guilty." IiIl-u IaIG
Wednesday WINS occupied in, the trial Of the
Luther Toncy, ut the Pine House, on the Co
lumbla and Augusta Railroad, last spring.
Bo0tlle and others assembled themselves to-
Eetnsr nnawf0lly, and made an attack on
to tho depoti half mile distant, without doing
Jones as much damage as they perhaps ut first
intended. @ Before leaving the depot Boothc
of. his comrades, Luther, Toney. They Ind
been on good terms and iad no words at tho
killing. But, US they were engaged In riot6us,
and unlawful conduct, the killing was not re-
garded gard by the Jury as excusa6lc, and hence
they found q verdict of mahslaughtcr. The
prosecution In tlIs case was conducted by tiio
solicitors, Mcssrs: Pu,'cr& Youplans and darcy
\ GHasoS.the H.S defence by Major Abhey aud l..
June term OF our court, butt resulted in n mis-
trial. rsa Il4-,.:- {.
The court Is engaged to-day in tho >trial
or Hillery Hardy and Lewis Freeman,
Elkin, In March, 1863 This was one Of the
most atrocious and dlabocal murders that hns
occurred In Edgelcld for years.
william Elkin, the husband, was absent from
about dusk till 10 or IL O'Clock nj night, and
on his return found his wife dead in the yard
beaten and maaglcd fearfiilly. A negro girl.
some twelve or thirteen years of age, slept In
the house, and swore ut the inquest that Hill
y iery and and Lewis did the killing. She also testi-
OF murder; but at the trial which first was Ind
In March last, she told two or three different
stories. The Jury consisted of twelve white
men , and respectable citizens. They were
equally divided, md mis-trial was the result.
The case was again tried ut June term with
six whites and six negroes, and resulted in n
mis-trial. This tmo they have one white and
eleven negroes on the jury, and 1t is thought
The case that was expected to attract the
most attention Mt this term of the court was
that OF George B. Addison and James Addison,
for the murder of Charles II. Crcsswell; but
the grand Jury this morning returned "no bill"
rs against these parties.
There arc few more murder cases and q
good long roll of assaults and batteries and
larcenies, which will take up the whole Of the
present sM term Of the court. It is expected that
Tor civil business, when Judge Orr will preside
We have tried no civil causes, except by
consent OF parties, since March, 1868.